Tuning Overview: Am11/E

This unique tuning, aptly named Am11/E, offers a rich and complex harmonic landscape right from its open strings. As the original description notes, it was discovered serendipitously when a guitar was out of tune, leading to a truly inspiring configuration.

Verbal Analysis

Imagine a tuning that immediately evokes a sophisticated jazz club or a haunting cinematic score. The Am11/E tuning provides just that, delivering a dark, resonant, and expansive sound. Its open strings ring out to form a complete A minor 11 chord with a low E bass, creating an instant feeling of depth and melancholy, yet with a hint of hopeful tension. This makes it perfect for fingerstyle arrangements, atmospheric soundscapes, blues-infused improvisations, and modern folk. The dropped strings allow for surprising voicings and simplified shapes that would be challenging in standard tuning, inviting players to explore new musical territories.

Technical Analysis

The Am11/E tuning is a fascinating deviation from standard EADGBE. The 6th (low E) and 5th (A) strings remain in their standard pitch. However, the 4th string is dropped by two semitones from D to C, and the 1st string is also dropped by two semitones from E to D. The 3rd (G) and 2nd (B) strings remain at their standard pitches.

The resulting open notes are E2-A2-C3-G3-B3-D4. This precise arrangement spells out an A minor 11 chord (A-C-E-G-B-D) with an E in the bass. The intervals from the lowest E are: Root (E), Perfect 4th (A), minor 6th (C), minor 3rd (G - relative to E), Perfect 5th (B), and minor 7th (D - relative to E). This rich harmonic structure provides a full, extended minor sound without needing to fret any notes.

Open Chords and Possibilities

• The most prominent open chord is, of course, the Am11/E itself (E-A-C-G-B-D), offering a full, resonant, and complex sound ready for immediate use.
• Simple barre shapes across the neck will easily produce different root Am11 chords. For instance, barring at the 5th fret yields a Dm11/A.
• The retention of the low E and A strings allows for familiar power chords in the bass, providing a solid foundation for exploration.
• Experiment with omitting the C string (4th string) to reveal more direct minor 7th sounds or open up voicings for other chord types.
• Due to the lowered 4th and 1st strings, common major or minor triad shapes will yield surprising and often beautiful extended chords, encouraging improvisation and discovery.

How to Tune to Am11/E

To achieve the Am11/E tuning from standard EADGBE, follow these precise adjustments for each string:

• String 6 (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The target note is E2.
• String 5 (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The target note is A2.
• String 4 (D): Tune down 2 semitones. The target note is C3.
• String 3 (G): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The target note is G3.
• String 2 (B): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The target note is B3.
• String 1 (High E): Tune down 2 semitones. The target note is D4.

Always tune carefully, especially when decreasing string tension. For tunings that significantly deviate (more than 4 semitones up or down), considering a different string gauge is advisable, though this particular tuning has only minor changes.