Verbal Description

This is a highly unconventional and rich tuning, designed to immediately present a Bmaj13(b9omit5) chord when strummed open. It's not a tuning for simple strumming but rather for intricate harmonic exploration, offering a dense, jazzy, and complex sound right out of the gate. The extreme low range of the bass strings, particularly the C2 and E2, coupled with the dense upper voices, creates a massive, resonant sound. This tuning excels in generating sophisticated voicings that would be impossible or extremely difficult to finger in standard tuning, opening up new melodic and harmonic possibilities, especially for jazz, progressive, or experimental players. The omission of the 5th (F#) keeps the chord airy despite its complexity, avoiding muddiness and allowing the rich extensions to shine.

Technical Analysis

The open strings (C2-E2-G#3-A#3-B3-D#4) form a Bmaj13(b9omit5) chord. This highly extended chord features:

• B (Root) on String 2
• D# (Major 3rd) on String 1
• C (Minor 9th) on String 6
• E (Perfect 11th) on String 5
• G# (Major 13th) on String 4
• A# (Major 7th) on String 3

The wide intervals, especially between the lowest strings (C2 to E2 is a Major 3rd, E2 to G#3 is a Major 6th), provide a broad harmonic landscape. The closer intervals in the upper register (G#3 to A#3 is a Major 2nd, A#3 to B3 is a minor 2nd, B3 to D#4 is a Major 3rd) create the rich, clustered sound characteristic of extended chords. This tuning leverages these intervals to create a complex, full-bodied chord voicing without needing any fretting. Due to the open chord being a Bmaj13(b9omit5), moving this shape up and down the neck could yield similar complex voicings in other keys. Chords like Bmaj7, Bmin7(b5), or Badd9 might be within reach with minimal fretting, using the open strings as a foundation. The low C and E provide a powerful bass foundation for inversions or related chords like Cmaj7 or Emaj7(9) shapes, depending on how other strings are fretted. The large drops in pitch on most strings mean that standard chord shapes will be completely re-contextualized or unusable, requiring a fresh approach to the fretboard.

Important Note on String Gauge:

Due to significant tuning down on most strings (5, 6, 9, and 13 semitones down), a different string gauge, specifically heavier strings, is strongly advised to maintain proper tension, intonation, and playability, and to prevent potential string breakage or neck issues. The first string is particularly affected with a massive 13-semitone drop, which will likely require an entirely different string or set to be playable.

Tuning Notes

• String 6 (Low E): C2
• String 5 (A): E2
• String 4 (D): G#3
• String 3 (G): A#3
• String 2 (B): B3
• String 1 (High E): D#4

How to Tune

To achieve the 'bmaj13(b9omit5)' tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these steps:

• String 6 (Low E): Tune down 4 semitones to C2. (This amount of drop is on the edge; consider a heavier gauge.)
• String 5 (A): Tune down 5 semitones to E2. (A different string gauge is advised for this significant drop.)
• String 4 (D): Tune down 6 semitones to G#3. (A different string gauge is advised for this significant drop.)
• String 3 (G): Tune down 9 semitones to A#3. (A different string gauge is advised for this extreme drop.)
• String 2 (B): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 1 (High E): Tune down 13 semitones to D#4. (A different string gauge is very strongly advised for this extreme drop. Standard strings may be too loose or break.)