The Open G Unison Tuning for Guitar

This unique Open G Unison tuning for Guitar, as its name suggests, is rooted in a G major tonality, offering a rich and resonant soundscape. It's an excellent choice for players looking to explore drone-based music, slide guitar, blues, folk, and certain styles of rock. The tuning's structure makes open G major chords incredibly accessible and provides a distinctive canvas for songwriting.

Verbal Analysis:

The most striking feature of this tuning is the 'unison G' notes on the 3rd and 2nd strings (both G3). This specific characteristic 'makes for sweet minor chords and gives the minor 7th a nice ring,' as described in its original concept. This unison creates a powerful, sustained harmonic foundation, allowing for interesting voicings and a natural resonance when playing minor chords or incorporating the minor 7th interval. Strumming all open strings produces a G major chord (specifically, D-G-D-G-G-B, which outlines G-B-D with an open D bass note), making it immediately gratifying for open string playing and slide work. The low D string adds significant depth, enhancing the overall resonance and power of the G chord.

Technical Analysis:

The Open G Unison tuning sets the guitar strings to D2-G2-D3-G3-G3-B3 (from low E to high E string). Compared to standard E-A-D-G-B-E tuning, this involves several changes, primarily downtuning. The open string configuration effectively spells out a G major chord with an inverted bass note (D, the 5th of G). The intervals from the 6th string are: perfect 4th (D-G), perfect 5th (D-D, an octave up), perfect 4th (D-G), unison (G-G), and a major 3rd (G-B). The presence of two G3 notes side-by-side offers unique harmonic possibilities, enabling easy access to G minor (by flattening the B string to Bb and/or adjusting other notes) or G minor 7th shapes with minimal finger shifts, leveraging the natural resonance of the unison Gs.

How to Tune:

• String 6 (Low E string): Tune down 2 semitones from E to D2.
• String 5 (A string): Tune down 2 semitones from A to G2.
• String 4 (D string): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from D to D3.
• String 3 (G string): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from G to G3.
• String 2 (B string): Tune down 4 semitones from B to G3. (Note: Tuning down 4 semitones is a significant change. If your string gauge feels too loose or buzzing, consider using a heavier gauge string for optimal performance.)
• String 1 (High E string): Tune down 5 semitones from E to B3. (Note: Tuning down 5 semitones is a substantial change. For best results and string tension, a heavier gauge string is advised.)

String 6 (D2): The lowest string is tuned down to D2, providing a deep, resonant bass foundation. This D acts as the fifth of the open G chord, giving it a powerful, full bottom end.

String 5 (G2): Tuned to G2, this string reinforces the root of the tuning, offering a strong low-mid voice and contributing directly to the G major open chord.

String 4 (D3): This D3 string acts as another fifth of the G chord, maintaining its standard tuning (relative to a D string) and adding clarity and sustain.

String 3 (G3): Tuned to G3, this is one of the unison Gs. It provides a powerful harmonic center and a fundamental pitch for exploring melody and harmony.

String 2 (G3): Also tuned to G3, this creates a unique unison with the 3rd string. This dual G offers immense richness and allows for exceptionally easy minor chord voicings by simply fretting around this unison.

String 1 (B3): The highest string is tuned to B3, completing the G major triad (G-B-D) and adding brightness and sparkle to the overall sound, providing the major third of the chord.