Welcome to the captivating world of the EC#ADAd Open Tuning, affectionately known as the "Illinois/Alberta Tentative" tuning. This unique setup is designed to offer resonant, open chord voicings and distinctive harmonic textures, perfect for folk, indie, and experimental soundscapes. It's a tuning that encourages exploration and rewards the adventurous player with a full, ringing sound that evokes vast and open spaces.

Technical Analysis:

In this tuning, your guitar strings are set to the following notes, from the lowest (6th string) to the highest (1st string):

• 6th String: E2 (Standard Low E)
• 5th String: C#4 (Significantly raised from A3)
• 4th String: A2 (Significantly lowered from D3)
• 3rd String: D3 (Significantly lowered from G3)
• 2nd String: A3 (Lowered from B3)
• 1st String: D4 (Lowered from E4)

When strummed open, the combination of notes E2, C#4, A2, D3, A3, D4 creates a rich, complex harmony. The core notes E, A, D, and C# are prominent. This tuning primarily suggests an A Major (add4)/E chord, or can be interpreted as a D Major 7 Sus2/E. The repeated A and D notes across the higher strings provide a powerful drone and lush suspensions, allowing for simple one-finger frettings to yield rich, full chords. The unique interval of a high C# on the 5th string against lower A and D notes offers fresh melodic and harmonic possibilities, particularly well-suited for fingerstyle playing where these resonant intervals can truly shine.

Open Chords and Possibilities:

The open strings themselves form a beautiful, ringing chord that is immediately inspiring. The nature of this open tuning means that barring across various frets can transpose this rich harmonic structure up and down the neck, maintaining its character. Consider:

• Open Strum: A resonant A Major (add4)/E or D Major 7 Sus2/E, providing an instant rich, open sound.
• Barre at the 2nd Fret: This will shift the entire chord up a whole step, offering a similar but higher-pitched resonant voicing.
• Targeted Fretting: Fretting only the 6th string, for example, can drastically alter the chord's root while allowing the higher strings to drone. Fretting the 6th string at the 3rd fret (G) creates a Gsus2/A-like sound, or at the 7th fret (B) for a Bm-like resonance against the open strings.

This tuning invites players to explore beyond conventional chord shapes, leading to the discovery of unique voicings and melodic lines that are inherently harmonized by the resonant open strings.

How to Tune:

Converting your guitar to EC#ADAd tuning requires careful and precise adjustments from standard EADGBe. Please proceed with caution, especially for strings with significant pitch changes, as this impacts string tension. For frequent use of tunings with large semitone movements, we advise considering a different string gauge to ensure optimal playability and string longevity.

• 6th String (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). It remains at E2.
• 5th String (A): Tune up 4 semitones from A to C#4. Caution: This is a significant increase in string tension. For regular use of this tuning, a lighter gauge string is strongly advised.
• 4th String (D): Tune down 5 semitones from D to A2. Note: This is a substantial drop in pitch. A heavier gauge string may be beneficial to maintain proper tension and tone.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 5 semitones from G to D3. Note: This is a substantial drop in pitch. A heavier gauge string may be beneficial to maintain proper tension and tone.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 2 semitones from B to A3.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 2 semitones from E to D4.

String 6 (Low E): E2 - This foundational string remains at its standard pitch, providing a familiar and stable anchor for the tuning.

String 5 (A): C#4 - Tuned up significantly from a standard A, this string introduces the crucial major third (C#) to the underlying harmony, which brightens the open voicings.

String 4 (D): A2 - Dropped considerably from a standard D, this string provides a deep A note, an octave below the 2nd string A, reinforcing the harmonic center.

String 3 (G): D3 - Also lowered substantially from a standard G, this string contributes a D note, which often functions as a resonant drone or a suspended fourth in relation to the A chord.

String 2 (B): A3 - Tuned down slightly from a standard B, this string offers another A, reinforcing the overall open chord's character and resonance.

String 1 (High E): D4 - Dropped slightly from a standard E, this string adds a bright D note, completing the open chord with a high, ringing tone.