The "A7sus4 Tuning" is a captivating alternate tuning for guitar, designed to unlock a rich, open, and harmonically resonant sound. While its provided description references DADGAD as an inspiration ("DADGAD but the third D is raised up to E"), the resulting open string notes establish a distinctive character, forming an E-A-E-G-A-D configuration from the lowest to highest string.

Verbal Analysis

This tuning immediately inspires expansive, modal, and drone-based playing. The open strings E-A-E-G-A-D perfectly outline an A dominant 7 suspended 4 chord (A-D-E-G). This means that simply strumming all open strings will produce a full, harmonically rich A7sus4 sound, providing an instant foundation for songwriting and improvisation. The low E string offers a deep bass anchor, while the octave E and doubled A notes create a sense of spaciousness and sustain. The G and D strings further enhance the suspended and dominant qualities, making it ideal for fingerstyle arrangements, folk, ambient music, or any genre that benefits from open, ringing harmonies. Chords that naturally emerge from this tuning will often feature an A root, suspended fourths (D), or minor sevenths (G), allowing for easy access to lush, open voicings.

Technical Analysis

• Instrument Type: Guitar
• Open Notes: E2-A2-E3-G3-A3-D4 (from 6th string to 1st string)
• Harmonic Structure: From the 5th string (A) as the root, the tuning features a Perfect 5th (E on 4th string), a minor 7th (G on 3rd string), a Perfect 8th (A on 2nd string), and a Perfect 4th (D on 1st string). The lowest E (6th string) adds a resonant bass note, creating a comprehensive A7sus4 chord (A, D, E, G) across the open strings. The presence of two E's and two A's offers natural octave and unison possibilities for melodic development and rich chord voicings.
• Chordal Implications: The open strings directly form an A7sus4 chord. This strongly facilitates playing in the key of A (minor or major with a suspended 4th), D (with an open A drone), and G (with an open A and D drone). Barre chords become simplified as the open string intervals provide a consistent harmonic bed.

How to Tune

To achieve the A7sus4 Tuning, begin from standard E-A-D-G-B-E tuning and adjust your strings according to the following movements:

• 6th String (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The E2 note remains.
• 5th String (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The A2 note remains.
• 4th String (D): Tune up 2 semitones to E3. This raises the string from D3 to E3.
• 3rd String (G): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The G3 note remains.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 2 semitones to A3. This lowers the string from B3 to A3.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 2 semitones to D4. This lowers the string from E4 to D4.

All described string movements are within 2 semitones, which is generally safe for standard gauge strings. Always tune carefully and gradually to avoid string breakage or damage to your instrument.

6th String: E2 (Low E)

5th String: A2

4th String: E3

3rd String: G3

2nd String: A3

1st String: D4 (High D)