This unique guitar tuning, named Open E add9 (modal), is centered around E, offering a spacious and modal soundscape. It masterfully blends major and suspended qualities, notably omitting a defined third to create a floating and unresolved character. The inclusion of the 9th and 6th further enhances its unique voice, making it an excellent choice for drones, melodic noise, and hypnotic, repetitive riffing.

This tuning is particularly well-suited for genres like indie, post-rock, lo-fi, and alternative styles, where it encourages the creative use of open strings, subtle dissonances, and rich, atmospheric textures over traditional chord progressions.

Technical Analysis

The open strings are tuned to E2 - B2 - F4# - A3 - C5# - E4 (from the lowest to highest string). Let's break down the intervals relative to the low E root (String 6):

• String 6 (E2): Root
• String 5 (B2): Perfect 5th
• String 4 (F4#): Major 9th (or Major 2nd, but pitched very high in the fourth octave).
• String 3 (A3): Perfect 4th
• String 2 (C5#): Major 6th (also pitched very high, in the fifth octave).
• String 1 (E4): Root (two octaves higher than the low E).

The resulting open chord, when strummed, creates an E6/9sus4 sound (E - B - F# - A - C# - E). The deliberate absence of a major or minor third (G# or G) allows for a versatile modal quality, leaning towards a suspended character. The wide spread of notes and the unusually high octaves of F#4 on the 4th string and C#5 on the 2nd string contribute significantly to the tuning's bright, ringing, and expansive sonic character, making it ideal for shimmering arpeggios, bell-like harmonics, and spacious textural explorations. Due to these unique voicings, traditional barre chords may need adaptation, and experimenting with two or three-finger shapes will likely reveal unique harmonic possibilities within this open framework.

How to Tune

To achieve the Open E add9 (modal) tuning from standard EADGBe (E2-A2-D3-G3-B3-E4), follow these specific adjustments for each string:

• String 6 (Low E - Standard E2): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The target note is E2.
• String 5 (A - Standard A2): Tune up 2 semitones. The target note is B2.
• String 4 (D - Standard D3): Tune up 4 semitones. The target note is F4#. This is a significant jump in octave for only 4 semitones from standard D3. While the semitone movement is within a typical range, achieving the F4# target may require careful attention to string tension and could potentially benefit from a lighter gauge string than a standard D string might offer.
• String 3 (G - Standard G3): Tune up 2 semitones. The target note is A3.
• String 2 (B - Standard B3): Tune up 2 semitones. The target note is C5#. Similar to String 4, this is a substantial jump in octave for only 2 semitones from standard B3. Consider string tension carefully, as achieving the C5# target might be easier and safer with a lighter gauge string than a standard B string.
• String 1 (High E - Standard E4): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The target note is E4.

The Open E add9 (modal) tuning results in the following open string notes from thickest (String 6) to thinnest (String 1):

• String 6: E2
• String 5: B2
• String 4: F4#
• String 3: A3
• String 2: C5#
• String 1: E4