Welcome to the Open A#maj13 Seven String tuning, a highly sophisticated and rich landscape for the adventurous guitarist. This tuning immediately presents a full A# Major 13th chord when strummed open, creating a lush, jazzy, and expansive sound that stands apart from standard open tunings. It's ideally suited for players seeking intricate harmonic possibilities, warm voicings, and a unique foundation for improvisation and composition.

Technical Analysis

This 7-string tuning, from lowest (String 7) to highest (String 1), is configured as follows: A1 - C2 - F2 - A#3 - D4# - G3 - D4. These notes collectively and precisely form an A#maj13 chord, containing all its essential components:

• A# (Root - String 4)
• D (Major 3rd - String 1)
• F (Perfect 5th - String 5)
• A (Major 7th - String 7)
• C (Major 9th - String 6)
• D# (Perfect 11th - String 3)
• G (Major 13th - String 2)

As noted in the tuning description, the first six strings (from String 6 to String 1: C2 - F2 - A#3 - D4# - G3 - D4) ingeniously form an Open C minor 11 (Cm11) chord (C, Eb, G, Bb, D, F). This provides a distinct minor tonality and additional harmonic depth when the lowest A string is not engaged, offering a versatile dual personality to the tuning.

The arrangement of notes offers several advantages:

• Rich Open Chord Voicing: Strumming all strings provides an instant, full A#maj13 chord, perfect for lush pads or strong harmonic statements.
• Root Positioning: The root (A#) is comfortably placed on the 4th string, allowing for easy integration with bass lines or as a pedal tone.
• Harmonic Exploration: The unique intervals encourage players to explore new melodic and harmonic ideas, moving beyond conventional scale and chord shapes.

Chords Within Reach

Due to its consistent structure, this tuning facilitates the playing of complex chords with relative ease:

• Transposed Major 13th Chords: By barring a single fret across all seven strings, you can effortlessly transpose the full A#maj13 chord to any other major 13th chord (e.g., 1st fret yields Bmaj13, 2nd fret yields Cmaj13, and so on). This allows for quick and seamless modulation.
• Minor & Dominant Voicings: Leveraging the embedded Cm11 on strings 6-1, various minor 7th, minor 9th, and minor 11th chords (such as C minor 7, F minor 7) are easily accessible. The presence of the major 7th (A) and the minor 7th (A#) alongside other extensions also enables the formation of intriguing dominant 7th and altered dominant voicings with minimal effort.

This tuning is a fantastic choice for jazz guitarists, fusion players, or anyone looking to infuse their music with sophisticated, open harmonies and expand their sonic palette on the 7-string instrument.

How to Tune

To achieve the Open A#maj13 Seven String tuning from standard 7-string tuning (B-E-A-D-G-B-E), please follow these instructions:

• String 7 (Lowest String, B): Tune down 2 semitones to A.
• String 6 (E): Tune down 4 semitones to C.
• String 5 (A): Tune down 4 semitones to F.
• String 4 (D): Tune down 4 semitones to A#.
• String 3 (G): Tune down 4 semitones to D#.
• String 2 (B): Tune down 4 semitones to G.
• String 1 (Highest String, E): Tune down 2 semitones to D.

Important Note: All string movements are within 4 semitones down. While generally safe, always tune carefully and ensure your guitar's truss rod is appropriately adjusted for significant tension changes, especially if you plan to use this tuning frequently.

String 7: The lowest string is tuned to A1.

String 6: The sixth string is tuned to C2.

String 5: The fifth string is tuned to F2.

String 4: The fourth string is tuned to A#3.

String 3: The third string is tuned to D#4.

String 2: The second string is tuned to G3.

String 1: The highest string is tuned to D4.