Tuning Analysis: Open A Maj9#11

This is a custom 7-string Guitar tuning, aptly described by its creator as "Open Emaj7/A or Asus9sus11#". It's designed to offer a unique sonic landscape, particularly emphasizing a "fun sus9 power chord on low strings" as noted by its designer.

Verbal Description

The Open A Maj9#11 tuning provides a rich, expansive sound ideal for atmospheric, ambient, or progressive styles of music. The lower strings, tuned to A1-E2-B2-E3, naturally form an Aadd9 power chord structure, giving a solid, resonant foundation that's both powerful and harmonically open. The higher strings, E3-B3-D#5-E4, reveal an intriguing harmony. Played together, the open strings create a complex yet pleasing resonance, reminiscent of an extended A major chord with a striking #11 (D#) and a high major 7th quality (D# relative to E). The very tight interval between the D#5 and E4 strings suggests unique melodic and harmonic possibilities, allowing for dense clusters or easy access to leading tones. Many common chord shapes will take on new, unexpected qualities due to the open intervals, encouraging exploration and innovative playing.

Technical Breakdown

This 7-string tuning sets the open strings to A1-E2-B2-E3-B3-D#5-E4. Let's analyze the intervals from the lowest A1 string:

• String 7 (A1): Root
• String 6 (E2): Perfect 5th
• String 5 (B2): Major 9th (or Major 2nd)
• String 4 (E3): Octave of the 5th
• String 3 (B3): Octave of the 9th
• String 2 (D#5): Major #11 (or Major 7th relative to E) - A very high note, one semitone below the highest string.
• String 1 (E4): Octave of the 5th

The open strings collectively produce the notes A, E, B, D#. This can be interpreted as an A Major 9(#11) chord (A-C#-E-G#-B-D#-F#), specifically an A(no 3rd)add9(#11) due to the absence of C# and G#. Alternatively, focusing on the higher E-B-D#-E string cluster and treating the low A as a pedal, it strongly evokes an E Major 7th chord (E-G#-B-D#), also missing its 3rd (G#), validating the original "Emaj7/A" designation. This voicing provides immediate access to rich, extended harmonies without any fretting.

How to Tune

To achieve the Open A Maj9#11 tuning, follow these specific adjustments. The instructions below describe the movement needed to reach the target note, assuming a common 7-string standard tuning (e.g., B1-E2-A2-D3-G3-B3-E4, though some variations exist for the higher strings). Please exercise caution when tuning strings up, especially beyond 4 semitones, as it may require a different string gauge to prevent breakage or excessive tension.

• String 7 (Lowest String): Tune down 2 semitones to A1. (This typically means tuning down from B1.)
• String 6 (E String): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones), remaining at E2.
• String 5 (A String): Tune up 2 semitones to B2. (This typically means tuning up from A2.)
• String 4 (D String): Tune up 2 semitones to E3. (This typically means tuning up from D3.)
• String 3 (G String): Tune up 4 semitones to B3. (Caution: This is a significant tension increase. Consider a lighter gauge string to avoid breakage or excessive tension.)
• String 2 (B String): Tune up 4 semitones to D#5. (Extreme Caution: Reaching D#5 by tuning up 4 semitones implies a starting note of B4. If starting from a standard B3, this would be an extremely large jump (16 semitones) and is highly likely to break the string or damage the instrument. For D#5, a much lighter gauge string is highly recommended, and significant care must be taken to prevent string breakage or potential damage to your guitar's neck.)
• String 1 (Highest String, E String): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones), remaining at E4.

The notes for this 7-string guitar tuning are:

String 7: A1
String 6: E2
String 5: B2
String 4: E3
String 3: B3
String 2: D#5
String 1: E4