Verbal and Technical Analysis

This unique tuning, popularized by Haley Hendrickx for her song 'Bug Collector', transforms the guitar into a rich and resonant instrument, centering around an A major 7th chord. The open strings, A-A-C#-E-G#-E (low to high), create a full and vibrant harmonic foundation. The double A on the lowest strings provides a deep, strong root, while the high E offers a bright, shimmering fifth, giving the tuning a spacious yet grounded feel.

Open String Chords and Voicings

Strumming all six open strings immediately produces a beautiful A Major 7th chord (A, C#, E, G#). This makes it incredibly easy to compose or improvise in the key of A Major or modes related to it, as the primary chord is always at your fingertips. The specific voicings with the doubled A's and E create a wide, open sound.

• A Major 7th (open): All strings strummed together.
• Root Position Barre Chords: By simply barring all strings across any fret, you can easily transpose the A Major 7th chord to other keys. For example, a barre at the 2nd fret would yield a B Major 7th, at the 3rd fret a C Major 7th, and so on. This makes navigating chord progressions incredibly intuitive.
• Implied Minor Chords: While primarily A Major 7th, focusing on the C# (4th string) as a root can lead to interesting C# minor 7th voicings with careful fingering, leveraging the E, G#, and high E.

Technical Observations

The tuning features several significant changes from standard EADGBe, allowing for unique sonic textures.

• Low A Foundation: The lowest two strings are tuned to A2, creating a powerful, resonant bass that doubles the root. This provides a solid harmonic anchor for the entire tuning.
• Open Fifth and Seventh: The consistent Major 7th interval across the open strings encourages melodic playing that highlights these specific chord tones.
• Drone Potential: The open A and E notes (A2, A2, E3, E4) can serve as excellent drone notes for modal playing or fingerstyle arrangements.
• Chord Shapes: Many standard chord shapes will need to be re-learned or adapted. However, the presence of the open A Major 7th makes barre chords across the fretboard particularly easy and effective.

How to Tune

This tuning requires significant adjustments from standard EADGBe tuning. Please proceed with caution, especially with strings that require large upward tension changes. Consider using a different string gauge if you plan to keep your guitar in this tuning for extended periods, especially for the 6th string.

• String 6 (Low E string): Tune up 5 semitones to A2. (Caution: This is a substantial upward change. Monitor string tension carefully. For prolonged use, consider a lighter gauge string for this position if returning to standard E often.)
• String 5 (A string): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to A2.
• String 4 (D string): Tune down 1 semitone to C4#.
• String 3 (G string): Tune down 3 semitones to E3.
• String 2 (B string): Tune down 3 semitones to G4#.
• String 1 (High E string): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to E4.

The notes for Haley Hendrickx's 'Bug Collector' Tuning are as follows, from the thickest (6th) string to the thinnest (1st) string:

String 6: A2 (Low A)

String 5: A2 (A)

String 4: C4# (C sharp)

String 3: E3 (E)

String 2: G4# (G sharp)

String 1: E4 (High E)