This is a vibrant and expansive variant of Open D Major tuning, providing a rich sonic landscape ideal for various musical styles. When strummed open, all six strings resonate to form a full D Major chord (D-A-D-F#-D-D), creating a powerful and harmonic foundation. This makes it particularly well-suited for slide guitar, folk, blues, and even rock where a ringing, open sound is desired.

Technical Analysis

The open strings of this tuning are D-A-D-F#-D-D, which immediately spell out a D Major chord across several octaves. This harmonic arrangement simplifies playing D Major chord voicings and opens up possibilities for single-finger barre chords. By simply barring all strings at any fret, you can easily play major chords corresponding to that fret (e.g., 2nd fret for E Major, 3rd fret for F Major). The multiple D notes across the low and high strings provide excellent opportunities for drones and creating a sustained, resonant sound. The F# on the 3rd string strongly defines the major tonality, while the presence of the root and fifth provides a strong, stable base.

Open Chords and Possibilities

• D Major: Strum all open strings for a full, resonant D Major.
• Barre Chords: A single finger barring across all six strings at any fret will produce a major chord rooted at that fret's position on the 6th string. For example, a barre at the 2nd fret yields an E Major, and at the 5th fret, a G Major.
• Drone & Melody: The prevalence of D notes allows for easy integration of melodic lines on the higher strings while maintaining a strong D root and fifth drone on the lower strings.

How to Tune (from Standard EADGBe)

To achieve the 'Open D Major Resonance' tuning, adjust your strings as follows:

• String 6 (Low E): Tune down 2 semitones to D.
• String 5 (A): Keep as is; no change, remains at A.
• String 4 (D): Keep as is; no change, remains at D.
• String 3 (G): Tune down 1 semitone to F#.
• String 2 (B): Tune up 3 semitones to D. Please exercise caution when tuning up by 3 semitones; monitor string tension carefully.
• String 1 (High E): Tune down 2 semitones to D.

This tuning involves a notable upward movement on the 2nd string (+3 semitones). While generally within acceptable limits for standard string gauges, always tune slowly and carefully to avoid string breakage. For movements exceeding 4 semitones up or down, considering a different string gauge is advisable.

The notes for the 'Open D Major Resonance' tuning are as follows, from the thickest (6th) to the thinnest (1st) string:

• String 6: D2
• String 5: A2
• String 4: D3
• String 3: F4#
• String 2: D4
• String 1: D4