Gsus4 Add Minor 7 Tuning Analysis

This intriguing guitar tuning, named Gsus4 Add Minor 7, offers a rich and distinctive sonic landscape. While it has been described as a variation of all-fourths tuning with the bottom two strings dropped a whole step, a closer look at its intervals reveals a unique structure that lends itself to a broad range of musical expressions, from blues and folk to modern rock and jazz fusion.

Verbal Analysis

The Gsus4 Add Minor 7 tuning immediately presents a full, resonant open sound that is both melancholic and powerful. The inherent suspension (C instead of B natural) gives it a yearning quality, while the added minor 7th (F) provides a bluesy, dominant-like tension. This makes it particularly effective for slide guitar, where the open strings can ring out creating lush, sustained drones. For rhythm guitarists, strumming all open strings yields an instant, complex chord that can be easily shifted up and down the neck with barre chords. Its open character also makes it suitable for fingerstyle, allowing for rich voicings and pedal tones.

Technical Analysis

The tuning for the Guitar is set as D2 G2 D3 G3 C4 F4 from the lowest (6th) string to the highest (1st) string. The collection of open notes forms a Gsus4 chord (G-C-D) with an additional minor 7th (F), making it a Gsus4(add ♭7) chord.

Let's examine the intervals between the strings:

• String 6 (D2) to String 5 (G2): Perfect 4th (3 semitones)
• String 5 (G2) to String 4 (D3): Perfect 5th (7 semitones) - This is a notable departure from an all-fourths structure.
• String 4 (D3) to String 3 (G3): Perfect 4th (3 semitones)
• String 3 (G3) to String 2 (C4): Perfect 4th (3 semitones)
• String 2 (C4) to String 1 (F4): Perfect 4th (3 semitones)

While the tuning description from the JSON mentions an 'all-fourths tuning with the bottom two strings dropped a whole step', our analysis shows a Perfect 5th between the 5th and 4th strings. This unique interval provides interesting harmonic possibilities and can simplify certain chord shapes that utilize these strings, moving beyond a strict all-fourths framework.

Open Chords & Reachable Shapes

• Open Gsus4(add ♭7): All six open strings played together (D-G-D-G-C-F) yield a full, rich Gsus4 chord with an added minor 7th. This is the defining open chord of the tuning.
• G5 Chord: Muting the 1st and 2nd strings (C and F) while playing the lower four strings (D-G-D-G) provides a powerful G5 power chord, ideal for rock and heavier genres.
• Barre Chords: A full barre across all six strings at any fret will transpose the Gsus4(add ♭7) quality. For example, barring at the 5th fret will give you a Csus4(add ♭7) chord, and at the 7th fret, a Dsus4(add ♭7). The presence of the Perfect 5th between strings 5 and 4 might open up unique voicing opportunities within these barre shapes, allowing for interesting rootless voicings or extended chords.
• Accessible Intervals: The repeating D-G-D-G pattern on the lower strings, combined with the P4 intervals on the higher strings, makes it relatively easy to find octaves and other consonant intervals across the fretboard, facilitating melodic playing and lead lines.

How to Tune

To achieve the Gsus4 Add Minor 7 tuning from standard EADGBe, carefully adjust each string as follows:

• String 6 (Low E): Tune down 2 semitones from E2 to D2.
• String 5 (A): Tune down 2 semitones from A2 to G2.
• String 4 (D): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from D3 to D3.
• String 3 (G): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from G3 to G3.
• String 2 (B): Tune up 1 semitone from B3 to C4.
• String 1 (High E): Tune up 1 semitone from E4 to F4.

Important Note on String Gauges: Generally, when tuning strings down or up by more than 4 semitones, it's advisable to consider a different string gauge to maintain proper tension and intonation, and to prevent potential string breakage when tuning up significantly. However, all the string movements for this particular Gsus4 Add Minor 7 tuning are within a safe range (≤ 2 semitones), meaning your standard gauge strings should be perfectly suitable without requiring a change.

The notes for the Gsus4 Add Minor 7 Tuning are:

• String 6 (Low E): D2
• String 5 (A): G2
• String 4 (D): D3
• String 3 (G): G3
• String 2 (B):): C4
• String 1 (High E): F4