The Open D# Minor 6th tuning presents a rich, melancholic, and sophisticated soundscape for guitarists. With its low D# drone and the distinctive C on the 5th string, this tuning immediately evokes feelings often associated with blues, jazz, and introspective folk music. It's a tuning that rewards exploration, offering unique harmonic possibilities and a resonant, full sound perfect for open-string strumming or intricate fingerstyle. The user's original description mentioning a capo at the 2nd fret suggests an interesting approach to explore even brighter, yet still mournful, tonalities by shifting the entire tuning up a whole step.

Technical Analysis

The open strings are tuned to D#3, C3, D#4, G3, A#4, D#5 (from low E to high E string). These notes collectively form an D# minor 6th (D#m6) chord, meaning that simply strumming all open strings will produce a full D#m6 voicing. This provides an immediate harmonic foundation, making it excellent for slide guitar or for quickly creating complex chord voicings by barring a single fret.

Chordal Possibilities:

• Open D#m6: All strings played open. This is your default chord, offering a rich, somber quality.
• Barre Chords: By barring all strings at a single fret, you can easily play other minor 6th chords across the fretboard (e.g., 1st fret for Em6, 2nd fret for F#m6, etc.).
• D# Minor Triad: Achieved by omitting the C string (5th string), leaving D# (6), D# (4), G (3), A# (2), D# (1).
• Unique Voicings: The wide intervals between the lowest strings and the unison D#s on strings 6, 4, and 1, combined with the distinctive C (5th string), G (3rd string), and A# (2nd string), open up opportunities for unusual and rich voicings not easily accessible in standard tuning. Explore drone notes and melodic lines over the sustained D#m6.

How to Tune

To achieve the Open D# Minor 6th tuning from standard E-A-D-G-B-E, follow these precise string adjustments:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 1 semitone to D#3.
• 5th String (A): Tune up 3 semitones to C3. Please exercise care when tuning strings up significantly.
• 4th String (D): Tune up 1 semitone to D#4.
• 3rd String (G): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) at G3.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 1 semitone to A#4.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 1 semitone to D#5.