Verbal Analysis: The Wide E minor 9

The 'Wide E minor 9' tuning, as its name suggests, offers a rich and expansive sonic landscape. It evokes a sophisticated, melancholic, yet vibrant mood, perfect for intricate compositions. The creator mentions using it for an original song titled 'Under the Leaves of Trees' and drawing inspiration from open math rock tunings by bands like Covet. This suggests a tuning designed for complex harmonic textures, arpeggiated melodies, and perhaps percussive techniques often found in progressive and math rock genres. The significant 'width' introduced by the high F#5 note on the first string creates a shimmering, bell-like quality, adding a unique top-end sparkle that contrasts with the deep, resonant low E. It's a tuning that invites exploration of open voicings and ringing sustain, ideal for creating atmospheric soundscapes or delicate, intricate fingerstyle passages.

Technical Analysis: Unpacking the Voicing

This tuning sets your guitar up with the open strings sounding E2 B2 D3 G3 B3 F#5.

• The foundation of this tuning is a clear E minor 9 chord (E-G-B-D-F#) played across the open strings. From low to high, we have the Root (E), 5th (B), minor 7th (D), minor 3rd (G), 5th (B), and the 9th (F#).
• The most striking feature is the incredible range, spanning almost three octaves from the low E2 to the very high F#5. The interval between the 2nd string (B3) and the 1st string (F#5) is a compound perfect 5th (a perfect 5th plus an octave), which is highly unusual for standard guitar tunings and contributes significantly to its 'wide' character.
• This open E minor 9 chord provides a beautiful, ready-made harmonic canvas. Players can easily create complex voicings by adding just one or two fretted notes, or by using partial chords.
• The standard intervals between the 6th-5th (P5), 5th-4th (m3), 4th-3rd (P4), and 3rd-2nd (M3) strings offer familiar fretboard relationships for many common chord shapes, making the transition from standard tuning less daunting in these lower registers. However, the dramatic jump to F#5 will require re-learning lead lines and higher-register voicings.

Chordal Possibilities

The inherent E minor 9 voicing means that open chords with this tonal center will sound rich and full. Simply strumming all open strings yields a lush E minor 9. Beyond this, the open D3, G3, B3, F#5 notes can form interesting extensions or inversions, inviting arpeggiated passages that highlight these intricate harmonies. Simple fingerings can easily yield:

• E minor shapes: Barring the 2nd fret across the top five strings (F#3 C#4 E4 A4 C#4 F#5) would give an F# minor 9, showcasing the movable nature of this open chord shape.
• Open D-form chords: The D-G-B string group (D3 G3 B3) forms a G major triad. By fretting the 4th string at the 2nd fret (E), you can create various E minor and G major related voicings.
• Harmonic Complexity: The wide interval on the top string encourages the use of high, shimmering notes as drones or melodic accents over the richer lower harmony. This tuning is excellent for creating suspensions, extended chords, and melodic patterns that leverage its unique open-string intervals.

How to Tune Your Guitar

Achieving the 'Wide E minor 9' tuning from standard EADGBe requires careful attention to the following string adjustments:

• 6th String (Low E): Target note E2. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• 5th String (A): Target note B2. Tune up 2 semitones from A2. This adjustment is within a generally safe range for standard strings.
• 4th String (D): Target note D3. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• 3rd String (G): Target note G3. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• 2nd String (B): Target note B3. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• 1st String (High E): Target note F#5. Tune up 2 semitones. This instruction specifies tuning up 2 semitones for this string. However, it's crucial to note that if your starting point is a standard high E string (E4), reaching F#5 represents a total pitch increase of 14 semitones (an octave plus a major second). While the direct tuning instruction is 2 semitones, achieving the high F#5 note on a typical high E string gauge may result in extremely high tension. For optimal results and to ensure string safety, especially if your guitar is normally set up for E4, considering a lighter gauge string is strongly advised to comfortably and safely reach F#5, as a total change exceeding 4 semitones typically warrants a different gauge.

Here are the target notes for each string:

• 6th String: E2 (Low E)
• 5th String: B2
• 4th String: D3
• 3rd String: G3
• 2nd String: B3
• 1st String: F#5 (High F#)