Welcome to the sonic landscape of Open Bm9, a unique and evocative tuning crafted for the guitar, famously employed by the band Crow Feed in their Midwest Emo explorations. This tuning is not merely a rearrangement of notes; it's a statement, designed to unlock a rich tapestry of melancholic harmonies and intricate textures.

Technical Analysis: The Bm9 Foundation

At its core, this tuning creates a lush B minor 9th (Bm9) chord when strummed open. The notes across the strings are:

• 7th String (Low B): B1 (Root)
• 6th String: D2 (Minor 3rd)
• 5th String: F3# (Perfect 5th)
• 4th String: B2 (Octave of Root)
• 3rd String: D3 (Octave of Minor 3rd)
• 2nd String: A3 (Minor 7th)
• 1st String: C5# (Major 9th)

This arrangement provides a full, harmonically sophisticated chord that instantly evokes a sense of introspection and emotional depth. The presence of the root (B) and its octave, the minor third (D) and its octave, the perfect fifth (F#), minor seventh (A), and major ninth (C#) creates a rich harmonic palette, avoiding the starkness of a simple minor chord and leaning into a more complex, almost jazzy, melancholy. The repeating B's and D's across different octaves provide a strong, resonant harmonic foundation.

Verbal Description: Midwest Emo Resonances

As described by Crow Feed, this tuning perfectly aligns with the sensibilities of Midwest Emo. The Bm9 chord, with its inherent tension and release, provides a perfect backdrop for intricate melodic lines, arpeggiated figures, and expressive chord voicings. The lower strings, significantly detuned, will feel looser and offer a fatter tone, ideal for pronounced bends and wide vibrato, contributing to the genre's characteristic emotive sound. The higher strings, while also detuned, maintain clarity, allowing the distinct minor 7th and major 9th extensions to ring out, adding sparkle and complexity to the overall texture.

Open Bm9 encourages creative fretboard exploration. Barre chords across the entire fretboard will yield other minor 9th chords, providing a consistent harmonic framework. For example, barring at the 2nd fret will give you a C#m9 chord. The unique intervallic relationships between adjacent strings (e.g., D2-F3#, B2-D3, D3-A3, A3-C5#) open doors for interesting melodic patterns and two-note voicings that might be challenging in standard tuning. This tuning is designed to inspire, offering both a familiar harmonic anchor and new pathways for expression.

How to Tune Your Guitar to Open Bm9

Achieving the Open Bm9 tuning involves a significant adjustment for most strings. Please proceed carefully, especially with strings requiring larger adjustments, as changing string gauges may be advisable for optimal tension and tone. Always use a reliable tuner and tune slowly.

• 7th String: Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The target note is B1.
• 6th String: Tune down 2 semitones. The target note is D2.
• 5th String: Tune down 3 semitones. The target note is F3#.
• 4th String: Tune down 3 semitones. The target note is B2.
• 3rd String: Tune down 5 semitones. The target note is D3. (Significant adjustment: Consider a heavier gauge string for better tension and to avoid potential issues.)
• 2nd String: Tune down 2 semitones. The target note is A3.
• 1st String: Tune down 3 semitones. The target note is C5#.

For strings tuned down 5 semitones, the reduction in tension can make the string feel floppy and intonation challenging. A heavier gauge string specifically for that position can greatly improve playability and tone, ensuring your guitar performs its best in this unique tuning.

String 7: B1

String 6: D2

String 5: F3#

String 4: B2

String 3: D3

String 2: A3

String 1: C5#