Tuning Analysis: Kent Nishimura's Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

This unique tuning is famously used by Kent Nishimura for his arrangement of John Mayer's "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room." It departs significantly from standard EADGBe, creating a rich, open soundscape perfect for intricate fingerstyle and lush chord voicings, capturing the soulful and melodic essence of the original song.

Technical Breakdown:

The open strings are tuned to A1 E2 C4# F4# B3 E4, from lowest to highest. This is a highly unconventional, re-entrant tuning, meaning some lower-numbered strings (closer to the floor) are tuned to a higher pitch than higher-numbered strings. Specifically, String 3 (F4#) is tuned higher in pitch than String 2 (B3).

• The open strings collectively form a beautiful A major 6/9 chord (A, E, B, C#, F#). This provides an immediate, harmonically rich foundation, making it ideal for creating full, resonant sounds without complex fretting.
• The intervals between adjacent strings are particularly noteworthy:
  • String 6 (A1) to String 5 (E2): Perfect 5th (7 semitones)
  • String 5 (E2) to String 4 (C4#): Compound Major 6th (21 semitones), a very large leap in pitch.
  • String 4 (C4#) to String 3 (F4#): Perfect 4th (5 semitones)
  • String 3 (F4#) to String 2 (B3): Descending Perfect 5th (7 semitones down), highlighting the re-entrant nature.
  • String 2 (B3) to String 1 (E4): Perfect 4th (5 semitones)

Chordal Implications & Playability:

• The prominent A major 6/9 chord in the open position creates a bright, sophisticated sonic palette. This allows for simple open-string arpeggios and strumming to sound exceptionally full and complex.
• The re-entrant tuning, particularly the B3 being lower than F4#, opens up unique possibilities for voice leading and melodic phrasing. It enables unexpected harmonies and interwoven lines that are characteristic of advanced fingerstyle arrangements.
• Due to the non-standard intervals and the re-entrant string, traditional CAGED system chord shapes will not translate directly. Players will need to discover new fingerings or rely heavily on the open strings for harmonic anchor points.
• Barre chords, when applied, will transform the open A major 6/9 into similar voicings rooted at the barre fret. For example, barring at the 2nd fret would produce a B major 6/9 type of sound (B, F#, C#, D#, G#).
• This tuning is exceptionally well-suited for ambient textures, open-string drones, and intricate melodic arrangements where string resonance and unexpected harmonic shifts are desired, perfectly aligning with the emotive nature of the song it's used for.

Open String Notes:

• String 6 (lowest): A1
• String 5: E2
• String 4: C4#
• String 3: F4#
• String 2: B3
• String 1 (highest): E4

How to Tune:

To achieve Kent Nishimura's "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" tuning, start from standard EADGBe tuning and adjust each string as follows:

• String 6 (Low E to A): Tune down 7 semitones from E2 to A1. Caution: This is a significant drop (-7 semitones). We strongly advise using a heavier gauge string to maintain proper tension, tone, and prevent buzzing.
• String 5 (A to E): Tune down 5 semitones from A2 to E2. Caution: This is a considerable drop (-5 semitones). We strongly advise using a heavier gauge string to maintain proper tension, tone, and prevent buzzing.
• String 4 (D to C#): Tune down 1 semitone from D4 to C4#.
• String 3 (G to F#): Tune down 1 semitone from G4 to F4#.
• String 2 (B): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Remains B3.
• String 1 (High E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Remains E4.

Remember that when tuning strings significantly up or down (exceeding 4 semitones in either direction), it is generally recommended to use an appropriate string gauge for the new tension to prevent string breakage, poor intonation, or damage to your instrument. For the 6th and 5th strings in this tuning, a heavier gauge is strongly advised.