A13 Guitar Chord

A13 guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.

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Shape 1/2

Chord shapes:(2 positions)

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position 5

Arpeggio for this shape

P - m - i - m · Alternating Folk (4/4 · 4 notes · Level 1)

The 1st string is silent. The thumb plays the 6th and the fingers stay on the 3rd and 2nd. All 6 arpeggios

Alternating picking with steady pulse.

Speed:

What sets A13 apart

Play A13 one string at a time and you hear A, C#, E, G, B and F#. A is the root, C# the major third, E the fifth, G the minor seventh, B the ninth and F# the thirteenth. Said aloud, its notes are A, C sharp, E, G, B and F sharp.

From the low string to the high one you hear A, G, C# and F#. This shape drops two chord tones, E and B. They are the fifth and ninth. The lowest note is A on string 6 and the highest is F# on string 2.

A13 is a closed shape with no open strings. Move it to another fret and the chord changes, but the fingering stays. Strings 5 and 1 are not played. Everything fits between frets 5 and 7. The second shape on this page starts at fret 2.

A13 holds the whole F#m chord inside it, A, C# and F#. Going to Dbm, one position stays the same.

A13 belongs to only one key, D major, where it is the V13.

Chord Progressions

Explore recommended harmonic circles on CifraLab:

Recommended practice sequences

01A A - F#m - Bm - E7 02C#m C#m - A - F#m - G#7

Music Theory & Formula

Component notes and harmonic structure (A13)

Formula: A13 (1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 - 9 - 13)

Constituent chord intervals:

A 1C# 3E 5G ♭7B 9F# 13

Root Bass (Fundamental String)6th String (Low E) • Fret 5 (A)

String Control (Muted & Active)4 / 6 • 2 X Muted

2 Fretboard Positions

Other fretboard positions for A13:

Select each shape in the diagram above to view and listen to it

position 5

Standard Position

4 / 6 stringsRoot: 6th String (Low E)

String Control (Muted & Active):

Root

6th String (Low E)

Fret 5Finger 1

ADegree 1

5th String (A)

×Muted

Do not play

4th String (D)

Fret 5Finger 2

GDegree ♭7

3rd String (G)

Fret 6Finger 3

C#Degree 3

2nd String (B)

Fret 7Finger 4

F#Degree 13

1st String (High E)

×Muted

Do not play

Placement tip: Press: 6th String (Low E) at fret 5 with your Index finger, 4th String (D) at fret 5 with your Middle finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 6 with your Ring finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 7 with your Pinky finger. Don't play: 5th String (A), 1st String (High E).

Open

Inversion

5 / 6 stringsRoot: 5th String (A)

String Control (Muted & Active):

6th String (Low E)

×Muted

Do not play

Root

5th String (A)

○Open

ADegree 1

4th String (D)

Fret 2Finger 1

EDegree 5

3rd String (G)

○Open

GDegree ♭7

2nd String (B)

Fret 2Finger 2

C#Degree 3

1st String (High E)

Fret 2Finger 3

F#Degree 13

Placement tip: Press: 4th String (D) at fret 2 with your Index finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 2 with your Middle finger, 1st String (High E) at fret 2 with your Ring finger. Play open: 5th String (A), 3rd String (G). Don't play: 6th String (Low E).

Biomechanics & Posture

Ergonomic tips to play without tension or fatigue (A13)

Standard Position

The shape in numbers

Item	In this chord
Frets	5 to 7
Fretting fingers	4
Open	none
Muted	5th and 1st

What to check

The 5th string stays muted between strings that ring.

What every chord shares is in the fingering reading.

Transitions & Pivot Fingers

Most common chord transitions from A13

Listen: A13 → Dbm · E7 · D

A13 → Dbm01

Pivot / Anchor Finger:1 shared position

Stay in place

string 3, fret 6

Move

string 5, fret 4
string 4, fret 6
string 2, fret 5
string 1, fret 4

A13 → E702

Pivot / Anchor Finger:Full shape change

No finger is shared: place the bass on string 5 first, then the rest of the shape.

Move

finger 2: string 5, fret 2
finger 1: string 3, fret 1

A13 → D03

Pivot / Anchor Finger:Full shape change

No finger is shared: place the bass on string 3 first, then the rest of the shape.

Move

finger 1: string 3, fret 2
finger 3: string 2, fret 3
finger 2: string 1, fret 2

A13 in every key

A13 sits in the scale of 1 keys.

Main shape at a glance

Difficulty: 3/5
Highest fret: 7
Frets the hand covers: 3
Barre: No
Strings that ring: 4/6
Fretting fingers: 4

Major keys

V13D major

A13 on other instruments

PianoThe same notes on the keyboard.All togetherHear guitar, piano, bass and violin together.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about the chord (A13)

The questions that come up most when playing this chord

Which strings are played and which are muted in the A13 chord?

To play the A13 chord on guitar, only 4 strings are played, from string 6 to string 2. Muted strings must be gently dampened with the fleshy side of a fretting finger to prevent dissonance.

What is the root bass note of the A13 chord and on which string is it located?

The primary bass note of the A13 chord is its root note: A. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 6 at fret 5.

When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.

What notes make up the A13 chord and what is its formula?

The A13 chord is constructed using the 1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 - 9 - 13 formula (A13). Its constituent pitches are A, C#, E, G, B, F#.

How do you prevent the A13 chord from buzzing or sounding muted?

To prevent the A13 chord from buzzing or sounding muted, press the strings using the tips of your fingers at a strict 90-degree hammer angle. Position each finger immediately behind the fret wire with your thumb centered behind the neck.

Study sheet · High resolution

Official A13 chord diagram

A13 guitar chord diagram with fingering for fingers 1 to 4

Download HD sheet

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Other chords in the A family:

Chord A Chord Ab Chord Am Chord A7 Chord Ab7 Chord Amaj7 Chord Abmaj7 Chord Am7