About the Dm7 Tuning

As described in the provided tuning data, this is a "fun little tuning to mess around with" on the Guitar. It's an open D minor 7th chord, giving a rich, full, and slightly melancholic sound when strummed open. This tuning is excellent for exploring blues, jazz, and folk styles, offering a dark and resonant foundation. The inherent Dm7 chord makes it incredibly easy to quickly find sympathetic harmonies and create impressive sounds with minimal effort.

Technical Analysis

The open strings are tuned to D1 A2 D3 F3 A3 C4. This configuration directly forms a D minor 7th chord:

• D (Root) on the 6th string (D1)
• A (Perfect 5th) on the 5th string (A2)
• D (Octave) on the 4th string (D3)
• F (Minor 3rd) on the 3rd string (F3)
• A (Perfect 5th) on the 2nd string (A3)
• C (Minor 7th) on the 1st string (C4)

The tuning offers a deeply resonant Dm7 chord across its open strings, with the lowest D being an octave below standard Drop D or DADGAD tunings, providing a profound bass foundation. The presence of the root (D) and fifth (A) on the lowest strings, along with their octaves higher up, creates a powerful harmonic base. The minor third (F) and minor seventh (C) are positioned on the 3rd and 1st strings respectively, clearly defining the Dm7 quality.

Chordal Possibilities

This tuning lends itself wonderfully to:

• Open Dm7: A full, rich Dm7 chord is immediately available by strumming all open strings.
• Movable Minor 7th Chords: By barring across all strings at any fret, you can easily create other minor 7th chords. For example, a barre at the 2nd fret would yield an Em7, at the 3rd fret an Fm7, and so on. This makes transposing minor 7th progressions very straightforward.
• Drone Notes and Riffs: The repeated D and A notes provide excellent drone possibilities, allowing for melodic exploration on the higher strings while maintaining a constant harmonic foundation.
• Simple Chord Shapes: Many common chord shapes can be simplified or adapted. For instance, removing fingers from a barre can create minor chords (Dm, Em, Fm) or suspended chords, adding complexity with minimal effort due to the inherent Dm7 structure.

How to Tune

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

• 6th String (Low E): Tune up 1 semitone from E2 to F2.
• 5th String (A): Keep as is; no change (A2).
• 4th String (D): Keep as is; no change (D3).
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 2 semitones from G3 to F3.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 2 semitones from B3 to A3.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 4 semitones from E4 to C4. Caution: Tuning a string down by 4 semitones is a significant adjustment. For prolonged use of this tuning, especially if you experience string floppiness or intonation issues, it is advisable to consider using a lighter gauge string for the 1st string.