Verbal Analysis

This unique tuning, which we've named Open D Major 6th Tuning, offers a rich and resonant soundscape, perfect for creating full, lush chords with minimal effort. When strummed open, the strings produce a beautiful D Major 6th chord, imbuing your music with a sophisticated and slightly melancholic, yet often uplifting, quality. This makes it particularly well-suited for genres like folk, blues, jazz, and even some alternative rock where a dense harmonic texture is desired. The overall lower pitch, relative to standard tuning, contributes to a warmer and perhaps more intimate tonal character, allowing for deep, ringing drones and shimmering overtones.

Technical Analysis

The open notes for this tuning are D2, F#3, B2, F#4, A3, D4 (from lowest to highest string). These notes collectively form a D Major 6th chord, meaning the root (D), major third (F#), perfect fifth (A), and major sixth (B) are all present in the open strings. The strategic placement of D and F# across different octaves (D2 & D4; F#3 & F#4) creates a strong harmonic foundation and adds significant depth to the open chord.

Key intervals from the lowest D (6th string):

• 6th String (D2): Root
• 5th String (F#3): Major Third
• 4th String (B2): Major Sixth
• 3rd String (F#4): Octave + Major Third
• 2nd String (A3): Perfect Fifth
• 1st String (D4): Octave

Open Chords and Reachable Shapes

The most immediate benefit of this tuning is the stunning D Major 6th chord available simply by strumming all open strings. This allows for easy creation of songs centered around this tonality. By barring all strings at a single fret, you can effortlessly transpose this Dmaj6 chord up the neck. For example:

• Bar at the 3rd fret: F Major 6th
• Bar at the 5th fret: G Major 6th
• Bar at the 7th fret: A Major 6th

The unique intervallic structure also lends itself to interesting drone notes and pedal tones, especially with the open D and F# notes. Exploring simple two and three-finger chord shapes will reveal a wealth of major, minor, and dominant 7th chords that might be surprisingly easy to form due to the open Dmaj6 foundation.

How to Tune

To achieve the Open D Major 6th Tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these steps. Please be mindful of the significant string tension changes for some strings:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 2 semitones from E to D2.
• 5th String (A): Tune down 3 semitones from A to F#3.
• 4th String (D): Tune down 3 semitones from D to B2.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 1 semitone from G to F#4.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 2 semitones from B to A3.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 2 semitones from E to D4.

Important Note: Several strings are tuned down by 2 or 3 semitones. While generally within the safe range for standard gauge strings, tuning down 3 semitones (as for the 5th and 4th strings) can result in noticeably lower string tension. For optimal tone, intonation, and to avoid string buzz, especially for the lower strings, consider using a slightly heavier gauge set of strings or a hybrid set designed for drop tunings if you plan to use this tuning extensively.

6th String: D2

5th String: F#3

4th String: B2

3rd String: F#4

2nd String: A3

1st String: D4