The G13 mandolin chord is a dominant 13th chord with the notes G, B, D, F, A, C, E. Its first mandolin voicing is the open position: G string open; D string at fret 3 (middle finger); A string at fret 2 (index finger); E string open. Whether you are learning it for the first time or checking a voicing, this page has the notes, the mandolin fingerings, the inversions and alternatives, and the progressions it appears in.
What notes are in the G13 chord?
The G13 chord is a dominant 13th chord, and its notes are fixed: G, B, D, F, A, C, E. Every voicing on every instrument uses these same notes, in some order and in some octave — change one of them and you are playing a different chord. The table below lists each note with its interval from the root G, so you can see the structure of G13 at a glance. On the mandolin, the open position of G13 puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
| Note | Interval |
|---|---|
| G | Root |
| B | 3 |
| D | 5 |
| F | b7 |
| A | 9 |
| C | 11 |
| E | 13 |
The root is G, the note the chord is named after and the note your ear hears as home. Above it, the intervals in G13 are 3, 5, b7, 9, 11, 13. That combination is what makes G13 sound the way it does: the intervals decide the colour, and the root decides the pitch. On the mandolin, the notes appear in the order the fingering dictates, but the set of notes never changes.
G13 sounds open and sophisticated, a chord that sounds like a whole arrangement in one shape. That character comes straight from the intervals above, not from the instrument: the same notes on piano, guitar or ukulele carry the same colour, even though the voicing changes. On the mandolin, the open position of G13 puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
Comparing G13 with its closest relatives helps to fix it in your ear. In short, 13th against 11th: G13 adds the 13th E on top of the 11th chord. It is the fullest dominant extension, and in practice several notes are omitted. Hearing the comparison matters more than reading it: play G13, then play the chord it is compared with above, and let your ear find the note that changed. On the mandolin, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in G13.
How to play G13 on mandolin
On the mandolin, G13 has 3 voicings in the data below, and each one uses the same notes — G, B, D, F, A, C, E — in a different place on the neck. The first voicing below is the one to learn first, and the alternatives cover the rest of the neck. Finger numbers below use 1 for the index finger, 2 for the middle finger, 3 for the ring finger and 4 for the little finger, and x means the string is not played.
Another way to play G13 is the open position, in around fret 1: G string open; D string at fret 3 (middle finger); A string at fret 2 (index finger); E string open. This voicing is comfortable because the fretted notes sit close together, from fret 2 to fret 3, so your hand stays relaxed and every note can ring. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in G13 — G, B, D, F, A, C, E — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
The movable voicing is the voicing to learn if you want G13 in around fret 8: G string open; D string at fret 9 (middle finger); A string at fret 8 (index finger); E string open. This voicing is comfortable because the fretted notes sit close together, from fret 8 to fret 9, so your hand stays relaxed and every note can ring. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in G13 — G, B, D, F, A, C, E — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
The open position puts G13 in open position: G string open; D string at fret 2 (middle finger); A string at fret 2 (middle finger); E string at fret 1 (index finger). This voicing is comfortable because the fretted notes sit close together, from fret 1 to fret 2, so your hand stays relaxed and every note can ring. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in G13 — G, B, D, F, A, C, E — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
Choosing between the voicings of G13 is a musical decision, not a right-or-wrong one. The open or low-position voicing rings the most and suits strumming, while a barre or movable voicing lets you slide G13 up the neck to any key without changing the shape. When you change chords, pick the voicing of G13 that sits closest to the chord before it — shorter moves between shapes mean faster, cleaner changes. Practise the change into G13 from the chord that comes before it in your song, not the chord on its own, because the move is the skill. On the mandolin, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in G13.
A short practice routine for G13 on the mandolin: play the first voicing four times slowly, checking each note, then change to it from the chord a fourth above G and back, four times, at a slow tempo. Then play the second voicing the same way. If a note buzzes, stop and fix the finger placement rather than playing through the buzz — clean notes at a slow tempo become clean notes at full tempo, while buzzes practised fast become habits. Use the Mandolin Chord Finder to see the diagram for G13 while you practise, and the Chord Finder to compare it with the same chord on other instruments.
Common mistakes
These are the mistakes that most often make G13 sound wrong on the mandolin, and each one has a concrete fix. Work through them one at a time rather than trying to fix everything at once.
