Verbal Analysis: A Rich, Open Sound for Fingerstyle and Electric Work

This tuning, which we've named "Cmaj9 Open Tuning," is a truly unique and lush sonic landscape. As described, it's particularly well-suited for both intricate fingerstyle arrangements and expressive electric guitar playing, thanks to its rich harmonic structure. The deep, resonant C and E in the bass provide a solid foundation, while the open C major 9th chord creates a naturally full and inviting sound. Players will find this tuning opens up a world of possibilities for creating expansive arpeggios, shimmering ambient textures, and complex melodic lines that are difficult to achieve in standard tuning.

The open strings themselves sing a beautiful Cmaj9 chord, making it an excellent choice for droning open chords and exploring modal fingerstyle. The close proximity of the D string to the E and G strings also allows for interesting voicings and suspensions with minimal effort. This tuning encourages a creative approach, moving beyond traditional chord shapes and fostering exploration of new harmonic territories. It's an inspiring choice for composers and performers looking to add depth and unique character to their music.

Technical Analysis: C2-E2-D3-G3-B3-E4

This is a custom open tuning for a standard 6-string Guitar. The open string notes are:

• String 6: C2
• String 5: E2
• String 4: D3
• String 3: G3
• String 2: B3
• String 1: E4

When all strings are played open, they collectively form a C major 9th chord (C-E-G-B-D-E). The specific voicing with C2 and E2 as the lowest notes, followed by D3, creates a rich and slightly inverted sound, with the 9th (D) appearing quite early in the string order. The intervals from the lowest C2 are:

• C2 to E2: Major Third
• C2 to D3: Major Ninth (Compound Major Second)
• C2 to G3: Perfect Fifth
• C2 to B3: Major Seventh
• C2 to E4: Major Tenth (Compound Major Third)

The open chord Cmaj9 provides an immediate harmonic canvas. Chords that are naturally within reach or easily formed include:

• C Major 9th (Cmaj9): Achieved by simply strumming all open strings. This provides a full, resonant chord without any fretting.
• C Major 7th (Cmaj7): Easily obtained by muting or not playing the 4th string (D3), or by fretting it at the 10th fret to get G4, or the 12th fret to get A4 for Cmaj7addA.
• G Major / G Dominant 7th: Fret the 6th string at the 7th fret (G3) and the 5th string at the 5th fret (G3) and use open G, B, E strings for a rich G chord.
• D minor / D Major: The open D3 string provides a strong root for D chords. By fretting the 6th string to D and the 5th string to A, Dm or Dmaj could be formed with the D, G, B, E open strings.
• Em: With the open E string, fretting the C and D strings to E and B can make an Em chord with the top strings.

The significant downtuning of the 6th and 5th strings (4 and 5 semitones, respectively) means that standard E and A string notes are much lower. This creates a powerful bass foundation and allows for complex voicings with minimal finger movement. The top four strings remaining in standard tuning (DGBE) maintain familiarity for melodic playing while the bottom two provide an entirely new harmonic landscape. This blend offers both comfort and innovation.

How to Tune Your Guitar to Cmaj9 Open Tuning

Please ensure your guitar is in standard E A D G B E tuning before proceeding. Pay close attention to the semitone adjustments, especially for the lower strings.

• String 6 (Low E): Tune down 4 semitones from E2 to C2. (Note: Tuning down 4 semitones is a significant change; consider a thicker gauge string if you plan to keep this tuning for extended periods.)
• String 5 (A): Tune down 5 semitones from A2 to E2. (Note: Tuning down 5 semitones is a significant change; consider a thicker gauge string if you plan to keep this tuning for extended periods.)
• String 4 (D): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from D3 to D3.
• String 3 (G): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from G3 to G3.
• String 2 (B): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from B3 to B3.
• String 1 (High E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from E4 to E4.

Please be mindful when tuning your guitar. Large changes in string tension can affect your instrument's neck. For string movements exceeding 4 semitones up or down (as seen with strings 6 and 5 here), it is generally advisable to use a different gauge string optimized for lower tunings to maintain proper tension and tone.