AGAEGD Guitar Tuner

AGAEGD AGAEGD - Guitar tuning, chords & scales

Description - AGAEGD

Found this tuning for a John Martyn song (discover the lover), its a really mysterious beautiful sound with the extremely low A

The "Martyn's Low A Tuning" is a truly evocative and deeply resonant open tuning, famously associated with the unique acoustic style of John Martyn, particularly for his song "Discover the Lover." It creates a mysterious and beautiful soundscape, largely due to the extremely low A on the 6th string, which acts as a powerful drone and harmonic anchor. This tuning lends itself wonderfully to fingerstyle playing, ambient soundscapes, and blues/folk explorations, offering a rich, almost melancholic, texture.

Technical Analysis

This tuning, A1 G2 A2 E3 G3 D4, presents a unique harmonic structure. When played open, the strings form an **A minor 7th suspended 4th (Am7sus4)** chord. The low A (A1) provides a strong fundamental, while the subsequent G (minor 7th), A (octave), E (perfect 5th), G (minor 7th/octave), and D (perfect 4th) create a full, complex voicing. The intervals between the strings are:

String 6 (A1) to String 5 (G2): Compound minor 7th
String 5 (G2) to String 4 (A2): Major 2nd
String 4 (A2) to String 3 (E3): Perfect 5th
String 3 (E3) to String 2 (G3): Minor 3rd
String 2 (G3) to String 1 (D4): Perfect 5th

This intervallic structure, particularly the perfect 5ths on strings 4-3 and 2-1, alongside the minor 3rd on strings 3-2, allows for interesting melodic and harmonic possibilities. Simple barre shapes can often yield complex chords, and the open strings provide excellent drone opportunities. Chords like open A minor or A7sus4 are inherently present, and by fretting just one or two fingers, you can easily access voicings of Dsus2, Gmaj7, or E minor, all retaining the rich low A resonance. The recurring A and G notes across octaves create a natural resonance and sustain.

How to Tune

This tuning requires significant slackening of all strings from standard E Standard tuning. Proceed with care, and consider using a heavier gauge string set for optimal playability, especially for the lowest strings.

String 6 (Low E): Tune down 7 semitones to A1. (Note: Tuning down 7 semitones is a substantial change. A heavier gauge string is strongly recommended to maintain tension and intonation.)
String 5 (A): Tune down 2 semitones to G2.
String 4 (D): Tune down 5 semitones to A2. (Note: Tuning down 5 semitones is a significant change. A heavier gauge string is strongly recommended to maintain tension and intonation.)
String 3 (G): Tune down 3 semitones to E3.
String 2 (B): Tune down 4 semitones to G3. (Note: Tuning down 4 semitones is a considerable drop; a slightly heavier gauge string might improve stability.)
String 1 (High E): Tune down 2 semitones to D4.