Overview

The Open E Major Tuning transforms your guitar into a resonant, full E Major chord when strummed open. This vibrant tuning is widely celebrated for its rich, bright sound and ease of playing major chords across the fretboard. It's particularly favored by slide guitarists for its smooth melodic capabilities and by fingerpickers for its harmonically dense textures.

As mentioned in the tuning's description, this specific Open E variant is notably used by artists like Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge), who employed it for his cover of Elton John's "Levon," showcasing its versatility for both rock and more acoustic, nuanced pieces.

Technical Analysis

The open strings are tuned to E2 B2 E3 B3 E4 E4. This arrangement provides a complete E Major triad (E - B - G#) across all six strings, specifically Root (E), Fifth (B), and Octave (E). The unique characteristic of this tuning is the unison E4 on both the 2nd and 1st strings, which adds a shimmering, chorus-like quality to the high end. This stacked E Major chord makes it incredibly intuitive to play major chords: simply barre any fret across all six strings to instantly achieve the corresponding major chord.

• Open Chord: E Major
• Barre Chords: Moving a single finger across all strings at a given fret will produce a major chord. For example, barring the 1st fret yields F Major, the 2nd fret F# Major, and so on.
• Other Chords: While major chords are straightforward, minor chords and more complex voicings will require specific fingerings or partial barres. The tuning naturally lends itself to powerful, resonant major key progressions.

How to Tune

Achieving the Open E Major tuning involves significant tension changes on some strings. Please proceed with caution and ensure your guitar can handle the increased tension. For significant upward tuning adjustments (more than 4 semitones), consider using a heavier gauge string to prevent breakage and optimize tone.

• 6th String (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to E2.
• 5th String (A): Tune up 2 semitones to B2.
• 4th String (D): Tune up 2 semitones to E3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune up 4 semitones to B3. (Caution: Significant tension increase.)
• 2nd String (B): Tune up 5 semitones to E4. (Warning: Extreme tension increase. A heavier gauge string is strongly advised for this string to prevent breakage and maintain playability.)
• 1st String (High E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to E4.

Always check intonation after tuning, especially with such considerable string tension changes.

String 6: E2 (Low E)

String 5: B2

String 4: E3

String 3: B3

String 2: E4

String 1: E4 (High E)