This unique tuning, aptly named Emadd9 by its creator who enjoys math rock, offers a rich and complex sonic palette. It's an excellent choice for players looking to break away from conventional guitar voicings and explore intricate harmonies and dissonances. The re-entrant nature of the tuning, where the 3rd string is tuned higher than the adjacent 2nd string, creates unexpected harmonic relationships and opens up new possibilities for arpeggios and fingerstyle playing, often favored in genres like math rock, jazz, and progressive music. It lends itself well to sparkling clean tones and allows for dense, ringing chords.

Technical Analysis

Technically, this tuning sets the open strings to E2-G2-E3-F#4-B3-E4. When strummed open, these notes collectively form an E minor 9th chord (E-G-B-F#). The defining characteristic is the re-entrant interval between the 3rd string (F#4) and the 2nd string (B3), where the 3rd string is actually higher in pitch than the 2nd string. This inverted pitch relationship creates a unique harmonic texture, making standard chord shapes unusable and encouraging the discovery of new, unconventional voicings. The prevalence of E notes (E2, E3, E4) across the tuning also provides a strong root foundation, while the G (minor 3rd), B (perfect 5th), and F# (major 9th) add the characteristic Em9 color.

Chordal Exploration

Due to its design, the entire tuning rings out as a beautiful open E minor 9th chord. While traditional barre chord shapes will need to be re-evaluated, the structure allows for easy access to:

• Open E Minor and E Major (by fretting the 5th string at the 1st fret for G#).
• B Minor voicings utilizing the open B string.
• Easy access to ringing Power Chords, especially on the E strings.

Experimentation with partial chords across adjacent strings will yield many new and inspiring sounds, especially when utilizing the unique re-entrant interval for unexpected voicings.

How to Tune

To achieve this distinct tuning from standard E Standard (E-A-D-G-B-E), follow these steps:

• 6th String (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The note remains E2.
• 5th String (A): Tune down 2 semitones. The note changes from A2 to G2.
• 4th String (D): Tune up 2 semitones. The note changes from D3 to E3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 1 semitone. The note changes from G4 to F#4.
• 2nd String (B): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The note remains B3.
• 1st String (High E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The note remains E4.

All string movements are within 4 semitones up or down, meaning a standard set of guitar strings should comfortably accommodate this tuning without requiring a different gauge. However, always exercise care when tuning strings up, especially if your guitar is not regularly maintained and checked for proper neck relief and intonation.

6th String (Low E): E2

5th String: G2

4th String: E3

3rd String: F#4

2nd String: B3

1st String (High E): E4