Verbal Analysis: Open Emaj13 for 7-String Guitar

The Open Emaj13 tuning transforms your 7-string guitar into a sophisticated harmonic canvas, immediately yielding a rich, expansive E Major 13th chord when strummed open. This creates an incredibly lush and resonant sound, perfect for genres that thrive on advanced harmony such as jazz, fusion, or ambient soundscapes. The strategic placement of the 13th (C#) on the lowest string provides a unique bass foundation, giving compositions a distinct character and depth. This tuning encourages a creative approach to chord voicings and arpeggios, making complex harmonies surprisingly accessible and inspiring new melodic possibilities.

The bright and airy quality of the E Major 13th chord, coupled with the extended range of a 7-string, allows for a wide dynamic and tonal palette. You'll find that many common chord shapes can be adapted to produce interesting extensions or inversions, and single-finger barre chords across certain frets will unlock entire families of major 13th chords. It's an excellent tuning for exploring advanced harmonic concepts with a tactile, intuitive feel.

Technical Analysis

This 7-string tuning sets the open strings to: C#3, E2, G#3, B2, F#4, B3, D#5. When analyzed, these notes collectively form an E Major 13th chord, with E as the root. Let's break down the individual string contributions relative to E:

• String 7 (Lowest): C#3 - The Major 13th of E. Its low register provides a powerful, extended harmonic bass.
• String 6: E2 - The fundamental Root.
• String 5: G#3 - The Major 3rd.
• String 4: B2 - The Perfect 5th.
• String 3: F#4 - The Major 9th.
• String 2: B3 - An octave higher Perfect 5th, adding thickness and resonance.
• String 1 (Highest): D#5 - The Major 7th.

The tuning is structured around the E Major scale (E F# G# A B C# D#), with all the available open notes (C#, D#, E, F#, G#, B) being integral components of an Emaj13 chord (E, G#, B, D#, F#, C#). The presence of two 'B' notes (B2 and B3) at different octaves provides a rich, natural overtone series, enhancing the chord's depth and sustain. The arrangement allows for easy access to the E Major sound, while the low C# and high D# create a broad intervallic spread.

Chords & Harmonic Possibilities

• Open Emaj13: The most direct application. Simply strumming all open strings produces a full, resonant E Major 13th chord. This serves as a fantastic foundation for improvisation or songwriting.
• Emaj9 / Emaj7 / Emaj: By selectively muting or fretting, you can easily derive simpler E major chords. Muting String 7 yields an Emaj9 (E G# B D# F#). Further muting String 3 gives an Emaj7 (E G# B D#). An open E Major chord (E G# B) is readily available by using strings 6, 5, 4 or 6, 5, 2.
• Related Chords: The inherent Major 13th structure makes it easy to explore relative minor or dominant harmonies with minimal fretting. For example, a C# minor 7th chord (C# E G# B) is very accessible, given the C# on the lowest string and E, G#, B on adjacent strings. Moving a single finger up the fretboard in parallel often yields new Emaj13 voicings.
• Drone & Pedal Tones: The open E and B strings can serve as excellent drone notes, allowing you to build melodic and harmonic ideas over a stable tonal center.

How to Tune (from Standard 7-String B E A D G B E)

To achieve the Open Emaj13 tuning from a standard 7-string tuning (B E A D G B E), follow these string movements:

• String 7 (Low B to C#3): Tune up 2 semitones to C3#.
• String 6 (E2 to E2): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 5 (A3 to G#3): Tune down 1 semitone to G3#.
• String 4 (D3 to B2): Tune down 3 semitones to B2.
• String 3 (G4 to F#4): Tune down 1 semitone to F4#.
• String 2 (B3 to B3): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 1 (High E5 to D#5): Tune down 1 semitone to D5#.

Important Note: Significant changes in string tension can occur when tuning a string beyond a 4 semitone range (either up or down). While most movements in this tuning are moderate, for any tuning that involves movements exceeding 4 semitones (e.g., tuning up to 5 semitones or down to -5 semitones), considering a different string gauge is highly advisable. This helps maintain optimal playability, ensures string integrity, and prevents potential neck issues due to extreme tension changes.

String 7 (Lowest String): Tuned to C3#.

String 6: Tuned to E2.

String 5: Tuned to G3#.

String 4: Tuned to B2.

String 3: Tuned to F4#.

String 2: Tuned to B3.

String 1 (Highest String): Tuned to D5#.