Welcome to Open Dreamscape D, an intriguing and expansive guitar tuning designed for players who wish to explore unique sonic textures and move beyond conventional harmonies. As its original description hints, this tuning is perfect for crafting 'open' and 'dreamy' soundscapes, often found in genres like emo, post-rock, or ambient music, where atmosphere and mood are paramount. It encourages a departure from standard chord voicings, inviting deep experimentation.

Technically, the open notes of this tuning are D2, A#3, D3, A3, C4, C4 (from lowest to highest string). This configuration presents a compelling blend of root (D), minor 6th/augmented 5th (A#), perfect 5th (A), and minor 7th (C) intervals relative to the lowest D. The presence of both the A (perfect 5th) and the A# (often enharmonically read as Bb, creating a minor 6th interval from D) introduces a distinct, melancholic tension. The C (minor 7th) adds a soulful depth, contributing to a D-based tonality that is neither purely major nor minor, leaning heavily into a somber, reflective character. The unison C notes on the top two strings offer a fantastic opportunity for sustained drones, expressive bends, and harmonically rich arpeggios, creating a shimmering, almost ethereal quality when played delicately.

This tuning doesn't neatly fall into a single, simple chord; instead, it offers a complex, D-based tonality that thrives on its unique dissonances and resonances. Strumming all open strings yields a dense, resonant sound that encourages fingerstyle exploration and melodic improvisation over traditional chordal rhythm playing. Due to its unique intervals, standard chord shapes will need to be re-imagined, opening up a world of fresh voicings and harmonies that would be difficult or impossible in standard tuning.

Chords and Playability

• Open Strings Sonority: Strumming all strings creates a rich, complex D-based chord with an inherent melancholy from the A# (Bb) and the minor 7th (C). It's a full, atmospheric sound perfect for introspective moments or building a sonic foundation.
• D-Minor Flavors: The combination of D, A, and C means that D minor 7th-like voicings are readily available, especially by muting or selectively playing the 5th string (A#). For example, playing the 6th, 4th, 3rd, and 2nd strings open (D-D-A-C) creates a strong D minor 7 sound.
• Drone & Unison Opportunities: The duplicate C notes on the 1st and 2nd strings are fantastic for creating sustained drones or exploring unison bends, adding texture and movement to your playing. This creates a powerful, singing quality.
• Accessible Shapes: Experiment with simple barres across the neck. For instance, barring all strings at the 5th fret will give you a G-based chord (G-D-G-D-F-F), maintaining the tuning's unique intervals transposed up the neck. Shifting common D-shape fingerings from standard tuning up or down the neck will lead to interesting, unexpected harmonies and voicings.

How to Tune

To achieve the Open Dreamscape D tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these precise string adjustments:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 2 semitones to D2.
• 5th String (A): Tune up 1 semitone to A#3.
• 4th String (D): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to D3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune up 2 semitones to A3.
• 2nd String (B): Tune up 1 semitone to C4.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 4 semitones to C4. While this is generally within the safe range for most standard string gauges, for prolonged use or if you experience tuning instability, considering a slightly heavier gauge string for the 1st string might be beneficial.

The Open Dreamscape D tuning consists of the following notes for each string:

• String 6: D2
• String 5: A#3
• String 4: D3
• String 3: A3
• String 2: C4
• String 1: C4