This is a truly distinctive and articulate guitar tuning, famously employed by the innovative fingerstyle guitarist Erik Mongrain in his compositions such as "La Dernière Pluie" and "Ripple Effect." It creates a rich, resonant, and expansive soundscape, making it exceptionally well-suited for intricate melodic work, percussive techniques, and exploring unique harmonic textures. The significant drop in pitch on the lowest string establishes a deep, foundational bass, while the precise adjustments on the higher strings provide a bright, clear, and ringing quality.

Technical Analysis

The open strings are tuned as follows: A♯2 (6th string), A♯3 (5th string), D3 (4th string), F3 (3rd string), G3 (2nd string), and D4 (1st string). This configuration strongly emphasizes an A♯ Major tonality.

• The 6th and 5th strings provide a robust octave drone on A♯.
• The 4th string (D3) establishes the major third of A♯.
• The 3rd string (F3) provides the perfect fifth.
• The 2nd string (G3) introduces the major sixth (or 13th), adding a sophisticated color.
• The 1st string (D4) doubles the major third, enhancing brilliance and sustain.

In essence, the open strings form a resonant and full A♯maj6/13 chord. The intervallic relationships between adjacent strings (from low to high) are particularly interesting:

• 6th to 5th String: Perfect Octave (A♯2 to A♯3)
• 5th to 4th String: Major Third (D3 to A♯3, thinking ascending from D3)
• 4th to 3rd String: Minor Third (D3 to F3)
• 3rd to 2nd String: Major Second / Whole Step (F3 to G3)
• 2nd to 1st String: Perfect Fourth (G3 to D4)

This unique open chord voicing provides a fertile ground for intricate melodies, arpeggios, and percussive tapping techniques, allowing for a flowing and interconnected sound across the fretboard.

Open Chords & Accessibility

The tuning itself naturally presents a beautiful open A♯maj6/13 chord, making it a natural starting point for compositions in that key. Due to the consistent A♯ tonality and interesting intervals, players can easily discover various major and minor voicings by fretting across the strings. For instance, shifting shapes up the neck can quickly create other Maj6/13 chords. The inherent presence of the root (A♯), major third (D), perfect fifth (F), and major sixth (G) means that many common major and dominant harmonies are readily available or within easy reach with minimal fretting.

How to Tune Your Guitar

To achieve Erik Mongrain's Tuning, adjust your strings according to the following instructions. It's highly recommended to use a reliable digital tuner for accuracy.

• 6th String (Low E string): Tune down 6 semitones to reach A♯2. Important: Tuning this string down 6 semitones is a significant change. If your current string gauge feels too loose or buzzes excessively, consider using a heavier gauge string for optimal performance and tone.
• 5th String (A string): Tune up 1 semitone to reach A♯3.
• 4th String (D string): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to remain at D3.
• 3rd String (G string): Tune down 2 semitones to reach F3.
• 2nd String (B string): Tune down 4 semitones to reach G3.
• 1st String (High E string): Tune down 2 semitones to reach D4.

The open string notes for this tuning are as follows:

• 6th String: A♯2
• 5th String: A♯3
• 4th String: D3
• 3rd String: F3
• 2nd String: G3
• 1st String: D4