Verbal Analysis: The Sound of Open Gsus2

The Open Gsus2 tuning offers a distinctive, open, and resonant sound, characterized by its bright yet melancholic quality. It's essentially a G major chord with the third (B) replaced by a suspended second (A), giving it an airy, unresolved, and often ethereal feel. This tuning lends itself beautifully to fingerpicking styles, folk, blues, and even ambient music, where its shimmering, open voicings can create rich sonic textures. Strumming all open strings yields a full, ringing Gsus2 chord, making it very accessible for creating drone-like backdrops or intricate arpeggios. The absence of a major or minor third provides a harmonic neutrality, allowing the player to imply major or minor tonalities with subtle fretboard movements.

Technical Analysis: Unpacking the Tuning

This tuning sets the guitar's open strings to D2-G2-D3-A3-G3-D4 (from lowest to highest string).

• Root and Fifth Presence: The tuning is rich in the root (G) and fifth (D) of the G chord, providing a strong harmonic foundation. The G notes appear on the 5th and 2nd strings, and D notes on the 6th, 4th, and 1st strings.
• Suspended Second: The defining characteristic is the A note on the 3rd string, which acts as the suspended second (the 9th of G) in relation to the G root. This creates the 'sus2' sound.
• Harmonic Structure: The open strings D-G-D-A-G-D spell out the notes G, A, D. This is precisely a Gsus2 chord (G - root, A - suspended 2nd, D - perfect 5th).
• Accessible Chords: Due to the open Gsus2 chord, sliding a single finger across any fret will immediately yield another sus2 chord. For instance, fretting all strings at the 5th fret will produce a Cmaj/Csus2 voicing (C-F-C-G-C-F - technically a C6/9sus4 or Csus2 add4/9). More common major and minor chords can be easily formed with minimal fingerings. For example, by adding a B note on the 2nd fret of the 5th string (which is usually a G), or the 4th fret of the 3rd string (A to B), or the 3rd fret of the 6th string, you can convert the Gsus2 into a G major. Similarly, lowering the B to a Bb would create a G minor. The doubled Ds and Gs offer great resonance and options for drone strings.

How to Tune

To achieve the Open Gsus2 tuning from standard E Standard tuning, follow these steps:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 2 semitones from E to D2.
• 5th String (A): Tune down 2 semitones from A to G2.
• 4th String (D): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) at D3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune up 2 semitones from G to A3. (Note: Tuning up can increase string tension; proceed with care).
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 4 semitones from B to G3. (Note: This is a significant drop. If tuning to this frequently, you may consider a slightly heavier gauge string for better tension and tone, as drops of 4 semitones or more can affect playability and intonation on lighter gauges).
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 2 semitones from E to D4.