Verbal Analysis:

This tuning for an 8-string guitar is meticulously crafted to resonate with a powerful and expansive Open B6 chord. The arrangement of notes – B0, G2#, D3#, G3#, B2, F4#, B3, D5# – creates a remarkably rich and full-bodied sound when strummed open, just as its creator intended. The presence of a very low B0 provides a deep, sub-octave foundation, while higher notes add harmonic complexity and clarity. The core components of a B6 chord (B, D#, F#, G#) are spread across the instrument, creating a dense and harmonically complete voicing that feels both grand and melodically inviting. This tuning lends itself beautifully to genres requiring massive, sustained chords, such as progressive metal, ambient soundscapes, or even jazz fusion, where its unique harmonic structure can inspire new melodic and rhythmic ideas.

The open nature of this tuning makes it incredibly accessible for creating drones, using a slide for soaring melodies, or experimenting with modal playing, as most open strings will harmonize with the overarching B6 chord. Traditional chord shapes will be entirely recontextualized; simply barring a single fret across specific strings will yield different inversions or extensions of the B6 chord, offering a powerful sonic palette with minimal fretting. The extreme pitch jumps between some adjacent strings suggest that this tuning is designed more for rich harmonic textures and specific voicings rather than traditional scale runs, encouraging a unique approach to lead playing and accompaniment.

Technical Analysis:

The 8 String Open B6 tuning is defined by the following open notes:

• String 8: B0 (Root)
• String 7: G2# (Major Sixth)
• String 6: D3# (Major Third)
• String 5: G3# (Major Sixth)
• String 4: B2 (Root)
• String 3: F4# (Perfect Fifth)
• String 2: B3 (Root)
• String 1: D5# (Major Third)

This arrangement forms a comprehensive B6 chord (B-D#-F#-G#) across all open strings. The tuning heavily emphasizes the root (B), major third (D#), and major sixth (G#) through extensive octave doublings. The B note appears across three octaves (B0, B2, B3), G# across two octaves (G2#, G3#), and D# across two octaves (D3#, D5#), creating a very full, harmonically dense, and resonant voicing. The intervallic relationships between adjacent strings are:

• String 8 (B0) to String 7 (G2#): Minor 6th up, two octaves higher (33 semitones)
• String 7 (G2#) to String 6 (D3#): Perfect 5th up (7 semitones)
• String 6 (D3#) to String 5 (G3#): Perfect 4th up (5 semitones)
• String 5 (G3#) to String 4 (B2): Minor 6th down (9 semitones down)
• String 4 (B2) to String 3 (F4#): Perfect 5th up, one octave higher (19 semitones)
• String 3 (F4#) to String 2 (B3): Perfect 5th down (7 semitones down)
• String 2 (B3) to String 1 (D5#): Major 3rd up, one octave higher (15 semitones)

The highly varied and sometimes extreme intervals, including large upward and downward octave jumps between adjacent strings, indicate a tuning primarily designed for specific chordal voicings and arpeggiated patterns rather than linear scale-based playing. Simple one-finger barres can easily produce various B6 voicings across the neck, offering a versatile foundation for harmonic exploration.

How to Tune:

To achieve the 8 String Open B6 tuning from your instrument's standard tuning:

• String 8 (Lowest Note): Tune to B0. This requires tuning down 7 semitones. Caution: Tuning down 7 semitones is a very significant drop in pitch. To maintain optimal string tension, tone, and prevent buzzing, a heavier gauge string for this position is strongly advised.
• String 7: Tune to G2#. This requires tuning down 3 semitones.
• String 6: Tune to D3#. This requires tuning down 1 semitone.
• String 5: Tune to G3#. This requires tuning down 1 semitone.
• String 4: Tune to B2. This requires tuning down 3 semitones.
• String 3: Tune to F4#. This requires tuning down 1 semitone.
• String 2: Tune to B3. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 1 (Highest Note): Tune to D5#. This requires tuning down 1 semitone.

Open String Notes (from lowest to highest string):

String 8: B0

String 7: G2#

String 6: D3#

String 5: G3#

String 4: B2

String 3: F4#

String 2: B3

String 1: D5#