Tuning Overview: Open Eb Minor Major 7th

This unique and evocative tuning, officially named "Open Eb Minor Major 7th," is famously featured as the rhythm guitar tuning on The Smashing Pumpkins' track "Mayonaise." It's a sophisticated open tuning that immediately creates a rich, melancholic, and somewhat dreamy atmosphere when strummed openly.

Technical Analysis

The tuning of the open strings precisely forms an Eb minor major 7th chord (Eb-Gb-Bb-D). This intricate voicing is a hallmark of more complex harmonic textures. Let's break down the notes:

• Low Eb (D#3): The root of the chord, providing a deep, foundational tone.
• Bb (A#3): The perfect fifth, offering harmonic stability.
• Bb (A#3): A repeated perfect fifth, creating a lush, thick voicing in the middle register. This unison provides significant harmonic density.
• Gb (F#4): The minor third, responsible for the melancholic quality.
• Bb (A#4): Another perfect fifth, harmonically reinforcing the chord.
• D (D4): The major seventh, which adds the distinct 'major 7th' tension and sophisticated character to the minor chord, resulting in the minor major 7th sound.

The arrangement of these notes allows for both full, open chord voicings and easy transposition. By barring across any fret, you can effortlessly create other minor major 7th chords. For instance, a barre at the 1st fret would yield an E minor major 7th chord, and a barre at the 3rd fret would produce a G minor major 7th. This makes the tuning incredibly versatile for exploring complex harmonic progressions with relative ease.

How to Tune to Open Eb Minor Major 7th

To achieve this distinctive tuning, adjust your guitar strings according to the following instructions. It's recommended to use a reliable tuner for precision. The target note for each string is provided from the tuning_notes data, and the tuning movement is precisely as described in the string_movements data.

• String 6 (Low string - Target D3#): Tune down 1 semitone.
• String 5 (Target A3#): Tune up 1 semitone.
• String 4 (Target A3#): Tune down 4 semitones.
  Note: Tuning down 4 semitones is a significant adjustment. While generally acceptable, be mindful of string tension and consider a heavier gauge string if you frequently use tunings with such large drops to maintain optimal playability and intonation.
• String 3 (Target F4#): Tune down 1 semitone.
• String 2 (Target A4#): Tune down 1 semitone.
• String 1 (High string - Target D4): Tune down 2 semitones.

Always tune carefully and stretch your strings after making significant adjustments to help them settle into the new tension.