How to play Cmin/maj7(add13)/E♭ chord on guitar
Shape x65505
Shape characteristics
Partial barre
One finger presses two strings at the same fret. A lighter, less tiring grip than a full barre while still being fully movable.
Mid-neck · fret 5-6
Balanced tone, with neither the ringing openness of first position nor the bright snap of the upper register. Common choice for rhythm work when you want a fuller, more compact sound.
Five-string voicing
One string muted. Keeps a full low end without overlapping awkwardly with a bassist or second guitar.
Bass: E♭ · Top: A
The 3rd sits in the bass, softening the chord's feel and creating smooth stepwise bass motion when moving to nearby chords.
Compared to Shape x67008 , this voicing uses an open chord and sits higher on the neck (starting at fret 6).
How to play this shape
- 1 Place the 1st finger on the 5th fret of the 3rd string and 4th string in barre position
- 2 Place the 2nd finger on the 5th fret of the 1st string
- 3 Place the 3rd finger on the 6th fret of the 5th string
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "x65505" mean?
The sequence x65505 is a highly compact guitar chord notation. It represents the fret played on each of the 6 strings, reading left-to-right from the thickest (lowest pitch) string to the thinnest (highest pitch) string: E, A, D, G, B, e.
- x means the string is muted or skipped entirely.
- 0 means the string is played "open" (without pressing over a fret).
- 1-9 represent standard fret numbers 1 to 9.
- a, b, c... represent frets 10, 11, 12, and higher (where a=10, b=11, c=12).
Can I play this Cmin/maj7(add13)/E♭ shape anywhere else?
Yes! This specific layout is just one way to voice a Cmin/maj7(add13)/E♭ chord. You can find all other variations in our chord shape library for Cmin/maj7(add13)/E♭. Most guitarists choose different shapes based on whether they want a "brighter" or "deeper" sound, or which chord they are transitioning from.
Why do some strings have an 'x'?
Strings marked with an 'x' should not ring out. These notes are excluded because they don't belong to the Cmin/maj7(add13)/E♭ chord or would clash with this specific voicing. You can mute these strings by lightly touching them with a finger that is already pressing a neighboring fret.
How do I stop my fingers from buzzing?
Since this shape uses open strings (marked with '0'), make sure your fingers are arched like a "claw" so they don't accidentally brush against the open strings. Press down firmly just behind the metal fret wires for the clearest sound.
Other shapes
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