Welcome to the Open B Minor 7 Tuning for your guitar! This unique tuning transforms your instrument into a resonant chordal canvas, perfect for creating rich, melancholic, or blues-infused soundscapes.

Verbal Analysis:

At its core, this tuning opens to a beautiful and moody B minor 7 chord (B-D-F#-A) across all six strings. This means that a simple strum of the open strings immediately yields a full, complex harmony. The combination of the deep B string with the subsequent F# and D creates a powerful foundation, while the upper strings provide the rich extensions of the minor seventh chord. It's a tuning that encourages exploration, making familiar chord shapes sound entirely new and opening doors to unique melodic and rhythmic possibilities.

Technical Analysis:

The specific notes for this tuning, from the lowest (6th) to the highest (1st) string, are: B1, F#3, D3, F#4, A3, D4.

• The open strings form a B minor 7 chord (B-D-F#-A), with the D and F# notes doubled across different octaves for added richness and sustain. Specifically, the root (B), minor third (D), perfect fifth (F#), and minor seventh (A) are all present.
• The intervals between strings are varied and interesting:
  • 6th (B1) to 5th (F#3): A perfect fifth up (an octave plus a fifth).
  • 5th (F#3) to 4th (D3): A minor sixth down, or a major third up from D to F#.
  • 4th (D3) to 3rd (F#4): An octave plus a major third.
  • 3rd (F#4) to 2nd (A3): A minor third down, or a major sixth up from A to F#.
  • 2nd (A3) to 1st (D4): A perfect fourth up.
• The presence of D3 and D4, along with F#3 and F#4, creates strong harmonic overtones, providing a full, resonant sound even with minimal effort.

Chordal Opportunities:

With the open strings forming a B minor 7, you're immediately set up for a broad range of musical expression.

• Open Chords: The open Bm7 is your fundamental. Simply barre across any fret to instantly create other minor 7th chords. For example, barreing at the 2nd fret will give you a C#m7.
• D Major Influence: Notice that the top four strings (D3, F#4, A3, D4) effectively form a D major chord. This allows for easy transitions and blending between B minor 7 and D major tonalities by selectively strumming the upper strings.
• Drone and Bass Lines: The low B string can serve as a powerful drone or allow you to construct bass lines that interact with the static Bm7 harmony, or with variations played on the upper strings.
• Melodic Exploration: The unique intervals invite creative single-note lines and arpeggios that naturally outline the Bm7 chord and its related modes.

Here are the target notes for each string in this tuning:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune to B1
• 5th String (A): Tune to F#3
• 4th String (D): Tune to D3
• 3rd String (G): Tune to F#4
• 2nd String (B): Tune to A3
• 1st String (High E): Tune to D4

How to Tune:

To achieve the Open B Minor 7 Tuning, follow these precise adjustments from standard EADGBe tuning:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 5 semitones to B1. Caution: Tuning down 5 semitones is a significant change. A different, heavier gauge string is advised for optimal tension and tone in this lower register, especially if you plan to keep your guitar in this tuning for extended periods.
• 5th String (A): Tune down 3 semitones to F#3.
• 4th String (D): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to D3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 1 semitones to F#4.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 2 semitones to A3.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 2 semitones to D4.