This "Open A minor" tuning, also referred to simply as Open Am, transforms your guitar into an immediate A minor chord when strummed open. It provides a rich, melancholic, and often bluesy sound, making it excellent for slide guitar, creating atmospheric textures, and for playing rhythmic patterns with ease since many common chord shapes can be simplified to just one or two fingers. The open strings resonate a full A minor triad, making it straightforward to find other minor chords or suspended voicings across the fretboard. It's particularly useful for fingerstyle players looking for a darker tonal palette and for blues or folk music where a droning minor harmony is desired.

Technically, the tuning configuration from low to high is E-A-E-A-C-E. This arrangement explicitly features the notes of an A minor triad (A, C, E) across the open strings: A2 (5th string), E3 (4th string), A3 (3rd string), C4 (2nd string), and E4 (1st string). The lowest string (6th string) provides a fundamental E2, which serves as a common root or a complementary bass note, often used as a pedal tone. When all strings are strummed open, they collectively produce a clear and resonant A minor chord. Due to the open minor chord structure, various fingerings for related chords like D minor, G major, or E minor can become surprisingly accessible, often requiring fewer fingers. The repetition of E and A notes across different octaves also facilitates the creation of full-sounding octave melodies and drone effects.

How to Tune

• 6th String (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). It stays at E2.
• 5th String (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). It stays at A2.
• 4th String (D): Tune up 2 semitones from standard D3 to E3. This is a moderate and safe adjustment.
• 3rd String (G): Tune up 2 semitones from standard G3 to A3. This is a moderate and safe adjustment.
• 2nd String (B): Tune up 1 semitone from standard B3 to C4. This is a minor and safe adjustment.
• 1st String (High E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). It stays at E4.

All string movements for this tuning are within the safe range of +/- 4 semitones, so a change in string gauge is not typically necessary, and the tension changes are generally manageable for standard guitar strings.

String 6: E2

String 5: A2

String 4: E3

String 3: A3

String 2: C4

String 1: E4