Verbal Analysis: A Spacious and Evocative Minor 13th Voicing

The "G Minor 13 No5" tuning presents a truly unique and modern landscape for guitarists, moving far beyond conventional open tunings. Instead of a simple major or minor triad, this setup immediately provides the complex, rich harmony of a G minor 13th chord, albeit without its perfect fifth (D) and major ninth (A). The absence of the fifth often lends an open, slightly ambiguous, and less "rooted" quality, making the tuning highly adaptable for jazz, fusion, or atmospheric soundscapes where traditional chord voicings might feel too dense.

The deep C2 and F2 on the lowest strings create a resonant, almost piano-like base, offering a powerful perfect fourth interval that can underpin a vast array of harmonies. The presence of two C's an octave apart (C2 and C3) provides a strong anchor point, around which the G3 (root), A#4 (minor third/Bb), and E4 (major thirteenth/major sixth) create a vibrant upper extension. This tuning encourages a wide-open, expansive sound, perfect for fingerstyle arpeggios that highlight the extended harmony.

Playing full, six-string chords might feel less intuitive than in standard tunings, but the beauty lies in exploring voicings across smaller string sets. Melodies and single-note lines will naturally take on a sophisticated, almost dissonant-yet-resolving quality due to the inherent complexity. This tuning is ideal for players looking to break free from standard shapes and discover fresh harmonic possibilities.

Technical Analysis: G Minor 13 (no 5, no 9) Open Voicing

The open strings of this tuning are C2, F2, C3, G3, A#4, E4. When analyzed from a G root, these notes provide the following intervals:

• String 6 (C2): Perfect 4th (P4) relative to G3.
• String 5 (F2): Minor 7th (m7) relative to G3.
• String 4 (C3): Perfect 4th (P4) relative to G3 (an octave higher than String 6).
• String 3 (G3): Root (R).
• String 2 (A#4): Minor 3rd (m3) relative to G3 (enharmonically Bb4).
• String 1 (E4): Major 13th (M13) or Major 6th (M6) relative to G3.

The collective open string notes are C, E, F, G, A# (Bb). These notes directly form a G minor 13th chord without its perfect 5th (D) and major 9th (A). This makes the open strings an inherent Gmin13 (no5, no9) voicing. The wide intervallic jumps, particularly from C2 to E4, provide a broad harmonic palette and rich overtones.

Chordal Opportunities:

Due to the specific intervallic structure, several chord types become readily accessible or can be implied:

• Open Gmin13 (no5, no9): Strumming all open strings directly yields this sophisticated chord, perfect for jazz or experimental contexts.
• Csus4 or Fsus2/add11: The lower three strings (C-F-C) form a strong foundation for C suspended 4th chords or an Fsus2/add11 voicing. Sliding these up the neck would maintain this character.
• G minor triadic shapes: While the full open tuning is extended, simple G minor shapes (G-Bb-F or G-C-E) can be found by selectively fretting or muting strings, providing a strong tonal center.
• Open, airy voicings: The absence of the fifth allows for more ethereal or modal harmonies. Experiment with two or three-string clusters, especially on the higher strings (G3, A#4, E4), to discover intriguing minor/major or diminished-like sounds.
• Unique Arpeggios: The wide string spacing encourages unique arpeggiated patterns that would be difficult to execute in standard tuning, highlighting the 4ths, 3rds, and 6ths across the neck.

Open String Notes

• String 6 (Low E): C2
• String 5 (A): F2
• String 4 (D): C3
• String 3 (G): G3
• String 2 (B): A#4
• String 1 (High E): E4

How to Tune

Please note: Standard guitar tuning from low to high is E2-A2-D3-G3-B3-E4.

• String 6 (Standard E2): Tune down 4 semitones to C2. This is a significant drop. While often manageable with standard strings, large tuning changes can affect string tension and intonation. Proceed with caution.
• String 5 (Standard A2): Tune down 4 semitones to F2. This is a significant drop. While often manageable with standard strings, large tuning changes can affect string tension and intonation. Proceed with caution.
• String 4 (Standard D3): Tune down 2 semitones to C3.
• String 3 (Standard G3): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to G3.
• String 2 (Standard B3): Tune down 1 semitone. This movement from standard B3 will result in A#3 (Bb3). (Note: The target note listed in the tuning notes for String 2 is A#4. This implies an octave higher than what 'tuning down 1 semitone' from a standard B3 string would achieve. Please verify the intended octave for this string, as achieving A#4 from B3 would require a significant upward pitch shift (11 semitones up, not 1 semitone down).)
• String 1 (Standard E4): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to E4.