The CGCGBD tuning transforms your guitar into a resonant instrument, offering a rich and open sound. Described as "Neat sounding slack key good for fun progressions," this tuning lives up to its name by providing a broad sonic palette perfect for intricate fingerstyle, open chord voicings, and creative melodic explorations. It's a fantastic choice for those looking to expand beyond standard tunings and delve into a more expansive harmonic landscape.

Technical Analysis

This is essentially an Open C Major 9th tuning. The open strings are C2-G2-C3-G3-B3-D4. This arrangement provides a powerful C major foundation (C-G-C-G) across the bottom four strings, followed by a Major 7th (B) and a Major 9th (D) on the top two strings. The result is a full, lush Cmaj9 chord when strummed open, which resonates beautifully. The intervals create a harmonically rich soundscape:

• Low C (6th string): Provides a deep, anchoring root.
• G (5th string): The perfect fifth, adding stability.
• C (4th string): Octave root, reinforcing the fundamental.
• G (3rd string): Octave fifth, adding harmonic richness.
• B (2nd string): The major seventh, introducing a sophisticated, open quality.
• D (1st string): The major ninth, contributing brightness and complexity.

This tuning is highly versatile for creating full, ringing chords with minimal effort. Barring all strings across a single fret will produce a corresponding major 9th chord (e.g., 1st fret is C#maj9, 2nd fret is Dmaj9). The open intervals also make it conducive for slide guitar and allow for easy access to interesting drone notes and arpeggios, making it a favorite for styles like slack-key and blues.

How to Tune

To achieve the CGCGBD tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these steps. Please note that several strings are tuned down significantly, so always tune carefully and gradually.

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 4 semitones to C. This is a substantial drop.
• 5th String (A): Tune down 2 semitones to G.
• 4th String (D): Tune down 2 semitones to C.
• 3rd String (G): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• 2nd String (B): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 2 semitones to D.

Important Note: The 6th string requires a drop of 4 semitones. While generally manageable for standard string gauges, always proceed with caution and tune gradually to avoid excessive stress on the string. For more extreme tuning changes (exceeding 4 semitones up or down from standard), considering a different string gauge is advisable to ensure optimal tension and prevent string breakage or intonation issues. However, for this specific tuning, the listed string movements are generally within safe limits for most standard light to medium gauge strings.

6th String: C2 (Tune down 4 semitones from E)

5th String: G2 (Tune down 2 semitones from A)

4th String: C3 (Tune down 2 semitones from D)

3rd String: G3 (No change from G)

2nd String: B3 (No change from B)

1st String: D4 (Tune down 2 semitones from E)