Tuning Overview: Open B Minor

This unique 7-string guitar tuning, referred to by its creator as "Open Bmin," is designed for a "peace that I am writing." It offers a resonant and rich harmonic palette, perfectly suited for compositions requiring a profound and expressive minor tonality.

Technical Analysis

This is an Open B Minor tuning for a 7-string guitar. The open strings, from the lowest (7th) to the highest (1st), are tuned to:

• String 7: B1 (Root)
• String 6: F#3 (Perfect Fifth)
• String 5: B2 (Root, one octave up from String 7)
• String 4: D3 (Minor Third)
• String 3: F#4 (Perfect Fifth, one octave up from String 6)
• String 2: B3 (Root, one octave up from String 5)
• String 1: D4 (Minor Third, one octave up from String 4)

The core of this tuning is the B minor triad (B-D-F#) distributed across seven strings and multiple octaves. This structure ensures that a simple strum of all open strings produces a full, resonant B minor chord, creating an immediate and evocative harmonic foundation. The strategic placement of B, D, and F# throughout the strings allows for a wide range of melodic and harmonic possibilities rooted firmly in the B minor scale.

Chords and Playability

• Open B Minor: The most immediate benefit is the colossal open B minor chord. Strumming all seven open strings yields a deep, powerful B minor voicing, perfect for introspective pieces, heavy riffs, or as a drone.
• Barre Chords: With the open strings forming a minor chord, a single finger barre across any fret will instantly produce a new minor chord. For instance, barring at the 1st fret gives you a C minor chord, at the 2nd fret a C# minor, and so on. This makes navigating minor chord progressions incredibly intuitive.
• Drones and Melodies: The repeated root (B) and minor third (D) notes across various octaves are excellent for creating rich, sustained drones. This provides a stable harmonic backdrop over which intricate melodies and counter-melodies can be played, allowing for a profound sense of atmosphere.
• Unique Voicings: The specific arrangement of notes, featuring wide intervals between some lower strings (e.g., B1 to F#3 is a major 13th) and tighter intervals higher up (e.g., B3 to D4 is a minor 3rd), encourages unique voicings and harmonic textures not commonly found in standard tuning. This can inspire new melodic and chordal ideas.

How to Tune Your Guitar for Open B Minor

Assuming a standard 7-string tuning (B-E-A-D-G-B-E) as your starting point, here's how to adjust each string to achieve Open B Minor:

• String 7 (Lowest B): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 6 (E): Tune up 2 semitones to F#3.
• String 5 (A): Tune up 2 semitones to B2.
• String 4 (D): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 3 (G): Tune down 1 semitone to F#4.
• String 2 (B): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 1 (Highest E): Tune down 2 semitones to D4.

While no string requires an extreme change (all movements are within +/- 2 semitones), always tune carefully and gradually. For tunings that require changes exceeding 4 semitones up or down, it's generally advisable to consider a different string gauge to maintain optimal tension and prevent string breakage, though this is not a primary concern for this specific tuning.

String 7 (Lowest): B1
String 6: F#3
String 5: B2
String 4: D3
String 3: F#4
String 2: B3
String 1 (Highest): D4