Tuning Analysis: Drop Emin7 Open (8-String Guitar)

This unique 8-string guitar tuning, aptly named "Drop Emin7 Open," was custom-created to offer a rich and resonant harmonic landscape. It immediately presents an open E minor seventh chord, providing a powerful sonic foundation for various musical styles, particularly those requiring deep, full voicings.

Verbal Analysis

From the lowest (8th) to the highest (1st) string, the open notes are E1, B1, E2, B2, D3, G3, D4, E4. The most striking and musically compelling feature of this tuning is that simply strumming all eight open strings produces a full, resonant E minor seventh chord. This makes it incredibly easy to access a complex harmony without fretting any notes, serving as an excellent tonal center for improvisation and composition. The deep E1 and B1 on the lowest strings provide a formidable, growling bass foundation, characteristic of 'drop' tunings, while the repetition of E and B across multiple octaves (E1, E2, E4 and B1, B2) adds immense depth, thickness, and a ringing sustain. The inclusion of the G3 in the middle strings, along with the D3 and D4, further solidifies the minor seventh tonality. This tuning would be particularly inspiring for genres like metal, progressive rock, ambient, or even jazz-fusion, where extended harmonies, droning notes, and wide, orchestral voicings are highly valued.

Technical Analysis

The open string notes are E1-B1-E2-B2-D3-G3-D4-E4. Analyzing these notes relative to the root (E):

• E1 (Root)
• B1 (Perfect 5th)
• E2 (Octave)
• B2 (Perfect 5th)
• D3 (Minor 7th)
• G3 (Minor 3rd)
• D4 (Minor 7th)
• E4 (Octave)

This arrangement forms a complete E minor 7th chord (E-G-B-D) spread across all 8 strings, heavily voiced with roots and perfect fifths. The multiple instances of E, B, and D provide a thick, harmonically rich sound. The tuning maintains strong perfect fifth intervals between the 8th (E1) and 7th (B1) strings, and again between the 6th (E2) and 5th (B2) strings, creating powerful low-end resonance. The interval between the 5th (B2) and 4th (D3) strings is a minor third, leading into a minor third from E (G3), and then a perfect fourth from G (D4). The final jump to E4 offers an octave completion. This structure allows for easy access to E minor scale shapes and arpeggios, with many open strings available as drones or pedal tones. The repeating octave and fifth relationships also make it conducive to creating powerful riffs and chord progressions by simply fretting a single finger across specific frets.

Open Chords and Potential Shapes

• Open E minor 7th: As the name suggests, strumming all open strings yields a full Em7 chord, providing an immediate and rich harmonic foundation. This can serve as a home base for compositions or an easy chord to transition to.
• Movable Minor 7th Bar Chords: By barring across a single fret on all strings, you can easily transpose the Em7 shape to Fm7 (1st fret), Gm7 (3rd fret), Am7 (5th fret), and so on, creating a versatile system for minor seventh progressions.
• Powerful Low-End Chords and Riffs: The deep E1 and B1, combined with the E2, B2, and D3, facilitate extremely powerful and resonant power chords and low-end riffs, ideal for heavy musical styles.
• Droning Melodies: The multiple E, B, and D notes across different octaves allow for melodic lines to be played against sustained open strings, creating rich harmonic textures and atmospheric soundscapes.
• Inversions and Voicings: The unique distribution of notes (E-B-E-B-D-G-D-E) opens up possibilities for interesting inversions and extended voicings of E minor-related chords by selectively strumming or fingerpicking specific strings.

How to Tune Your 8-String Guitar to Drop Emin7 Open

To achieve the Drop Emin7 Open tuning, follow these precise adjustments for each string, starting from the thickest (8th) to the thinnest (1st). Remember, for tuning adjustments exceeding 4 semitones up or down, it's generally advisable to consider a different gauge string to ensure string integrity and optimal tension, as excessive changes can cause undue stress on your instrument's neck and bridge, or lead to string breakage.

• 8th String (E1): Tune down 2 semitones from its standard tuning.
• 7th String (B1): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from its standard tuning.
• 6th String (E2): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from its standard tuning.
• 5th String (B2): Tune up 2 semitones from its standard tuning.
• 4th String (D3): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from its standard tuning.
• 3rd String (G3): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from its standard tuning.
• 2nd String (D4): Tune up 3 semitones from its standard tuning. (Note: This is approaching the 4-semitone threshold where a different gauge might be considered if your guitar struggles with the tension or if you prefer a looser feel.)
• 1st String (E4): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from its standard tuning.