Tuning: F7sus4

Verbal Analysis

The F7sus4 tuning offers a rich, open-string sound that immediately evokes a sense of jazz, funk, or blues fusion. With its strong dominant 7th and suspended 4th qualities, it has a 'floating' or 'unresolved' feel that can be incredibly expressive, creating tension and driving momentum in your playing. It's particularly well-suited for grooves, complex harmonies, and melodic lines that utilize open string drones. This tuning can give your guitar a unique voice, allowing for chord voicings and arpeggios that are simply not possible in standard tuning, opening up new creative avenues for composition and improvisation.

Technical Analysis

This F7sus4 tuning sets the open strings to D#3, A#3, D#4, A#4, C4, F4. When struck open, these notes collectively form an F7sus4 chord (F, A#, C, D# - with D# and A# doubled at different octaves), providing a powerful harmonic foundation. The intervals between the strings are: Perfect 4th (D#-A#), Perfect 4th (A#-D#), Perfect 4th (D#-A#), Minor 3rd (A#-C), and Perfect 4th (C-F). This structure, with its repeated Perfect 4th intervals, makes it conducive for:

• Open F7sus4 Chord: The most immediate benefit is the ability to strum a full F7sus4 chord with all open strings.
• Barre Chords: By simply barring across a single fret, you can easily transpose the F7sus4 shape up the neck to create other X7sus4 chords (e.g., G7sus4 at the 2nd fret, A7sus4 at the 4th fret).
• Power Chords: The prevalence of Perfect 4th intervals allows for easy two-string power chords across multiple string sets.
• Sus2/Sus4 Voicings: The tuning's inherent suspended quality makes it easy to explore various suspended 2nd and 4th chord voicings with minimal finger movement.
• Dominant 7th Resolution: By finding the major 3rd (A natural) on the 3rd and 5th strings (currently A#), you can easily transition to a standard F7 chord, offering satisfying harmonic resolution.

How to Tune

To achieve the F7sus4 tuning from standard E Standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E), follow these steps:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 1 semitone from E3 to D#3.
• 5th String (A): Tune up 1 semitone from A3 to A#3.
• 4th String (D): Tune up 1 semitone from D4 to D#4.
• 3rd String (G): Tune up 3 semitones from G4 to A#4. Please exercise caution when tuning this string up, as significant tension changes can occur.
• 2nd String (B): Tune up 1 semitone from B3 to C4.
• 1st String (High E): Tune up 1 semitone from E4 to F4.

Note on String Gauges: While no string exceeds a movement of 4 semitones up or down, tuning the 3rd string up by 3 semitones does increase tension. If you plan to use this tuning frequently, especially for extended periods, or if any string movement exceeds 4 semitones (either up or down), considering a different gauge string set is recommended to optimize playability and string longevity.

6th String (Low E string equivalent): D#3

5th String (A string equivalent): A#3

4th String (D string equivalent): D#4

3rd String (G string equivalent): A#4

2nd String (B string equivalent): C4

1st String (High E string equivalent): F4