Introducing Nick's Open Dsus/Bsus Tuning, a unique and resonant guitar tuning designed for exploring rich harmonic landscapes with a "DADGAD like sound but playing in B." The creator sought a tuning with appealing intervals, without requiring extensive detuning or string changes, while maintaining comfortable frettable stretches.

Verbal Analysis

This tuning achieves a distinctive open, ringing quality. While the inspiration mentions seeking "one tone interval between strings" (like in DADGAD or C#G#C#G#CD), the actual tuning features a blend of perfect fourths (E-A, A-D, F#-B), a major third (D-F#), and a major second (B-C#). This combination creates a rich, layered sound that feels both familiar in its open resonance and fresh in its harmonic possibilities. It successfully avoids extreme string tension changes, making it accessible without needing special string gauges for the minor adjustments required. The goal of a "DADGAD like sound but playing in B" is evident in the open string voicings which allow for a suspended feel, particularly around B and D tonalities.

The chord example provided by the creator, 320330, truly showcases the tuning's potential for complex, beautiful voicings. Played on the open strings, this translates to G (3rd fret on E string), B (2nd fret on A string), D (open D string), A (3rd fret on F# string), D (3rd fret on B string), C# (open C# string). This results in a rich G major chord with added extensions (G-B-D-A-D-C#), creating a sound akin to a Gmaj9/Dmaj7 blend, full of color and resonance. It's a testament to the tuning's ability to easily yield sophisticated harmonies with relatively simple fingerings.

Technical Analysis

The open notes for this tuning are: E2 - A2 - D3 - F#4 - B3 - C#5 (from low E to high E string).

Let's break down the intervals between adjacent strings:

• Low E string (E2) to A string (A2): Perfect 4th
• A string (A2) to D string (D3): Perfect 4th
• D string (D3) to F# string (F#4): Major 3rd
• F# string (F#4) to B string (B3): Perfect 4th
• B string (B3) to C# string (C#5): Major 2nd

The overall collection of open notes E, A, D, F#, B, C# provides a versatile harmonic palette. Notably, the notes D, F#, A form a clear D major triad across strings 4, 3, and 5 (when played as D, F#, A). The notes F#, B, C# form a Bsus2 chord across strings 3, 2, and 1. This suggests easy access to D major and B suspended harmonies. The presence of E in the bass (E-A-D) also provides strong minor or suspended qualities depending on chord shapes.

Given the open string structure, this tuning is well-suited for:

• Open D Major Chords: Easily achieved by incorporating the D, F#, and A notes from the open strings.
• Bsus2 Voicings: The high strings (F#, B, C#) naturally form a Bsus2 chord, offering bright, suspended textures.
• Drone Tones: The open E, A, and D strings provide excellent drone possibilities, especially for pieces in D, E minor, or A minor.
• Fretted Chords with Open String Resonance: Many D, B, and E-based chords will find natural resonance with the open strings, creating rich, full sounds.

Open String Notes

String 6 (Low E): Tuned to E2 (Standard E).
String 5 (A): Tuned to A2 (Standard A).
String 4 (D): Tuned to D3 (Standard D).
String 3 (G): Tuned to F#4 (Down 1 semitone from Standard G).
String 2 (B): Tuned to B3 (Standard B).
String 1 (High E): Tuned to C#5 (Down 3 semitones from Standard E).

How to Tune

To achieve Nick's Open Dsus/Bsus Tuning from standard E Standard tuning, follow these adjustments:

• String 6 (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Tune to E2.
• String 5 (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Tune to A2.
• String 4 (D): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Tune to D3.
• String 3 (G): Tune down 1 semitone from G to F#. Tune to F#4. (This is a minor adjustment and should be safe for most string gauges).
• String 2 (B): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Tune to B3.
• String 1 (High E): Tune down 3 semitones from E to C#. Tune to C#5. (This is a moderate adjustment. While generally safe, always proceed with care to avoid string breakage, especially if your strings are old or of a very light gauge).