C Major 9 Tuning: A Lush, Extended Harmony

The C Major 9 Tuning transforms your guitar into a rich, harmonically sophisticated instrument, perfectly set up for creating lush, extended chords with an open strum. As its name suggests, when strummed open, this tuning immediately presents a full C Major 9 chord, offering a depth and complexity not commonly found in standard open tunings. It's notably featured in Trevor Gordon Hall's piece "That Old Familiar Pain," highlighting its suitability for intricate fingerstyle and atmospheric compositions.

Technical Analysis:

This tuning arranges the strings (from lowest to highest) as C2-G2-E3-G3-B3-D4. Let's break down the harmonic structure relative to the root C:

• The 6th string (C2) serves as the foundational root.
• The 5th string (G2) provides a strong perfect fifth, reinforcing the major tonality.
• The 4th string (E3) establishes the crucial major third, defining the chord's major quality.
• The 3rd string (G3) offers a higher octave perfect fifth, adding body and resonance.
• The 2nd string (B3) introduces the major seventh, giving the chord its characteristic jazzy, open sound.
• The 1st string (D4) completes the harmony with the major ninth, adding sparkle and a sophisticated extension.

The presence of the root, major third, perfect fifth, major seventh, and major ninth makes this a complete C Major 9 chord voiced across the open strings. The duplicate G notes (G2 and G3) provide excellent harmonic support and allow for interesting drone possibilities. The wide interval between the low C (C2) and the high D (D4) spans over two octaves, contributing to a full and expansive sound.

Chordal Opportunities:

• Open Strum: The most immediate benefit is the stunning C Major 9 chord with a single open strum, perfect for creating rich, ambient textures or as a foundation for fingerstyle pieces.
• Barre Chords: By simply barring all strings at any fret, you can easily transpose the Major 9 chord up the neck. For example, a barre at the 1st fret yields a C# Major 9, the 2nd fret a D Major 9, and so on. This makes navigating through Major 9 progressions incredibly intuitive.
• Related Chords: With minor finger adjustments, you can achieve related harmonies. Lifting the high D (1st string) can yield a C Major 7. By experimenting with fretting individual strings, you can explore suspensions (e.g., Cmaj9sus4 by raising the E to F or F# on the 4th string) or even add a 6th.
• Voicings: The unique voicing with two Gs and the B-D extension makes this tuning exceptionally versatile for creating complex arpeggios and melodic lines that resonate against the open C Major 9 harmony. While primarily set for major tonalities, clever fretting can allow for dominant 9th shapes (by flattening the B) or other extensions.

How to Tune Your Guitar to C Major 9

To achieve the C Major 9 tuning from standard E Standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E), follow these steps carefully:

• 6th String (Low E to C2): Tune down 4 semitones. This is a significant drop. Caution: Tuning down 4 semitones (or more) can make your string feel very slack, potentially affecting intonation or playability. For optimal performance and string tension, it is advised to consider a heavier gauge string for this particular string.
• 5th String (A to G2): Tune down 2 semitones.
• 4th String (D to E3): Tune up 2 semitones.
• 3rd String (G to G3): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• 2nd String (B to B3): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• 1st String (High E to D4): Tune down 2 semitones.

Always use a reliable tuner and check your intonation after tuning, especially when making significant changes to string tension.

Open String Notes for C Major 9 Tuning

• 6th String (Low E string): C2
• 5th String (A string): G2
• 4th String (D string): E3
• 3rd String (G string): G3
• 2nd String (B string): B3
• 1st String (High E string): D4