Description

The "Ewan Dobson Tuning" is a deeply re-voiced guitar setup, identified by Ewan Dobson himself as a "level 5 song thingy majiggy." This tuning dramatically alters the instrument's sonic landscape, moving far from standard EADGBe to unlock rich, complex harmonic possibilities. It centers around a low C minor 7 chord, making it ideal for fingerstyle, jazz, or progressive compositions that benefit from a melancholic yet full-bodied open sound.

Technical Analysis:

The tuning's notes are D#3 - A#3 - G3 - C3 - G3 - C4 (from lowest to highest string). Enharmonically, this is Eb3 - Bb3 - G3 - C3 - G3 - C4.

• String 6 (D#3): The lowest note, providing a deep foundation.
• String 5 (A#3): A perfect fifth (7 semitones) above the 6th string, adding harmonic density.
• String 4 (G3): A minor third (3 semitones) below the 5th string, creating a striking tension or resolution.
• String 3 (C3): A perfect fourth (5 semitones) below the 4th string, serving as the root of the open chord.
• String 2 (G3): A perfect fifth (7 semitones) above the 3rd string, reinforcing the harmony.
• String 1 (C4): A perfect fourth (5 semitones) above the 2nd string, completing the open chord with a higher octave root.

The arrangement of notes creates significant intervallic shifts between adjacent strings, requiring a fresh approach to fretboard navigation compared to standard tuning.

Open Chords & Reachable Shapes:

The open strings form a complete C minor 7 chord (C - Eb - G - Bb). Specifically, the voicing is Eb3 (String 6) - Bb3 (String 5) - G3 (String 4) - C3 (String 3) - G3 (String 2) - C4 (String 1). This offers immediate access to a rich, jazzy, or bluesy minor 7th harmony without fretting any notes.

• Cm7 (C minor 7): Available as an open chord, providing a versatile foundation for compositions.
• Barre Chords: By barring all strings at any given fret, you can easily transpose this Cm7 shape into other minor 7 chords (e.g., barring at the 3rd fret yields Ebm7, at the 5th fret yields Fm7). This makes it highly adaptable for progressions built around minor 7 voicings across the neck.
• Unique Voicings: The unique open intervals also lend themselves to discovering unconventional chord voicings and melodic patterns, particularly across the middle strings (G3-C3-G3). The close proximity of these notes allows for tight clusters.

How to Tune

To achieve the "Ewan Dobson Tuning", adjust your guitar strings as follows. Please exercise caution with large pitch adjustments, as they can significantly affect string tension, intonation, and overall guitar setup. For changes exceeding 4 semitones up or down, considering a different string gauge is highly recommended to maintain playability, prevent string breakage, and ensure the health of your instrument.

• String 6 (Lowest String): Tune to D3#. This involves tuning down 1 semitone.
• String 5: Tune to A3#. This involves tuning up 1 semitone.
• String 4: Tune to G3. This involves tuning up 5 semitones. Caution: This is a significant upward adjustment. A heavier gauge string may be advisable to prevent breakage and ensure stable intonation.
• String 3: Tune to C3. This involves tuning down 7 semitones. Caution: This is a very significant downward adjustment. A heavier gauge string is strongly advised to maintain sufficient tension and prevent excessive buzzing.
• String 2: Tune to G3. This involves tuning down 4 semitones. Caution: This is a considerable downward adjustment. Consider a heavier gauge string to maintain adequate tension and avoid slackness.
• String 1 (Highest String): Tune to C4. This involves tuning down 4 semitones. Caution: This is a considerable downward adjustment. Consider a heavier gauge string to maintain adequate tension and avoid slackness.

String 6: D3#

String 5: A3#

String 4: G3

String 3: C3

String 2: G3

String 1: C4