Verbal Description

The Open A minor (EAC EAE) tuning transforms your guitar into a resonant A minor chord when all open strings are strummed. This creates a deep, often melancholic and expressive soundscape, perfect for blues, folk, slide guitar, and atmospheric music. It's an intuitive tuning that encourages drone-based playing and makes various forms of minor harmonies incredibly accessible. You'll find yourself exploring new melodic and rhythmic possibilities as the guitar responds in a fresh way to familiar fingerings, creating a rich tonal palette ideal for introspective compositions or driving, soulful jams.

Technical Analysis

This tuning is configured as E2-A2-C3-E3-A3-E4 (from thickest to thinnest string). The core of the tuning is the A minor triad (A-C-E), which is reinforced across multiple octaves. Specifically, the 5th string (A2), 4th string (C3), 3rd string (E3), and 2nd string (A3) form a strong, harmonically complete A minor chord. The 6th string (E2) acts as a low perfect fifth, adding depth and a powerful bass foundation, while the 1st string (E4) doubles the perfect fifth at a higher octave, enhancing resonance and brightness across the instrument.

Open Chords and Accessible Shapes:

• Open Am Chord: Strumming all six open strings immediately yields a full and ringing A minor chord, making it the central harmony of this tuning.
• Barre Chords: All minor chords are exceptionally easy to form by simply barring across any single fret. For example, a 1st fret bar creates A#m/Bbm, a 3rd fret bar creates Cm, and a 5th fret bar gives Dm.
• Root & Fifth Power Chords: The lowest E and A strings (6th and 5th) provide excellent low-end drones and power chord capabilities, especially useful in rock or blues contexts.
• Drone Tones: The repeated E and A notes across different octaves make it easy to create rich, sustained drone notes, which are particularly effective for slide playing and ambient textures.
• Harmonic Potential: While major chords require more specific fingerings to alter the C to C# or E to F#, the inherent minor tonality opens up a world of blues, folk, and evocative soundscapes with minimal effort, encouraging improvisation within the minor scale.

How to Tune (from Standard EADGBe)

To achieve the Open A minor (EAC EAE) tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these string adjustments:

• 6th String (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The string remains E2.
• 5th String (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The string remains A2.
• 4th String (D): Tune down 2 semitones from D3 to C3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 3 semitones from G3 to E3. This is a noticeable drop, so proceed with care.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 2 semitones from B3 to A3.
• 1st String (High e): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The string remains E4.

Important Note: While these changes are generally manageable for standard gauge strings, always tune carefully and gradually to avoid undue stress on your guitar. For the 3-semitone drop on the 3rd string, it is advised to tune slowly and check intonation after tuning. While no string movement in this specific tuning exceeds a 4-semitone change (where a different string gauge would typically be advised), maintaining proper string tension and intonation is always key.

• 6th String (Low E): Tuned to E2.
• 5th String (A): Tuned to A2.
• 4th String (D): Tuned to C3.
• 3rd String (G): Tuned to E3.
• 2nd String (B): Tuned to A3.
• 1st String (High E): Tuned to E4.