Tuning Analysis: F Major 9 with low A

This 7-string guitar tuning, aptly named F Major 9 with low A, presents a rich and harmonically complex soundscape. It's designed for players looking to explore extended chord voicings and ambient textures, often found in genres like math-rock or emo-jazz (as hinted by the original description's reference to "American Football").

Verbal Analysis

The heart of this tuning lies in the F Major 9 chord, which rings out beautifully across the open strings (F-A-C-G-C-E). This means you instantly have a lush, jazzy, or atmospheric chord at your fingertips without fretting a single note. The inclusion of the very low A (A1) on the 7th string adds a profound depth and versatility. This A can act as a powerful pedal tone, creating a resonant foundation, or as a pivot for movements between related keys. While the primary chord is Fmaj9, the low A creates interesting harmonic tensions if played with the full open tuning, suggesting possibilities for A minor 7 (b13) or extended A minor voicings.

This tuning is a fantastic playground for fingerstyle guitarists and those interested in creating expansive soundscapes. The non-standard intervals between strings mean that traditional chord shapes will need to be re-learned or adapted, encouraging a fresh approach to the fretboard. However, moving the entire Fmaj9 shape up the neck will easily yield other Maj9 chords, albeit with the challenge of integrating the static low A string. Due to the wide intervals and unique distribution, open-position chords beyond the Fmaj9 will require creative fingering, but sliding shapes based on the Fmaj9 structure will be readily available.

Technical Analysis

This is a 7-string guitar tuning with the following open notes from lowest (7th) to highest (1st) string:

• String 7: A1
• String 6: F2
• String 5: A2
• String 4: C3
• String 3: G3
• String 2: C4
• String 1: E4

The open strings 6-1 (F2-A2-C3-G3-C4-E4) clearly spell out an F Major 9 chord (F-A-C-E-G), with repeated A and C notes for added resonance. The intervals between adjacent strings, from lowest to highest, are as follows:

• String 7 (A1) to String 6 (F2): Major 6th (9 semitones)
• String 6 (F2) to String 5 (A2): Major 3rd (4 semitones)
• String 5 (A2) to String 4 (C3): Minor 3rd (3 semitones)
• String 4 (C3) to String 3 (G3): Perfect 5th (7 semitones)
• String 3 (G3) to String 2 (C4): Perfect 4th (5 semitones)
• String 2 (C4) to String 1 (E4): Major 3rd (4 semitones)

This complex interval structure moves far beyond standard tunings, offering unique harmonic possibilities and demanding an exploratory approach to composition and improvisation. The prevalence of open strings in diatonic relation to Fmaj9 simplifies certain melodic and harmonic movements within this key signature, encouraging drone-like qualities and resonant voicings.

How to Tune Your Guitar

To achieve the 'F Major 9 with low A' tuning, start from a standard 7-string tuning (typically B-E-A-D-G-B-E from lowest to highest) and adjust your strings as follows:

• String 7 (lowest B string): Tune down 2 semitones to A1.
• String 6 (low E string): Tune up 1 semitone to F2.
• String 5 (A string): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to A2.
• String 4 (D string): Tune down 2 semitones to C3.
• String 3 (G string): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to G3.
• String 2 (B string): Tune up 1 semitone to C4.
• String 1 (highest E string): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to E4.

Note on string gauge: All string adjustments are within 2 semitones, which is generally safe for standard gauge strings. For extreme tunings beyond 4 semitones up or down, considering a different string gauge is often recommended, but not necessary for this particular tuning.

String 7: A1
String 6: F2
String 5: A2
String 4: C3
String 3: G3
String 2: C4
String 1: E4