Tuning Description: Open Dm9 7 String

The "Open Dm9 7 String" tuning transforms your seven-string guitar into a rich, resonant soundscape, perfectly optimized for jazz, blues, R&B, and contemporary styles. As its name suggests, this tuning allows you to strum all open strings to immediately produce a lush D minor ninth chord, offering an expansive harmonic palette with minimal effort.

Verbal Analysis:

This tuning is characterized by its deep, sophisticated, and slightly melancholic yet inviting quality. The open Dm9 chord rings out with a beautiful complexity, providing a full, resonant foundation for improvisation and songwriting. The addition of the low C string (string 7) extends the harmonic depth, creating a powerful bass foundation that can underpin melodies or serve as a drone. The duplicated A (strings 5 & 2) and E (strings 6 & 1) notes add to the overall resonance and provide harmonic reinforcement, making it easier to achieve rich voicings. It encourages a fingerstyle approach, allowing individual notes of the chord to sing, but also shines with strumming for a dense, full sound. Its inherent jazzy character makes it ideal for exploring sophisticated chord progressions and soloing over minor ninth harmonies.

Technical Analysis:

The open notes for this 7-string tuning are: C2 - E2 - A2 - D3 - F3 - A3 - E4. Analysing these notes in relation to a Dm9 chord (D, F, A, C, E):

• String 7 (C2): Functions as the minor seventh (b7) of D.
• String 6 (E2): Functions as the major ninth (9) of D.
• String 5 (A2): Functions as the perfect fifth (5) of D.
• String 4 (D3): Functions as the root (R).
• String 3 (F3): Functions as the minor third (b3) of D.
• String 2 (A3): Functions as the perfect fifth (5) of D (octave above A2).
• String 1 (E4): Functions as the major ninth (9) of D (octave above E2).

This precise arrangement ensures that all the essential chord tones for a Dm9 are available as open strings, providing an immediate and harmonically complete voicing. The presence of the root (D), minor third (F), perfect fifth (A), minor seventh (C), and major ninth (E) makes it a true open Dm9.

Open and Reachable Chords:

• Dm9 (Open): Strumming all seven strings creates a full, lush Dm9 chord. This is the core appeal of the tuning.
• Dm (Open): By muting the C string (7th string) and perhaps the high E (1st string) or focusing on D-F-A, a powerful D minor chord is easily achieved.
• F Major (Open): The F3, A3, C2 (from strings 3, 2, 7) combination provides a strong F major sound, making F major chords very accessible.
• A Minor (Open): The A2, C2 (from string 5 and 7) and E2 (string 6) can form the basis of an A minor chord, useful for progressions relative to D minor.
• Movable Chords: The structure of this open tuning makes it highly adaptable. Barring all strings at any fret will instantly produce a new minor ninth chord. For example, barring at the 1st fret yields a D#m9, at the 2nd fret an Em9, and so on, making chord progressions along the neck intuitive and harmonically rich.
• Pedal Tones and Drones: The repeated A and E notes across different octaves provide excellent opportunities for creating sustained pedal tones and resonant drones, adding texture and depth to your playing.

How to Tune:

To achieve the Open Dm9 7 String tuning, you will adjust your standard 7-string tuning (typically B-E-A-D-G-B-E) as follows. Remember to use a reliable tuner and tune carefully, especially when increasing string tension.

• String 7 (Lowest String): Tune up 1 semitone from B2 to C2. (Tune up 1 semitones. Generally safe, but always tune slowly and carefully.)
• String 6: Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). It remains E2.
• String 5: Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). It remains A2.
• String 4: Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). It remains D3.
• String 3: Tune down 2 semitones from G3 to F3. (Tune down 2 semitones. Generally safe.)
• String 2: Tune down 2 semitones from B3 to A3. (Tune down 2 semitones. Generally safe.)
• String 1 (Highest String): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). It remains E4.

Note on String Gauges: For movements exceeding 4 semitones up or down, it is generally recommended to consider using a different string gauge to maintain optimal tension and prevent string breakage or intonation issues. All movements in this tuning are within generally safe limits for standard string gauges.

String 7 (Lowest): C2
String 6: E2
String 5: A2
String 4: D3
String 3: F3
String 2: A3
String 1 (Highest): E4