Welcome to the E Altered 7-String Open Tuning, a tuning designed for the adventurous musician exploring rich, complex harmonies on a 7-string guitar.

Verbal Analysis

This tuning, as articulated by its creator, aims for a consistent root across the lowest and highest strings, both tuned to E, providing a strong anchor for its intricate voicings. It's built for exploring chord possibilities beyond the conventional.

Upon strumming the open strings, you'll immediately notice a sound that is both bright and deeply nuanced. The presence of the Major 3rd (G3#) gives it a foundational major quality, while the Minor 7th (D3) pulls it towards a dominant, bluesy, or jazzy feel. The distinct "extra tensions" – the Major 9th (F3#), the Augmented 4th or Tritone (A3#), and the Minor 6th (C3) – add layers of sophistication and dissonance. This combination leads to an open chord that can be interpreted as an E7(#9#11b13), creating a unique harmonic landscape.

This tuning encourages exploration into modern jazz, fusion, and experimental soundscapes. It will challenge your chord shapes and open up new melodic and harmonic ideas, making familiar scales and arpeggios sound entirely fresh due to its inherent dissonances and unexpected voicings. The strong E root provided by both the lowest and highest strings gives a solid foundation, allowing the complex upper extensions to truly sing.

Technical Analysis

This is a 7-string guitar tuning with the following open notes from the lowest to the highest string:

• String 7: E2 (Root)
• String 6: F3# (Major 9th relative to E2)
• String 5: G3# (Major 3rd relative to E2, an octave higher)
• String 4: A3# (Augmented 4th / Tritone relative to E2, an octave higher)
• String 3: C3 (Minor 6th relative to E2)
• String 2: D3 (Minor 7th relative to E2)
• String 1: E3 (Octave relative to E2)

The harmonic structure features a clear E tonal center (E2, E3). While the notes E, G#, D, and E (octave) form an E Major 7 chord, the additional F#, A#, and C introduce significant alterations. The F# acts as a Major 9th, the A# as an Augmented 4th or #11, and the C as a Minor 6th or b13. This combination creates a rich, dissonant, and highly extended E altered dominant sonority when all strings are strummed open. The structural design, with E as both the lowest and highest note, provides a powerful and resonant tonal center despite the harmonic complexities, offering a wide palette for modern improvisation and composition.

How to Tune Your Guitar to E Altered 7-String Open Tuning

To achieve this unique tuning, adjust each string to its specified target note according to the provided semitone movements. Please note the specific semitone movements and take care when adjusting string tension. If a string needs to be tuned up or down more than 4 semitones, it is generally advised to consider a different gauge string to ensure stability and prevent string breakage, as some movements here exceed this recommendation.

• String 7 (to E2): Tune up 5 semitones. (Caution: This is a significant upward adjustment; a heavier gauge string may be advisable.)
• String 6 (to F3#): Tune up 2 semitones.
• String 5 (to G3#): Tune down 1 semitone.
• String 4 (to A3#): Tune down 4 semitones.
• String 3 (to C3): Tune down 7 semitones. (Caution: This is a significant downward adjustment; a lighter gauge string may be advisable for optimal tension.)
• String 2 (to D3): Tune down 9 semitones. (Caution: This is a significant downward adjustment; a lighter gauge string may be advisable for optimal tension.)
• String 1 (to E3): Tune down 12 semitones. (Caution: This is a full octave downward adjustment; a lighter gauge string is highly recommended for optimal tension and playability.)