Description: Resonant Em7 Drop

This unique 7-string guitar tuning, originally named "Drop Emin7 Open," offers a deep, resonant, and expansive sound palette. It's designed to provide a rich harmonic foundation, perfect for modern heavy genres, ambient soundscapes, and intricate chordal work. The tuning emphasizes the core notes of an E minor 7 chord (E, B, D) across multiple octaves, creating a powerful, full-bodied resonance when strummed open.

Verbal Analysis

The "Resonant Em7 Drop" tuning immediately strikes the ear with its incredible depth and harmonic richness. The lowest E string (String 7), dropping a perfect fifth from a standard 7-string's B, provides a formidable foundation for crushing riffs and deep, sustained notes. The abundance of open E and B notes across the lower and middle registers creates a naturally massive, chorused sound that rings out with immense sustain. The presence of the D string in the upper register adds a sophisticated minor 7th quality, making the open chord sound simultaneously dark, powerful, and harmonically interesting. It's a tuning that inspires creativity, offering both a solid rhythmic base and opportunities for melodic exploration in the higher strings, all while maintaining a consistent tonal center.

Technical Analysis

• Instrument: 7-string Guitar.
• Open Notes: E1, B1, E2, B2, E3, D4, E4.
• Chordal Structure: The open strings primarily form an E minor 7 chord (E - G - B - D) with the G (minor third) being implied rather than explicitly present in the open strings. The actual notes present are E, B, and D, distributed across four octaves of E and two octaves of B, plus a single D. This provides an open, powerful E minor 7 voicing, particularly when the 2nd string (D4) is fretted at the 3rd fret to introduce the G4, fully completing the chord (E-B-E-B-E-G-E).
• Intervals: From the lowest E (String 7), the intervals are:
  • String 7 (E1): Root (P1)
  • String 6 (B1): Perfect 5th (P5)
  • String 5 (E2): Octave (P8)
  • String 4 (B2): Octave + Perfect 5th (P12)
  • String 3 (E3): Two Octaves (P15)
  • String 2 (D4): Minor 7th (m7)
  • String 1 (E4): Two Octaves + Root (P16)
• Open Chords & Shapes:
  • Open Strum: Produces a rich, resonant E minor 7 (with an implied G), excellent for ambient textures or heavy, sustained chords.
  • Barre Chords: Barring all strings at any given fret will yield an E minor 7 chord shape (without the G) that transposes up the neck. For instance, barring at the 1st fret gives Fmin7 (no Ab), at the 3rd fret gives Gmin7 (no Bb), etc.
  • Completing Em7: Fretting the 2nd string (D4) at the 3rd fret to G4 will perfectly complete a full E minor 7 chord (E-B-E-B-E-G-E), offering a strong, clear minor 7th voicing.
  • Power Chords: The lower strings (E1, B1, E2, B2) are perfectly set up for massive power chords by fretting strings 7, 6, and 5 at the same fret for 5-chord shapes (e.g., F5 by barring at 1st fret).
  • Single-Finger Chords: The open strings facilitate easy creation of harmonic clusters and drones, allowing for melodic improvisation over the sustained open notes.

How to Tune

To achieve the "Resonant Em7 Drop" tuning on your 7-string guitar, follow these steps:

• String 7 (lowest): Tune down 2 semitones to E1.
• String 6: Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) at B1.
• String 5: Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) at E2.
• String 4: Tune up 2 semitones to B2.
• String 3: Tune up 2 semitones to E3.
• String 2: Tune up 3 semitones to D4. Caution: Tuning up 3 semitones can increase string tension significantly. For prolonged use, consider a lighter gauge string to prevent breakage or neck stress.
• String 1 (highest): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) at E4.

Open String Notes

• String 7: E1 (Lowest String)
• String 6: B1
• String 5: E2
• String 4: B2
• String 3: E3
• String 2: D4
• String 1: E4 (Highest String)