F♯maj13
Character: rich, warm
- F♯Rtriad
- A♯3triad
- C♯5triad
- E♯7add
- G♯9left out
- B11left out
- D♯13add
4 ways to play F♯maj13
Every voicing sits inside one of the five CAGED shapes, low to high on the neck, with its octave doublings in grey.
- Triad note
- Substitute
- Added
- Anchored root
- Bass
- Doubling
Frets x 9 8 8 6 xNotes F♯ A♯ D♯ E♯Intervals 1 3 13 7Base triadF♯ major, root position
The 7th gets a string of its own. The 13th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x 8 8 8 7 xNotes E♯ A♯ D♯ F♯Intervals 7 3 13 1Base triadF♯ major, 1st inversion
The 7th gets a string of its own. The 13th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x x 4 3 4 1Notes F♯ A♯ D♯ E♯Intervals 1 3 13 7Base triadF♯ major, root position
The 7th gets a string of its own. The 13th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x x 3 3 4 2Notes E♯ A♯ D♯ F♯Intervals 7 3 13 1Base triadF♯ major, 1st inversion
The 7th gets a string of its own. The 13th takes the 5th’s string.
The construction rules F♯maj13 follows
Start from a triad
Root, 3rd and 5th, stacked in thirds. The 3rd makes it major or minor; the 5th makes it diminished or augmented when it moves.
A third on top makes a 7th chord
A major 7th over a major triad is maj7, a ♭7 is a dominant 7. Over minor you get m7 or m(maj7); over diminished, m7♭5 or the °7, whose 7th is lowered twice.
Keep stacking for extensions
The 9th, 11th and 13th are the 2nd, 4th and 6th an octave up. Each one sits on the stack below it: a 9th chord holds a 7th, a 13th holds the 9th and 11th in theory.
On guitar, something has to give
Each extension takes the string of a triad note that matters less, usually the 5th, or gets a string of its own. The root and 3rd stay: they say what the chord is.
Leave out what clashes
A natural 11th a minor 9th above a major 3rd sounds wrong, so major and dominant chords use a ♯11, and a 13th chord leaves the 11th out.
Drop what adds least
A guitar chord has four to six notes. When the formula holds more, the 5th and then the 9th go first: the root, 3rd, 7th and top extension still say exactly what the chord is.
All the rules, with examples, in the guide to the chord library.
Major 13th in every key
More chords on F♯
F♯maj13 chord questions
What notes are in F♯maj13?
F♯maj13 is spelled F♯ A♯ C♯ E♯ G♯ B D♯: F♯ is the root, A♯ is the 3rd, C♯ is the 5th, E♯ is the 7th, G♯ is the 9th, B is the 11th, D♯ is the 13th.
What is the formula of F♯maj13?
1 3 5 7 (9) (11) 13. It is a F♯ major triad with the 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th stacked on top.
How many ways can you play F♯maj13 on guitar?
This page shows 4 voicings of F♯maj13, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.
Which notes of F♯maj13 can you leave out on guitar?
The 9th and 11th. A guitar chord has four to six notes, so the notes that add the least go first, and the root, the 3rd, the 7th and the top extension still say exactly what the chord is.