Unveiling the "Boogie Slam" tuning, as popularized by Mike Dawes, this setup transforms your guitar into a resonant soundscape ideal for a distinctive, groovy vibe. The tuning name itself suggests a powerful, rhythmic, and engaging feel, perfectly matching its unconventional string arrangement.

Technical Analysis

The open strings of the Boogie Slam tuning are A2#, A3#, D4#, F3, A4#, D5# from lowest to highest. At its core, this is an A# (Bb) based tuning, prominently featuring the root (A#), the perfect 4th (D#), and the perfect 5th (F). The unique arrangement, especially the low F3 on the 3rd string and the repetition of A# and D# across octaves, creates a rich, full, and slightly ambiguous harmonic foundation. The intervals relative to the lowest A# (A2#) are: Octave (A#3), Perfect 4th (D#4), Perfect 5th (F3 - an octave lower than might be expected for a standard A# major chord, adding a unique depth), Octave (A#4), and Perfect 4th (D#5). This strong presence of the perfect 4th throughout the tuning gives it a distinctive suspended quality, leading to a vibrant and open sound. The overall resonance is deep and harmonically dense, leaning towards an A#sus4 tonality.

Chords & Playability

With the open strings forming an A#sus4 chord (Bb sus4), this tuning offers immediate gratification for strumming and open voicings. The unison (octave apart) A# notes on the 6th and 5th strings provide a strong, powerful low end, making it easy to create impactful drone tones and full, ringing root notes. The strong perfect 4th and 5th intervals mean that simple barre chords across various frets will likely yield other suspended or power chords, making it excellent for rhythmic, percussive playing. The open, ringing nature of the suspended chord is also highly conducive to fingerstyle arrangements, allowing for lush harmonic textures and intricate melodic lines over a stable bass. Its unique construction, with the low F on the 3rd string, adds a bluesy, soulful edge, while the overall suspended nature ensures that both major and minor tonalities can be implied with subtle fretwork. The consistent interval patterns between certain strings (e.g., P8 between 6th and 5th, P4 between 5th and 4th, P4 between 2nd and 1st) can make navigating the fretboard intuitive for creating interesting melodic and harmonic clusters.

How to Tune

• String 6 (Low E string to A2#): Tune down 6 semitones. Caution: Tuning down 6 semitones is a significant change from standard E tuning. A different gauge string is strongly advised for optimal playability, intonation, and to prevent string floppiness.
• String 5 (A string to A3#): Tune up 1 semitones.
• String 4 (D string to D4#): Tune up 1 semitones.
• String 3 (G string to F3): Tune down 2 semitones.
• String 2 (B string to A4#): Tune down 1 semitones.
• String 1 (High E string to D5#): Tune down 1 semitones.

The notes for the Boogie Slam tuning from the thickest (6th) to the thinnest (1st) string are:

• String 6: A2#
• String 5: A3#
• String 4: D4#
• String 3: F3
• String 2: A4#
• String 1: D5#