Verbal Analysis: The Dreamy Suspended Sound

The 'Open Csus2' tuning immediately evokes a wide, resonant, and somewhat dreamy sound. By strumming all open strings, you're greeted with a rich Csus2 chord, free from the typical major or minor tension. This tuning is particularly well-suited for ambient soundscapes, fingerstyle playing where sustained notes and open drones are desired, and even slide guitar, as barring across any fret will yield a suspended second chord in that key. The absence of a major or minor third gives it an ethereal, unresolved quality that can be very expressive. The multiple G and D notes across the higher strings contribute to a lush, harmonically dense sound.

Technical Analysis: C-G-D-G-G-D Explained

This tuning sets the guitar's open strings to C2-G2-D3-G3-G3-D4. Let's break down the intervals relative to the root note C:

• 6th String (C2): The root note.
• 5th String (G2): A perfect fifth above the root.
• 4th String (D3): A major second above the root, establishing the 'suspended 2nd' quality.
• 3rd String (G3): An octave above the 5th string's G, reinforcing the perfect fifth.
• 2nd String (G3): A unison with the 3rd string, further emphasizing the perfect fifth and creating a thick, resonant texture.
• 1st String (D4): An octave above the 4th string's D, reinforcing the major second.

The resulting open chord is a Csus2 (C-D-G). This tuning is notable for its multiple octave and unison intervals (D3 and D4; G2, G3, and G3), which provide a full, ringing quality to the open strum. The specific arrangement of notes allows for easy exploration of suspended harmonies across the fretboard.

Open and Reachable Chords

With the open strings forming a Csus2 chord, this is your primary starting point. The nature of this tuning makes it incredibly easy to play a wide variety of suspended chords: simply barring any fret will produce a sus2 chord rooted at that fret. For example:

• Open Strings: Csus2 (C-G-D-G-G-D)
• 1st Fret Barred: C#sus2
• 5th Fret Barred: Fsus2
• 7th Fret Barred: Gsus2

Beyond simple barring, the duplicated Gs and Ds make it conducive to drone playing. Minor chords can be achieved by finding the flat third (Eb) and playing it against the open Csus2. For example, fretting the 1st fret of the 4th string (Eb) could lead to interesting C minor-esque voicings, though it would add an Eb over the open D and G notes, creating a complex sound. Major chords would involve finding the major third (E). This tuning encourages experimentation and offers unique harmonic possibilities, particularly for modal playing and compositions that lean away from traditional major/minor tonalities.

Notes Description

• String 6 (Low E): Tuned to C2
• String 5 (A): Tuned to G2
• String 4 (D): Tuned to D3
• String 3 (G): Tuned to G3
• String 2 (B): Tuned to G3
• String 1 (High E): Tuned to D4

How to Tune Your Guitar to Open Csus2

To achieve the Open Csus2 tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these steps:

• String 6 (Low E): Tune down 4 semitones from E2 to C2. *Caution: Tuning down 4 semitones is a significant change; ensure your string gauge can handle this tension reduction without becoming too slack.
• 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.
• String 3 (G): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The G3 note remains.
• String 2 (B): Tune down 4 semitones from B3 to G3. *Caution: Tuning down 4 semitones is a significant change; consider a slightly heavier gauge string if you find it too loose.
• String 1 (High E): Tune down 2 semitones from E4 to D4.

Always tune carefully and check your intonation after significant tuning changes. For movements exceeding 4 semitones (up or down), a different string gauge is generally advised to maintain optimal playability and string tension.