EADABD Tuning: The Open E7sus4

The EADABD tuning is a distinctive open guitar tuning that immediately resonates with a rich, suspended quality. It transforms your guitar into an instrument that naturally produces an E7sus4 chord when strummed open, making it ideal for creating atmospheric soundscapes, powerful drones, and unique harmonic textures. This tuning is particularly favored in genres where a strong, open, and slightly ambiguous (due to the suspended fourth) sound is desired, such as folk, acoustic rock, or blues. As suggested by its submitter, it beautifully captures the essence of an E7sus4 chord.

Technical Analysis

The open string notes from low to high are E2-A2-D3-A3-B3-D4. This arrangement technically forms an E7sus4 chord, creating a powerful and versatile harmonic foundation:

• E (Root): The foundational note for the chord.
• A (Perfect 4th/Suspended 4th): Creates the 'sus4' quality, replacing the standard major or minor third, giving it an open, unresolved feel.
• D (Minor 7th): Adds a bluesy, dominant seventh character, inviting resolution or further exploration.
• A (Octave of the 4th): Reinforces the suspended sound and adds density to the voicing.
• B (Perfect 5th): Provides harmonic stability and power, anchoring the chord.
• D (Octave of the Minor 7th): Further emphasizes the dominant seventh, adding depth to the upper register.

The absence of a major or minor third in the open tuning grants considerable flexibility for melodic and harmonic exploration, as you can introduce these intervals by fretting, thereby easily shifting between major and minor tonalities over the E7sus4 drone.

Chordal Exploration and Reachable Chords

The inherent voicing of EADABD makes certain chords readily accessible and provides unique sonic opportunities:

• Open E7sus4: Simply strumming all strings delivers this full, resonant chord. This is the tuning's natural home base.
• Barred Shapes: By barring across all strings at any fret, you can easily transpose the E7sus4 shape. For example, a bar at the 3rd fret will yield a G7sus4, and at the 5th fret, an A7sus4. This allows for quick changes to other suspended dominant chords.
• Drone Chords: The duplicated A (strings 5 & 3) and D (strings 4 & 1) allow for easy creation of drone-like textures. For example, fretting a note on string 6 while letting the other strings ring can create powerful open voicings that sustain and shimmer.
• E minor / E major implications: While the open tuning is suspended, by carefully fretting the 2nd string (B), you can introduce the major or minor third. Fretting the 2nd string at the 1st fret (C) can imply an E minor tonality, and at the 2nd fret (C#) an E major.
• D/A Chords: The upper D-A-B-D strings (strings 4, 3, 2, 1) form interesting D/A voicings, such as Dsus2/A or Dadd4/A, by simply playing these top four strings. This provides a clear, resonant D chord family sound with an A bass.

How to Tune Your Guitar to EADABD

To achieve the EADABD tuning from standard E Standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E), you will need to adjust three of your guitar's strings. Follow these specific instructions for each string:

• 6th String (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). This string remains E2.
• 5th String (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). This string remains A2.
• 4th String (D): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). This string remains D3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune up 2 semitones. Adjust your G3 string up to A3.
• 2nd String (B): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). This string remains B3.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 2 semitones. Adjust your E4 string down to D4.

The string adjustments for this tuning are minor, moving within 2 semitones up or down. Therefore, your standard gauge strings should handle this tuning without any issues. Always tune carefully and in small increments to ensure string longevity and accurate pitch.

6th String: Tuned to E2 (Low E)

5th String: Tuned to A2 (A)

4th String: Tuned to D3 (D)

3rd String: Tuned to A3 (G string tuned up 2 semitones)

2nd String: Tuned to B3 (B)

1st String: Tuned to D4 (High E string tuned down 2 semitones)