Tuning Analysis: D#A#D#FA#D#

This unique tuning is described as an "Open Esus2 tuning used by John Mayer for In your atmosphere, but a half step down. Because then I can sing the high notes just a bit better :)". It offers a rich, resonant sound, reminiscent of the atmospheric quality found in John Mayer's work, but transposed down for a more comfortable vocal range. The overall feel is deep and slightly melancholic, perfect for expressive fingerstyle or lush chord voicings.

Technical Breakdown:

The open strings are tuned to D#3, A#3, D#4, F3, A#4, D#5 (from low E to high E string). Analysing these notes, we find the core tones of D#, F, and A#. These notes collectively form a D# minor triad (D# - F - A#). This means that strumming all open strings will naturally yield a D# minor chord, giving a distinct tonal center to your playing.

It's important to note a slight discrepancy in the provided tuning name: while it's labelled "Open Dsus2 tuning", the actual open string notes (D#, F, A#) construct a D# minor chord, not a Dsus2 (which would typically contain D#, F#, A#). However, the description's reference to transposing John Mayer's "Open Esus2" down a half-step is technically accurate for the interval structure, if not the chord quality. John Mayer's Open Esus2 (E B E F# B E) transposed down a half-step would be D# A# D# F A# D#, which precisely matches the provided tuning notes. Therefore, this tuning effectively creates a D# minor chord voicing derived from an Esus2 structure.

The presence of the root (D#) on the 6th, 4th, and 1st strings, and the fifth (A#) on the 5th and 2nd strings, creates a powerful and harmonically complete sound. This arrangement makes it incredibly easy to play power chords and barre chords up and down the neck, simply by moving a single finger across a fret. Melodies can be easily crafted over the persistent D# minor drone. The specific voicing also lends itself well to creating interesting suspensions and dissonances with minimal effort, by simply altering one or two notes from the open D# minor chord.

Open String Notes & How to Tune

Open String Notes:

The target notes for this tuning are as follows:

• 6th String (Low E): D#3
• 5th String (A): A#3
• 4th String (D): D#4
• 3rd String (G): F3
• 2nd String (B): A#4
• 1st String (High E): D#5

How to Tune from Standard EADGBE:

Important Note on Octave Discrepancy: There appears to be a consistent one-octave difference between the target notes specified above (e.g., D#3 for the 6th string) and the notes that would result from the specified semitone movements from standard EADGBE tuning (e.g., E2 down 1 semitone results in D#2). For the purpose of the "How to Tune" instructions below, we will assume the string movements are intended to bring the strings to their most common octave for a guitar's range. If you intend to tune to the higher octaves indicated in the 'Open String Notes' section (e.g., D#3 for the low E string instead of D#2), significant tension changes and potentially different string gauges would be required, and the movements would far exceed the values given. Please proceed with caution and ensure your string gauge can support extreme tuning changes.

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 1 semitone. From standard E2, tune down to D#2. This is a minor adjustment and safe for standard string gauges.
• 5th String (A): Tune up 1 semitone. From standard A2, tune up to A#2. This is a minor adjustment and safe for standard string gauges.
• 4th String (D): Tune up 1 semitone. From standard D3, tune up to D#3. This is a minor adjustment and safe for standard string gauges.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 2 semitones. From standard G3, tune down to F3. This is a moderate adjustment and generally safe for standard string gauges.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 1 semitone. From standard B3, tune down to A#3. This is a minor adjustment and safe for standard string gauges.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 1 semitone. From standard E4, tune down to D#4. This is a minor adjustment and safe for standard string gauges.

Remember to always tune carefully and gradually. If any string feels excessively tight or loose during the tuning process, consider consulting a guitar technician or using an appropriate string gauge for such tunings.