The Open Dmaj7add9 tuning transforms your guitar into a rich harmonic landscape, perfect for exploring sophisticated sounds. As the name suggests, simply strumming all open strings yields a beautiful D Major 7 Add 9 chord (D-F#-A-C#-E), providing an instant platform for lush fingerpicking, ambient textures, or melodic improvisation.

This tuning is inherently musical, as noted in its description, "Havent explored enough to describe but seems a lot of fun even to just finger pick the open strings." The prominent Major 7th (C#) and added 9th (E) intervals give it a sophisticated, almost jazzy or fusion character, setting it apart from more common open major or minor tunings. The low D and high D octaves provide a strong root foundation, while the middle strings are arranged to complete the complex harmony.

Technical Analysis:

• The open strings are tuned to D2-A2-E3-F#4-C#5-D4 (from low E to high E).
• These notes collectively form a D Major 7 Add 9 chord: D (root), F# (Major 3rd), A (Perfect 5th), C# (Major 7th), and E (Major 9th).
• The tuning places the Major 7th (C#) and 9th (E) prominently in the higher register, creating sparkling and open voicings.
• This arrangement lends itself exceptionally well to slide guitar, where barring across the frets will instantly yield other Major 7 Add 9 chords (e.g., bar at the 5th fret for Gmaj7add9).
• For fingerstyle players, this tuning is inspiring for creating intricate arpeggios and rich harmonic beds. The interplay between the open D and A strings with the higher E, F#, and C# can produce a wide array of musical ideas.

While the open strings provide a full Dmaj7add9, accessible chords due to this tuning also include various suspended chords, partial voicings, and the ability to easily find dominant 7th chords by simply altering one or two notes from the open Dmaj7. Experimentation is key to unlocking its full potential.

Here's a breakdown of the notes for each string in the Open Dmaj7add9 tuning:

• 6th String (Low E): D2
• 5th String (A): A2
• 4th String (D): E3
• 3rd String (G): F#4
• 2nd String (B): C#5
• 1st String (High E): D4

How to Tune:

To achieve the Open Dmaj7add9 tuning, adjust your guitar strings from standard E-A-D-G-B-E as follows. Always check string tension and intonation after changing tuning. While none of the movements exceed 4 semitones, it's generally good practice to monitor string tension for any alternate tuning.

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 2 semitones from E to D2.
• 5th String (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) at A2.
• 4th String (D): Tune up 2 semitones from D to E3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 1 semitone from G to F#4.
• 2nd String (B): Tune up 2 semitones from B to C#5.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 2 semitones from E to D4.