Voicing it too low. Low extensions sound muddy. Spread the chord across octaves and keep the 13th E high. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes G, B, D, F, A, C, E in G13.
Using it everywhere. G13 is a special-occasion chord. Save it for turnarounds and final dominants, where its richness earns its place. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes G, B, D, F, A, C, E in G13.
Missing one string of a course. Mandolin strings come in pairs, and G13 needs both strings of each course to sound. If one string of a pair is muted by a neighbouring finger, the chord sounds thin. Check each course separately by plucking it on its own. On the mandolin, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in G13.
Trying to play all seven notes. Seven notes cannot fit in most voicings. Keep the root, 3rd, 7th and 13th, and drop the 5th, 9th and 11th as needed. On the mandolin, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in G13.
Where G13 is used
G13 is not a diatonic triad in any major or minor key, because it is an extended or altered chord, but its base triad belongs to the key of C major, the key of D major, the key of G major. a turnaround chord in jazz standards, where the 13th adds lift to the final dominant. As a dominant-type chord it also points toward C major, the key a perfect fourth above G, which is the tonic it most often resolves to. That is where G13 does its work: not as a home chord, but as a chord that creates movement and then resolves. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes G, B, D, F, A, C, E in G13.
Because G13 is an extended or altered chord, it appears in progressions as a colour or a dominant rather than as a diatonic staple. Try it in place of the plain G triad in a progression you already know, and listen to how the extra notes change the feel — that substitution is the usual way extended chords enter real music. The Chord Progression Builder lets you try G13 in a progression in any key and hear how it connects to the chords around it. On the mandolin, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in G13.
The same chord on other instruments is covered in G13 on guitar, G13 on piano, G13 on ukulele, and the scales that fit over it are the G major scale and the G minor pentatonic scale. Learning G13 on the mandolin and then checking it on another instrument is one of the best ways to fix the notes — G, B, D, F, A, C, E — in your memory, because the notes stay the same while everything else changes.
Practising G13
A short worked example makes G13 concrete. Play the four-chord progression C – G – Am – F in C major, the key G13 most often resolves toward: C – G – Am – F. Play each chord for one bar at a slow tempo, and listen to how G13 sounds in that sequence — whether it feels like home, like a lift, or like a chord on its way somewhere else. Then play the same four chords in a different order, starting on G13 itself, and notice how its character changes when it opens the progression instead of sitting inside it. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes G, B, D, F, A, C, E in G13.
For a second exercise, play G13 and then the chord a fourth above G, back and forth, four times each. That move — a chord and the chord a fourth above it — is the most common resolution in Western music, and it is the move G13 is built for when it acts as a dominant. Finish by playing G13 on its own, slowly, and naming each note out loud as you play it: G, B, D, F, A, C, E. Naming the notes while you play them is what turns a shape into knowledge you can use in any key. Test yourself with the Practice Chord Quiz and keep time with the Metronome as the tempo rises. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes G, B, D, F, A, C, E in G13.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in G13?
G13 contains G, B, D, F, A, C, E: root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, flattened 7th, 9th, 11th and 13th. In real voicings several notes are omitted — the essential ones are the root, 3rd, 7th and 13th. On the mandolin, the voicings above put that note under your fingers.
Which notes can I drop from G13?
The 5th (D) first, then the 9th (A) and the 11th (C). The root, 3rd (B), 7th (F) and 13th (E) define the chord. On the mandolin, the voicings above put that note under your fingers.
Where is G13 used?
G13 is a V13 chord in jazz, used as the richest dominant before a resolution to the tonic. It appears in jazz standards, turnarounds and final cadences. On the mandolin, the voicings above put that note under your fingers.
How do you play G13 on the mandolin?
The first voicing is the open position: frets 0–3–2–0, fingers 0–2–1–0, on the mandolin. That voicing uses the notes G, B, D, F, A, C, E, and it is the one to learn first. The page above lists more voicings for G13, so you can choose the shape nearest the chords around it.
Is G13 hard to play on the mandolin?
It depends on the voicing. The first voicing of G13 on the mandolin is the easiest starting point, and the movable voicings further up the neck are harder because they need a barre or a wider stretch. Practise the first voicing cleanly at a slow tempo before you try the others, and the harder shapes will come more easily.