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Thirteenth Chords for Guitar
Let's look now at some additional chord types that are creative substitutes for various triad and seventh chords. These chords will allow us to add some dramatic tension to our chord progressions. These chords are very common in the Jazz style, but also useful as alternative sounds across the range of popular styles. These are moveable chord forms just like our bar chords. The fingerings may be challenging at first, but with practice you will eventually play them effortlessly!
Important: technically, the thirteenth interval is one octave above the sixth interval. In practice, due to inherent fingering limitations, there is some flexibility in application with extended chords. Bear in mind that the ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth intervals are higher register counterparts for the second, fourth, and sixth intervals, respectively. Given the limitations of our fingers across six strings to include additional intervals, we often have to drop some intervals in order to include the extended intervals, which will leave these thirteenth chords missing a significant number of intervals.
Also note that as we increase the number of intervals, the number of practically accessible fingering options decreasing, so you will observe that the number of charts decreases as we keep increasing the number of intervals included in the chord. Here will cover a few readily accessible fingerings based on the previously featured E and A form bar chords.
Major Thirteenth
For the Major Thirteenth we will start with the E form major chord, then add the thirteenth. Note that we have had to drop the seventh through eleventh intervals due to fingering limitations. Use this chord as a substitute for a Major chord. You will see this chord labeled as M13.
Minor Thirteenth
The Minor Thirteenth chord includes a flat third, flatted seventh, ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth intervals. Use this chord as an alternate for a Minor Seventh chord. In the viocing shown we will simply add a thirteenth interval to the previously covered Minor Seventh chord. You will see this chord labeled as m13 or -13.
Dominant Eleventh
Now let's consider the Dominant Eleventh Chord. We construct this chord type by adding the eleventh interval note, as the name implies, to a Eleventh chord. Consequently, we use this chord as an alternate for Dominant Seventh chords. It is best used, for example, as an embellished dominant seventh chord played after a dominant seventh and leading back into the I chord. Try playing a C7 in E Bar form followed by this C13 and finally resolving to an F Major, and you will hear how this chord sounds in proper context. In this application the C chords are serving as as the V chord from the major key of F.
In keeping with the abbreviated labeling of the Dominant Seventh chord as simply the 7th chord, so we refer to this Dominant Thirteenth chord as simply a 13th Chord. So when there is a reference to a 13th chord with no other information offered, assume it is referring to a Dominant Thirteenth Chord.
Major Add 13
The Major Add 13 chord in simply a Major chord (1-3-5) that bypasses the seventh, ninth, and eleventh intervals and skips straight to adding the 13th interval. Use this chord as an alternate for a Major chord. You will see this chord labeled as add 13.
Here we are using the familiar A from major bar chord as a foundation and then adding the thirteenth interval. Take note that in terms of the intervals actually included in this chord, it is the same chord as the Major Thirteenth shown above. In theory the Major Thirteenth chord should include the seventh, ninth, and eleventh intervals. As we touched on previously, in practice it is impossible to include the seven intervals required by the Major Thirteenth chord on a six string guitar. Even after eliminating some intervals, it can still be impractical or impossible to include even most of the intervals required by this chord. Therefore, the naming of the chords can get into a grey area where the precise name is ambiguous. Hence, two different names for two chord voicings which share the exact same intervals!
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