The Open B Major Add2Add6 tuning is a unique and bright arrangement of notes for a guitar, offering a rich and harmonically complex sound when played open. This five-string configuration, spanning from B3 to G#5, lays the foundation for a broad sonic landscape.

Verbal Analysis

Imagine a tuning that rings with a full, luminous character, hinting at both traditional major warmth and a touch of modern sophistication. When strummed open, this tuning resolves to a B Major chord with the distinct flavour of added 2nd (C#) and 6th (G#) intervals. This gives it a bright, slightly suspended, and expansive feel, making it suitable for genres like folk, pop, jazz-fusion, or even ambient music where rich open voicings are desired. Its open sound can inspire lush arpeggios and intricate melodies, while also providing a solid, consonant base for songwriting. Due to the inherent B Major tonality, chords like a full B Major triad, Bmaj7, or even Bmaj9 could be easily voiced with minimal fret hand movement, leveraging the open strings as a drone or a core part of the harmony. The open intervals lend themselves well to melodic playing across the strings.

Technical Analysis

This is a five-string guitar tuning with the following open notes from thickest (String 5) to thinnest (String 1): C#4, F#4, B3, D#5, G#5. When ordered by pitch from lowest to highest, the open notes are B3, C#4, F#4, D#5, G#5. These notes collectively comprise a B Major triad (B, D#, F#) with an added Major 2nd (C#) and a Major 6th (G#). This precise intervalic structure creates an Open Bmaj(add2,6) chord. The wide spread of intervals across the five strings, particularly the lower B3 and higher D#5/G#5, allows for resonant open voicings and provides a strong tonal center around B Major. The tuning process involves tuning all strings up by 4 semitones from their implied original positions, which is a significant increase in tension. Users should exercise extreme caution and consider using heavier gauge strings to avoid potential string breakage or neck damage, as tuning up 4 semitones on all strings is a considerable alteration.

Here are the open notes for each string in this tuning:

• String 5 (Low C#): Tuned to C#4
• String 4 (Mid F#): Tuned to F#4
• String 3 (Mid B): Tuned to B3
• String 2 (High D#): Tuned to D#5
• String 1 (High G#): Tuned to G#5

How to Tune

This tuning requires a substantial adjustment for all strings, as each is tuned up 4 semitones from its implied standard position. Extreme caution is advised as tuning up by 4 semitones can put significant stress on your strings and instrument. When tuning up 4 semitones or more, a different gauge string is generally recommended.

• String 5: Tune up 4 semitones to reach C#4.
• String 4: Tune up 4 semitones to reach F#4.
• String 3: Tune up 4 semitones to reach B3.
• String 2: Tune up 4 semitones to reach D#5.
• String 1: Tune up 4 semitones to reach G#5.

Important Note on String Gauges: Tuning up by 4 semitones on all strings represents a significant increase in string tension. For optimal playability and to prevent potential string breakage or damage to your instrument's neck, it is strongly recommended to use a lighter gauge set of strings designed for higher tension tunings, or at least be aware of the increased risk if using standard gauges. Always tune slowly and check your instrument's intonation.