Open A/D Tuning: A Drone-Enhanced Canvas

The Open A/D tuning transforms your guitar into a resonant instrument, providing a rich, open sound ideal for slide, fingerstyle, or powerful strumming. As its name suggests, this tuning centers around an A Major chord, beautifully anchored by a deep D drone in the bass.

Technical Analysis:

The open string configuration is D2-E2-A2-E3-A3-C5#. This arrangement effectively creates an A Major chord (A-C#-E) across strings 5 through 1 (E-A-E-A-C#), with the lowest E string providing the 5th, the D string providing the root, the G string providing the 5th, the B string providing the root, and the high E string providing the major third. The low 6th string, tuned to D2, functions as a powerful drone or bass note, effectively turning the A Major chord into an A/D voicing (A Major chord over a D bass). This voicing is harmonically rich, offering a distinctive blend of major and suspended qualities.

The original description mentions the "Low D provides drone/base for 5th fret bar". When barring all strings at the 5th fret, the resulting chord shape is G-A-D-A-D-F#. This forms a G major chord (G-D-F#) with added 9th (A) and 11th (D), providing a full and complex Gmaj9/add11 voicing. This demonstrates the tuning's versatility in creating rich extended chords with simple barre shapes.

Chords and Playability:

• Open Strings: The open strings themselves form an A/D chord, perfect for sustained drones or starting points for melodies.
• Barre Chords: A single finger across all strings (a barre) will yield resonant major chord shapes. For example, barring at the 2nd fret will produce an E/G chord (E major over G bass), and at the 7th fret, an A/B (A major over B bass). These are often extended voicings due to the open strings.
• Slide Guitar: This open tuning is exceptionally well-suited for slide guitar, allowing for natural, resonant glides between chords.
• Fingerstyle: The open intervals provide an excellent foundation for intricate fingerpicking patterns, allowing for ringing sustain and drone notes.

How to Tune:

To achieve the Open A/D tuning from standard E Standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E), follow these steps carefully. Note that several strings require significant downward movement, which may necessitate a different string gauge for optimal tension and tone.

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 2 semitones from E2 to D2.
• 5th String (A): Tune down 5 semitones from A2 to E2. Caution: This is a significant drop; a heavier gauge string is advised for better tension and intonation.
• 4th String (D): Tune down 5 semitones from D3 to A2. Caution: This is a significant drop; a heavier gauge string is advised for better tension and intonation.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 3 semitones from G3 to E3.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 2 semitones from B3 to A3.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 3 semitones from E4 to C5#.

When strings are tuned down significantly (more than 4 semitones), they can become too slack for optimal playability and intonation. Consider experimenting with a heavier gauge set of strings to maintain proper tension, especially for the 5th and 4th strings in this tuning, to avoid buzzing and ensure a clear tone.