The "A5 Unison" tuning is a powerful and resonant setup for your guitar, designed to create a rich, full sound primarily around the A and E notes. As the name suggests, it offers an "Open A5 with unison on A," providing a cool vibe and making certain chord voicings incredibly accessible.

Verbal Analysis

This tuning delivers an immediate, driving open sound. The core of the tuning is an A5 power chord, with its root (A) and fifth (E) spread across all six strings. The standout feature is the unison A on the 3rd (G string, now A3) and 2nd (B string, now A3) strings. This creates a thick, chiming quality in the mid-range that's perfect for ringing open chords, drone parts, and rhythmic strumming. It's particularly well-suited for rock, blues, and other styles that benefit from a strong, unambiguous harmonic foundation. The ease of achieving a "minor 7th" as noted in the description suggests that common shapes or partial voicings for A minor 7th might fall naturally under the fingers, offering a rich, slightly melancholic extension to the foundational power chord.

Technical Analysis

The open strings are tuned to E2-A2-E3-A3-A3-E4. This arrangement forms an A5 chord (A and E notes) across multiple octaves, making it incredibly resonant when strummed open.

• Root and Fifth: The tuning is built entirely on the root (A) and its perfect fifth (E).
• Octaves: You have strong E octaves (E2, E3, E4) and A octaves (A2, A3).
• Unison: The 3rd and 2nd strings are both tuned to A3, creating a powerful unison that adds density and sustain to the open chord.
• Open Chords: Strumming all strings open yields a robust A5 power chord. By simply barring across a single fret, you can easily transpose this A5 chord up and down the neck. The existing A and E notes also provide a solid foundation for constructing an A minor 7th chord (A-C-E-G) by introducing the C and G notes through specific fret positions, which are likely very ergonomic within this tuning.

How to Tune

To achieve the A5 Unison tuning, follow these precise adjustments from standard E Standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E):

• 6th String (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Stays at E2.
• 5th String (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Stays at A2.
• 4th String (D): Tune up 2 semitones. Adjust from D3 to E3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune up 2 semitones. Adjust from G3 to A3.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 2 semitones. Adjust from B3 to A3.
• 1st String (High E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Stays at E4.

Important Note: When tuning, always proceed with caution. While all string adjustments in this tuning are within a safe range for standard guitar strings (less than +/- 4 semitones), significant changes in tension can be hard on your instrument. For tunings requiring more than 4 semitones up or down, it is generally advised to consider a different gauge of string to maintain playability and protect your guitar.

6th String (Low E): E2

5th String (A): A2

4th String (D): E3

3rd String (G): A3

2nd String (B): A3

1st String (High E): E4