Unveiling the E MATH Tuning: A Major 9th Sonic Landscape

The 'E MATH' tuning transforms your guitar into a rich, expansive soundscape centered around an E Major 9th chord. Departing significantly from standard EADGBe, this tuning creates a lush, harmonically dense foundation that is perfect for jazz, fusion, contemporary pop, or any genre desiring a sophisticated and open sound. It's a tuning that encourages exploration beyond conventional chord shapes, inviting players to discover new voicings and melodic possibilities.

Technical Analysis: The Emaj9 Core

In its open position, the 'E MATH' tuning presents the notes E2 - G3# - B2 - F4# - G4# - D5#. Let's break down these intervals relative to the root E:

• 6th String (E2): This remains the root (1), providing a solid bass foundation.
• 5th String (G3#): A Major 3rd (3) above E, giving the chord its major quality.
• 4th String (B2): A Perfect 5th (5), reinforcing the E major triad.
• 3rd String (F4#): A Major 9th (9, or Major 2nd) above E. This interval adds a distinct, modern, and open quality to the chord, lifting it beyond a simple major triad or 7th.
• 2nd String (G4#): Another Major 3rd (3), an octave higher than the 5th string, adding brightness and harmonic depth.
• 1st String (D5#): A Major 7th (maj7), providing the essential harmonic tension and color that defines a Major 7th and, by extension, a Major 9th chord.

When strummed open, these strings coalesce into a complete E Major 9th chord (E - G# - B - D# - F#), with the G# doubled an octave higher for extra richness. This means that a single strum of all open strings produces a full, complex harmony, ideal for drone-like accompaniments or as a starting point for melodic exploration.

Chordal Exploration: Beyond the Open Strings

While the open tuning itself is an Emaj9, the arrangement of intervals opens up several interesting possibilities:

• Open Emaj9: As noted, simply strumming all strings creates a beautiful Emaj9 chord.
• Root-5th Focus: Playing only the 6th, 5th, and 4th strings (E-G#-B) gives you a clear E Major triad in the bass register.
• Melodic Potential: The close proximity of the Major 3rd (G#) and Major 7th (D#), along with the 9th (F#), makes it easy to construct lyrical melodies and arpeggios that highlight the sophisticated harmonies of Emaj9.
• Creative Voicings: Sliding simple shapes up and down the neck will immediately yield new Maj9 chords in different keys, making this a powerful tool for exploring modern jazz voicings. Due to the unique spacing, standard barre chords will be fundamentally altered, requiring a fresh approach to the fretboard. Experiment with two or three-finger voicings across non-adjacent strings to uncover unique chord clusters.

How to Tune Your Guitar to E MATH

To achieve the E MATH tuning, follow these precise adjustments from standard EADGBe tuning. Please ensure your guitar is in standard tuning before proceeding. Always tune carefully, especially with changes of more than a few semitones.

• 6th String (Low E): Starting from the standard E2, keep this string as is; no change (0 semitones). The target note for this string is E2.
• 5th String (A): Starting from the standard A2, tune this string down 1 semitone. The target note for this string is G3#.
• 4th String (D): Starting from the standard D3, tune this string down 3 semitones. The target note for this string is B2.
• 3rd String (G): Starting from the standard G3, tune this string down 1 semitone. The target note for this string is F4#.
• 2nd String (B): Starting from the standard B3, tune this string down 3 semitones. The target note for this string is G4#.
• 1st String (High E): Starting from the standard E4, tune this string down 1 semitone. The target note for this string is D5#.

Note: All string movements for this tuning are within a safe range (less than 4 semitones up or down). No special string gauges are typically required for these adjustments.

6th String: E2

5th String: G3#

4th String: B2

3rd String: F4#

2nd String: G4#

1st String: D5#