Description: Open A6 Tuning

The Open A6 Tuning is a vibrant and full-bodied open tuning, commonly celebrated in various genres including blues, slide guitar, folk, and rock. It provides a rich harmonic foundation, making it incredibly accessible for creating expansive sounds with minimal effort. Its distinct re-entrant nature, where lower-pitched notes appear on higher-numbered strings (when measured from string 1), adds a unique texture to arpeggios and fingerpicking styles, setting it apart from more conventional linear tunings.

Technical Analysis:

• Instrument Type: Guitar
• Open String Notes: From the lowest string (6th string) to the highest (1st string), the tuning is C#3, F#3, A2, E3, A3, C#5.
• Open Chord: When strummed open, these notes collectively form an A6 chord (A - C# - E - F#). The lowest-pitched note in this tuning is A2, found on the 4th string, creating a specific re-entrant voicing.
• Chord Possibilities: Due to its open A6 chord structure, a simple barre across all strings at any fret will immediately yield a major 6th chord. For example, barring at the 1st fret produces an A#6 (B&6) chord, at the 2nd fret a B6, and at the 3rd fret a C6. This makes playing in a variety of major sixths incredibly intuitive and fluid across the fretboard. While minor chords and other complex harmonies will require specific fingerings, the resonant open strings offer a fantastic sonic canvas to build upon, often simplifying chord shapes that might be cumbersome in standard tuning.

How to Tune:

To achieve the Open A6 Tuning from standard EADGBE, you will need to adjust each string as follows. Please exercise caution when tuning, especially with significant pitch drops, as string tension changes can affect your instrument.

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 3 semitones from E to C#3.
• 5th String (A): Tune down 3 semitones from A to F#3.
• 4th String (D): Tune down 5 semitones from D to A2. Caution: Tuning down 5 semitones is a significant change in pitch for this string. If you intend to use this tuning frequently, consider using a heavier gauge string for the 4th position to maintain optimal tension, tone, and string life.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 3 semitones from G to E3.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 2 semitones from B to A3.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 3 semitones from E to C#5.

Open String Notes:

Here are the target notes for each string in Open A6 Tuning, from the thickest (6th) to the thinnest (1st):

• 6th String: C#3
• 5th String: F#3
• 4th String: A2
• 3rd String: E3
• 2nd String: A3
• 1st String: C#5