Tuning Analysis: Alt Amaj7

This is a unique and resonant guitar tuning, described by its creator as "A new tuning I came up with and intend on using." It immediately strikes the ear with a full, bright, and somewhat majestic quality, owing to its inherent A Major 7th voicing.

Verbal Description:

The 'Alt Amaj7' tuning is a powerful and atmospheric arrangement designed for lush, open chord voicings, particularly in the key of A major. With three 'A' notes across the low (A1), middle (A2), and high-middle (A3) strings, it establishes an incredibly strong and resonant root foundation. The inclusion of the E (P5), G# (M7), and C# (M3) creates a rich, complete A Major 7 chord when all open strings are strummed. This makes it ideal for ambient soundscapes, intricate fingerstyle passages where open string drones can be utilized, or bold strumming patterns that highlight its sophisticated harmonic structure. It encourages exploration of the fretboard with a new perspective, likely leading to fresh harmonic ideas and voicings that are difficult or impossible in standard tuning. The open nature of the tuning suggests a focus on sustained notes and chord melody work, providing a spacious and harmonically complete canvas.

Technical Analysis:

The open string notes for this tuning are: A1 A2 E3 G4# A3 C5#.

• Root (A): Provided by the 6th (A1), 5th (A2), and 2nd (A3) strings, creating a robust, multi-octave foundation.
• Perfect Fifth (E): The 4th string (E3) firmly establishes the perfect fifth, adding stability to the chord.
• Major Third (C#): The 1st string (C5#) delivers the major third, defining the major quality of the chord.
• Major Seventh (G#): The 3rd string (G4#) provides the characteristic major seventh, giving the tuning its "Maj7" sound.

When strummed open, this tuning produces a full A Major 7 chord (A-C#-E-G#) with the notes distributed across multiple octaves for a deep, resonant sound. The strong root presence with the A1, A2, and A3 notes makes barre chords easily accessible; simply barring all strings at the 2nd fret would yield a B Major 7, at the 3rd fret a C Major 7, and so on. This makes transposing the core sound straightforward across the fretboard. The unique interval arrangement also opens possibilities for interesting inversions and partial chords, where minimal fretboard movement can yield harmonically rich results. For instance, altering the G# (3rd string) to G natural would create an A7 chord, or changing the C# (1st string) to C natural could lead to an A minor (Major 7) sound, suggesting easy access to related harmonic colors within a melodic context.

Open String Notes:

Here are the notes for each open string in the 'Alt Amaj7' tuning, from thickest (6th) to thinnest (1st):

• 6th String (Low E position): A1
• 5th String (A position): A2
• 4th String (D position): E3
• 3rd String (G position): G4#
• 2nd String (B position): A3
• 1st String (High E position): C5#

How to Tune:

To achieve the 'Alt Amaj7' tuning, begin from standard EADGBe tuning and adjust each string as follows. Please exercise caution when tuning, especially with significant pitch changes.

• 6th String (Low E): Starting from standard E2, Tune down 7 semitones. The target note is A1. Note: Tuning down 7 semitones is a substantial change; consider using a heavier gauge string to maintain optimal tension and prevent floppiness.
• 5th String (A): Starting from standard A2, Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The target note is A2.
• 4th String (D): Starting from standard D3, Tune up 2 semitones. The target note is E3.
• 3rd String (G): Starting from standard G3, Tune up 1 semitones. The target note is G4#.
• 2nd String (B): Starting from standard B3, Tune down 2 semitones. The target note is A3.
• 1st String (High E): Starting from standard E4, Tune down 3 semitones. The target note is C5#.