Description of the 'Am' Tuning

The 'Am' tuning is a rich and resonant open tuning for the guitar, specifically crafted to highlight the A minor chord. As described, it features "A E A for drop tuning and A C E for minor A," which perfectly encapsulates its dual nature.

Verbal Analysis: This tuning immediately puts the guitar into an A minor tonality when strummed open. The deep A-E-A on the lower strings provides a powerful, almost drop-tuned bass foundation, excellent for heavy riffs or driving rhythms. The inclusion of C and E on the middle strings completes the A minor triad, making the entire instrument sing with a minor chord. This setup is fantastic for blues, folk, metal, or any genre where a strong minor key presence is desired. It allows for effortless minor chord playing, simplifying accompaniment and opening new possibilities for melodic improvisation within the A minor scale.

Technical Analysis: The open notes are A1-E2-A2-C3-E3-A3 (low to high). This arrangement represents an A minor chord (A, C, E) distributed across several octaves, with the root (A) and fifth (E) being particularly prominent and doubled. The intervals from the root (A) are: unison (A), perfect fifth (E), unison (A), minor third (C), perfect fifth (E), and octave (A). This creates a full, lush minor voicing.

Chordal Opportunities:

• Open Chords: The most obvious benefit is the immediate A minor chord when all strings are strummed open. This is incredibly useful for songwriters and performers needing a quick, full minor sound.
• Barre Chords: By simply barring across all six strings at any fret, you can easily create other minor chords. For example, a barre on the 1st fret yields A# minor, the 2nd fret yields B minor, and so on, maintaining the same rich voicing.
• Power Chords: The bottom three strings (A-E-A) lend themselves perfectly to powerful, low-end riffs. Moving a single finger on the lowest string while barring the next two can create heavy power chords with ease.
• Melodic Play: The consistent A minor structure across the strings can make scalar and arpeggiated runs feel very natural and harmonically consistent within the A minor key.

Important Note on String Tension: Please be aware that this tuning involves significant downtuning for all strings. The vast drops (5 to 7 semitones) will drastically reduce string tension compared to standard tuning. For optimal tone, sustain, and playability, as well as to prevent string buzzing or intonation issues, it is highly recommended to use a heavier gauge set of strings with this tuning.

Open String Notes

String 6 (Low E): A1
String 5 (A): E2
String 4 (D): A2
String 3 (G): C3
String 2 (B): E3
String 1 (High E): A3

How to Tune

To achieve the 'Am' tuning, you will need to adjust your guitar strings from standard E Standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E) as follows:

• String 6 (Low E): Tune down 7 semitones to A1. *Note: Tuning down 7 semitones is a significant change, a heavier gauge string is strongly advised for optimal tension, tone, and to prevent buzzing.*
• String 5 (A): Tune down 5 semitones to E2. *Note: Tuning down 5 semitones is a significant change, a heavier gauge string is strongly advised for optimal tension, tone, and to prevent buzzing.*
• String 4 (D): Tune down 5 semitones to A2. *Note: Tuning down 5 semitones is a significant change, a heavier gauge string is strongly advised for optimal tension, tone, and to prevent buzzing.*
• String 3 (G): Tune down 7 semitones to C3. *Note: Tuning down 7 semitones is a significant change, a heavier gauge string is strongly advised for optimal tension, tone, and to prevent buzzing.*
• String 2 (B): Tune down 7 semitones to E3. *Note: Tuning down 7 semitones is a significant change, a heavier gauge string is strongly advised for optimal tension, tone, and to prevent buzzing.*
• String 1 (High E): Tune down 7 semitones to A3. *Note: Tuning down 7 semitones is a significant change, a heavier gauge string is strongly advised for optimal tension, tone, and to prevent buzzing.*