"Barre heaven" is a unique and intriguing tuning designed for the Guitar, aiming to make all major and minor chords readily available through barre shapes across the fretboard. This promises a highly consistent and perhaps simplified approach to harmony, allowing guitarists to focus on melody and rhythm without complex open chord fingerings.

Technical Analysis

The open string notes for this tuning are D2, G2, A2, G3, A3, C#5. This creates a sonic landscape that is both deep and bright, with a significant range. Let's look at the intervals between adjacent strings:

• 6th String (D2) to 5th String (G2): A Perfect 4th (5 semitones). This is a common and harmonically stable interval, providing a strong bass foundation.
• 5th String (G2) to 4th String (A2): A Major 2nd (2 semitones). This creates a close, melodic relationship in the lower-mid range.
• 4th String (A2) to 3rd String (G3): A Minor 7th (10 semitones). This is a large jump, spanning almost an octave, and provides a wide voicing opportunity, introducing the higher G.
• 3rd String (G3) to 2nd String (A3): A Major 2nd (2 semitones). Another close, melodic step, mirroring the G2-A2 interval but an octave higher.
• 2nd String (A3) to 1st String (C#5): An Octave plus a Major 3rd (16 semitones). This is an exceptionally large interval, giving the high C#5 a very bright and soaring quality, significantly differentiating it from the lower strings and adding considerable harmonic sparkle.

The open strings D2 G2 A2 G3 A3 C#5 present a combination of notes (D, G, A, C#) that don't form a simple major or minor triad in their open configuration. However, the tuning's name "Barre heaven" and its description suggest that its primary strength lies in consistent fretboard patterns rather than open string chords. The varied and often wide intervals between strings, particularly between strings 4-3 and 2-1, indicate that standard full six-string barre shapes might be challenging or result in unique voicings. This tuning likely favors specific partial barres or unique fingerings that leverage these particular intervals for a rich and varied harmonic palette, making common major and minor chord types easily transposable once the shapes are learned.

How to Tune

To achieve the "Barre heaven" tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these steps:

• 6th String (Low E): From standard E2, tune down 2 semitones to D2.
• 5th String (A): From standard A2, tune down 2 semitones to G2.
• 4th String (D): From standard D3, tune down 5 semitones to A2. Caution: Tuning down 5 semitones is a significant drop. Consider using a heavier gauge string for better tension and tone, as exceeding a 4-semitone change can affect string stability and intonation.
• 3rd String (G): From standard G3, keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to G3.
• 2nd String (B): From standard B3, tune down 2 semitones to A3.
• 1st String (High E): From standard E4, tune down 3 semitones to C#5.

• 6th String: D2 (Low D)
• 5th String: G2 (Low G)
• 4th String: A2 (Mid A)
• 3rd String: G3 (Mid G)
• 2nd String: A3 (Mid A)
• 1st String: C#5 (High C Sharp)