Verbal Analysis

This distinctive tuning, famously employed by John Moreland for his song "359AM," offers a uniquely bright and resonant sonic palette. It's designed to create a shimmering, open-voiced texture, particularly well-suited for intricate fingerpicking and atmospheric soundscapes. The instruction to use a capo at the second fret elevates the entire tuning by a whole step, further intensifying its brightness and contributing to the song's melancholic yet hopeful character. The unusual, exceptionally high pitches of the first and second strings, combined with the solid low-end foundation, provide a rich harmonic landscape that encourages exploration beyond conventional chord shapes.

Technical Analysis

The open strings of this tuning, without a capo, are set to E2, B2, E3, A3, C5#, and F5#. The 6th string (E2) maintains standard pitch, providing a familiar anchor. The core of the tuning establishes a strong E power chord (E2, B2, E3) across the low strings. The 4th string tuned to A3 introduces a perfect fourth interval relative to E3, leaning towards an Esus4 quality.

The most striking and technically challenging aspect lies in the high tuning of the 2nd string to C5# and the 1st string to F5#. These are exceedingly high notes for open guitar strings, typically achieved only by fretting at advanced positions on the neck (e.g., C#5 is equivalent to the 14th fret on a standard B string, and F#5 to the 14th fret on a standard high E string). This creates very tight, bright intervals on the upper register (a perfect fourth between C# and F#), which contribute to a complex, ringing open sound.

With a capo placed at the second fret, the sounding open notes become F#3, C3, F#4, B4, D#5, and G#5. This effectively transposes the entire tuning up a whole step, placing it in an F# (or related) harmonic context and further emphasizing the high-tension upper strings.

Potential Open Chords and Voicings (Pre-Capo):

• Full Open Voicing (E2 B2 E3 A3 C5# F5#): This creates a complex E extended chord, containing the root (E), perfect fifth (B), octave (E), perfect fourth (A), major sixth (C#), and major ninth (F#). It can be perceived as an Eadd2add4add6, an Emaj9sus4, or an Emaj13 with a suspended fourth.
• E Power Chord (E2 B2 E3): The lowest three strings naturally form a robust E power chord, offering a solid foundation for rock, folk, or blues.
• E Sus4 or E add4 (E2 B2 E3 A3): Including the 4th string (A) creates an E suspended 4th chord, known for its open, unresolved quality.
• Upper Register Harmonies (C5# F5#): The top two strings form a perfect fourth, which, when strummed or picked, adds a bright, chiming quality. These notes could form the upper extensions of various chords, creating unique voicings.
• Fretted Chords: Due to the consistent two-semitone increase on strings 1-5, familiar chord shapes played across these strings will transpose to new harmonies, requiring experimentation to discover new voicings that resonate with the open strings.

This section details the specific notes for each open string and provides instructions on how to achieve this tuning from standard EADGBe. Please remember that tuning up strings increases tension; always proceed with care.

Open String Notes:

• 6th String (Low E): E2
• 5th String (A): B2
• 4th String (D): E3
• 3rd String (G): A3
• 2nd String (B): C5#
• 1st String (High E): F5#