G#13 Chord on Guitar
G#13 = G# – C – D# – F# – A# – F (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Minor 7th, Major 9th, Major 13th)
G#13 sits at the same fourth-fret barre as G#9, with the top two strings trading roles: G#9 raises the high e string to add the ninth, while G#13 instead raises the B string to add the thirteenth, leaving the top string on the plain root.
G#-C-D#-F#-F: root, major third, minor seventh, and thirteenth, with the fifth replaced by that thirteenth on the B string. A dominant 13 is about as rich an extension as jazz comping typically reaches for, often treated as functionally interchangeable with a plain dominant seventh — a fuller stand-in for G#7 wherever the V chord in C# major could use extra sophistication, with the resolving pull toward C# staying just as strong.
Fingerings
Barre (4th fret)
How to Practice It
If G#9 is already comfortable, work from that shape directly and retrain just the top two strings: instead of raising the high e string, leave it on the barre fret and raise the B string two frets instead. That specific string-swap distinction is worth drilling deliberately, since 9 and 13 chords are far more often confused by ear than by hand once both shapes are known.
Common Progressions
- G#13 – C# (V13 – I in C# major, a jazz-comping cadence)
- A#m7 – D#7 – G#13 – C# (ii – V/V – V13 – I, a jazz turnaround)
- G#13 – F#13 – C# (a funk/jazz vamp shifting the same shape down a fifth)
- C# – G#13 – C# (I – V13 – I, a brief color departure and return)
FAQ
- How is G#13 different from G#9 in the fingering?
- The two top strings swap roles: G#9 raises the high e string to sound the ninth and leaves the B string on the fifth, while G#13 raises the B string to sound the thirteenth and leaves the high e string on the root.
- Does this G#13 voicing also include the ninth?
- No — the fifth is replaced by the thirteenth and there's no remaining string to also sound the ninth, so this is a lean four-tone realization of the chord's function rather than a fully stacked extension.
- Why do jazz players use 13 chords instead of plain dominant sevenths?
- The extra color tone gives a fuller, more considered sound without changing the chord's basic dominant function, letting it substitute for a plain V7 in most progressions.
- Is G#13 difficult for a beginner given its higher fret position?
- It's more approachable once G#7 and G#9 barres are solid, since the shape carries over directly with one finger repositioned; the main challenge is training the ear to distinguish 9 from 13, not the physical stretch.
- Is G#13 ever written as Ab13?
- Yes, in flat-key or horn-section notation, though the pitches and fingering are unchanged regardless of the label.
Related: how chords are built, chord finder.