The intriguing "D Minor Cello" tuning transforms your guitar into a unique sonic landscape, drawing inspiration from cello tunings and creating a distinctive "out-of-order D Standard" feel. It's designed for players looking to explore new harmonic possibilities and offers an interesting approach to transposing existing tabs. The tuning's description hints at a deep exploration of open string intervals, favouring a perfect fourth and minor third on the higher strings, making it a playground for creative expression. While the provided tuning notes result in C-G-D-A-D-F, the creator's personal experiments with Bb-F-C-G-C-Eb and capoing highlight the experimental and adaptable nature of this tuning concept.

Technical Analysis:

The open string notes for this tuning, from low to high (6th to 1st string), are C2-G2-D3-A3-D4-F4. Let's break down the intervals between consecutive strings:

• String 6 (C2) to String 5 (G2): Perfect Fourth (P4)
• String 5 (G2) to String 4 (D3): Perfect Fourth (P4)
• String 4 (D3) to String 3 (A3): Perfect Fourth (P4)
• String 3 (A3) to String 2 (D4): Perfect Fourth (P4)
• String 2 (D4) to String 1 (F4): Minor Third (m3)

This tuning features a remarkable series of four consecutive perfect fourths on the lower strings (C-G-D-A), providing a solid foundation for deep, resonant voicings reminiscent of a cello or bass guitar. This structure naturally lends itself to powerful, easily reachable power chords and modal playing. The final interval on the high strings, a minor third (D-F), immediately introduces a melancholic or minor tonality to the open strings, creating a unique harmonic contrast.

Harmonically, the open strings C-G-D-A-D-F contain the notes C, D, F, G, A. These notes collectively form a rich D minor 11 (Dm11) chord (D-F-A-C-G), making the open tuning itself a full and complex harmonic statement. This suggests a tuning well-suited for fingerstyle, ambient music, or compositions that lean into open, resonant voicings.

With the open strings, several chord voicings become readily accessible due to the specific intervals:

• A D minor triad (D-F-A) is available using various combinations of strings 4 (D3), 3 (A3), 2 (D4), and 1 (F4), offering multiple octaves and inversions.
• A C major triad (C-E-G) can be easily formed with the open C2 and G2 strings, potentially adding an E by fretting the 3rd string (A3) at the 7th fret.
• An F major triad (F-A-C) is also present, with F4 (String 1), A3 (String 3), and C2 (String 6) providing a full voicing.

The uniform perfect fourths on the lower strings make transposing chord shapes very intuitive, while the minor third on the top adds a distinctive flavor, encouraging creative melodic lines and open chord voicings that embrace the minor key.

How to Tune:

To achieve the "D Minor Cello" tuning from standard E-A-D-G-B-E, follow these precise string adjustments:

• String 6 (Low E): Tune down 4 semitones from E2 to C2. Please exercise extreme caution as this is a significant drop in pitch and tension, sitting at the threshold where a different gauge string is often advised. For frequent use, a heavier gauge string may be advisable to maintain proper tension and avoid excessive slack or buzzing.
• String 5 (A): Tune down 2 semitones from A2 to G2.
• String 4 (D): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The D3 note remains in place.
• String 3 (G): Tune up 2 semitones from G3 to A3.
• String 2 (B): Tune up 3 semitones from B3 to D4. This is a notable increase in tension. Please proceed with caution to prevent string breakage. If you plan to use this tuning regularly, considering a lighter gauge string for this position is recommended.
• String 1 (High E): Tune up 1 semitone from E4 to F4.

Here are the notes for each string in the "D Minor Cello" tuning, from the thickest (6th) to the thinnest (1st):

• String 6: C2
• String 5: G2
• String 4: D3
• String 3: A3
• String 2: D4
• String 1: F4