Tuning Overview: Dadd9 loyal

This unique tuning, aptly named "Dadd9 loyal," transforms your Guitar into a resonating sound canvas, perfect for exploring rich harmonic textures. Inspired by Jon Gomm's innovative approaches, the creator has meticulously adjusted the notes to suit their vocal range and adapt songs in the key of D into an open tuning format. The result is a deeply resonant and expressive tuning that invites creativity and a broad harmonic palette.

Verbal Analysis

When strummed open, your guitar will sing out a full and vibrant Dadd9 chord. This means you immediately have a rich, complex harmony at your fingertips without fretting a single note. The "loyal" in its name truly reflects its adherence to the D tonality, providing a strong, beautiful foundation that feels both familiar and refreshingly new. The arrangement of notes, particularly the repeated F#s and As across different octaves, creates a dense, almost orchestral sound. This makes it incredibly versatile for songwriting, allowing for simple open chord shapes to sound remarkably lush and complete. It's a tuning that encourages a percussive, fingerstyle approach, as the open strings ring out beautifully, but it also lends itself well to bold, expansive strumming. The inherent major ninth (E) adds a sophisticated, slightly suspended quality that is very appealing.

Technical Analysis

The open strings are tuned to D2, F#3, A2, E3, F#4, A3 (from the lowest 6th string to the highest 1st string). This configuration directly spells out a Dadd9 chord, which consists of a D Major triad (D, F#, A) with an added E (the 9th):

• D (Root): Found on the 6th string (D2)
• F# (Major 3rd): Present on the 5th (F#3) and 2nd (F#4) strings, providing harmonic richness and a bright character.
• A (Perfect 5th): Located on the 4th (A2) and 1st (A3) strings, anchoring the chord and providing fundamental stability.
• E (Major 9th): Situated on the 3rd string (E3), adding a sophisticated, open, and slightly jazzy extension to the D Major triad.

The repetition of the 3rd (F#) and 5th (A) across different octaves provides a full, harmonically complete sound that resonates wonderfully. This open tuning allows for easy one-finger bar chords across any fret to create new parallel Dadd9 variations up the neck (e.g., barring at the 2nd fret yields an Eadd9, at the 5th fret a Gadd9, etc.). This makes transposing songs or exploring different keys surprisingly straightforward. Furthermore, the accessible D, F#, and A notes make it simple to explore D Major scales and arpeggios, with the E providing an additional melodic and harmonic color that can be easily incorporated. The overall structure promotes a fluid playing style, where melodic lines can be woven effortlessly around the resonant open strings, creating a rich tapestry of sound.

How to Tune Your Guitar to Dadd9 loyal

Achieving the Dadd9 loyal tuning involves significant down-tuning across all strings from standard EADGBe. Please proceed carefully, especially with the larger drops, and consider using heavier gauge strings if you plan to keep this tuning for extended periods, as some movements exceed typical recommendations for standard string tension, which can result in a slacker feel.

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 2 semitones to D2.
• 5th String (A): Tune down 3 semitones to F#3.
• 4th String (D): Tune down 5 semitones to A2. Note: This is a significant drop. If maintaining this tuning, heavier gauge strings are advised for optimal tension and clarity.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 3 semitones to E3.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 5 semitones to F#4. Note: This is a significant drop. Consider heavier gauge strings for better playability and intonation.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 7 semitones to A3. Note: This is a very substantial drop, almost a full octave for the high E. Heavier gauge strings are highly recommended for optimal tension, tone, and to prevent the string from feeling too loose.