Overview

This tuning, aptly named 'Open Am7', is a beautifully resonant choice, particularly well-suited for crafting melodic passages in soft folk songs and pieces set predominantly in a minor key. As its name suggests, it provides a rich, open A minor 7 chord (Am7/E) at its foundation, allowing for a full, harmonically complete sound with minimal effort. Its inherent melancholy and stability make it highly expressive for nuanced musical storytelling.

Technical Analysis

The open strings are tuned to E2-A2-E3-G3-C4-E4. When strummed open, these notes form an A minor 7 chord (A-C-E-G) with the lowest E (E2) acting as the perfect fifth of A, creating an Am7/E voicing. The presence of multiple E notes (E2, E3, E4) across the tuning provides a deep, ringing sustain, emphasizing the tonic and dominant elements within the minor framework. The intervals from the lowest E are: P1 (E2), P4 (A2), P8 (E3), m3 (G3 relative to E3), m6 (C4 relative to E3), P8 (E4 relative to E3, or P12 relative to E2). The consistent octave E notes make for a very full and balanced sound.

Open Chords and Playability

The Open Am7 tuning is remarkably intuitive for playing in A minor and its relative major, C major. The uniformity of the E strings (E2, E3, E4) simplifies barre chord shapes immensely; a single finger barring all strings across any fret will instantly produce a movable minor 7th chord shape. For instance, barring at the 5th fret yields a Dm7/A chord, and at the 7th fret, an Em7/B. This makes transposing minor key ideas exceptionally intuitive and fluid.

Potential Chords and Shapes

• Barre Chords: Easily movable Am7 shapes across the fretboard. For example, a full barre at the 5th fret creates a Dm7/A, and at the 7th fret, an Em7/B.
• Minor Chords: The inherent minor 7th quality makes it simple to form various minor chords by adjusting a few fingers.
• Drone & Folk Music: The open E strings lend themselves beautifully to drone effects, providing a rich sonic bed for melodic lines.
• Arpeggios: The clear minor 7th structure allows for crafting intricate and harmonically rich arpeggios that highlight the tuning's character.

Open String Notes

• String 6: E2 (Low E)
• String 5: A2
• String 4: E3
• String 3: G3
• String 2: C4
• String 1: E4 (High E)

How to Tune (from E Standard)

This tuning requires a few adjustments from standard EADGBe. Always tune carefully and use a reliable tuner:

• String 6 (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 5 (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 4 (D): Tune up 2 semitones to E3. (Original note D3 moves up to E3).
• String 3 (G): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 2 (B): Tune up 1 semitone to C4. (Original note B3 moves up to C4).
• String 1 (High E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).

All string adjustments involve tuning up a small number of semitones, so standard string gauges should be perfectly suitable for this tuning.