This is the Open B Major 7 tuning for Guitar. As described, it's a cool open tuning particularly well-suited for emo stuff.

Verbal Analysis

When strummed open, this tuning immediately produces a rich, shimmering B Major 7 chord, offering a sophisticated and emotive sound. The wide voicings and presence of the major seventh give it a dreamy, slightly melancholic, yet resolved quality, perfect for atmospheric passages, intricate fingerpicking, and creating a full soundscape without complex fretting. Its inherent open chord structure can inspire unique melodic and harmonic ideas that resonate with the emotional depth often found in genres like emo, alternative, or even jazz-infused rock.

Technical Analysis

Technically, the open strings are tuned to D♯3 - B2 - D♯4 - F♯4 - A♯4 - D♯5 (low to high). This arrangement outlines a clear B Major 7 chord (B - D♯ - F♯ - A♯) across the open strings. The root (B) is prominently featured on the 5th string, the major third (D♯) is strongly present on the 6th, 4th, and 1st strings, the perfect fifth (F♯) anchors the 3rd string, and the crucial major seventh (A♯) resides on the 2nd string. This rich voicing provides a full harmonic foundation, with the repetition of D♯ (major third) adding a powerful resonance to the open chord.

The intervals between strings (from low to high) are particularly interesting:

• 6th String (D♯3) to 5th String (B2): A perfect fourth down (or perfect fifth up)
• 5th String (B2) to 4th String (D♯4): An octave and a major third up
• 4th String (D♯4) to 3rd String (F♯4): A minor third up
• 3rd String (F♯4) to 2nd String (A♯4): A minor third up
• 2nd String (A♯4) to 1st String (D♯5): A perfect fourth up

This unique intervallic structure creates ergonomic possibilities for fingerings. For instance, barrring any fret will yield a Major 7 chord in the corresponding key, making transposition effortless. The consecutive minor third intervals on the middle strings (D♯4 - F♯4 - A♯4) are particularly conducive for creating melodic lines and chord extensions with ease, often requiring less stretch than standard tuning. This tuning also opens up easy access to various voicings of Bmaj7, B6, Bmaj9, and related chords, and encourages exploration of modes related to B Major.

How to Tune Your Guitar to Open B Major 7

To achieve the Open B Major 7 tuning, you will adjust your strings from standard E Standard tuning. Please refer to the specific movements below for each string. Remember that while this tuning doesn't involve extreme semitone changes that typically require different string gauges, generally tuning a string more than 4 semitones up or down from its standard pitch may require a specialized string gauge to maintain optimal tension and prevent string breakage.

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 1 semitones to D♯3.
• 5th String (A): Tune up 2 semitones to B2.
• 4th String (D): Tune up 1 semitones to D♯4.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 1 semitones to F♯4.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 1 semitones to A♯4.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 1 semitones to D♯5.

6th String: D♯3
5th String: B2
4th String: D♯4
3rd String: F♯4
2nd String: A♯4
1st String: D♯5