E Lydian Chordal Tuning - A Harmonic Landscape

This unique tuning, which we've named E Lydian Chordal Tuning, offers an expansive and sophisticated sonic palette, ideal for guitarists looking to explore rich, open harmonies and modal voicings. It's an excellent choice for ambient soundscapes, jazz improvisation, fingerstyle arrangements, or any genre that benefits from a bright, complex, and evolving harmonic foundation. The tuning opens up new possibilities on the fretboard, encouraging a fresh approach to composition and playing.

Technical Analysis

The open string notes for this tuning are E2, G3#, C4#, F4#, A4#, D5#. When analyzed from the lowest E string, these notes reveal a complex and beautiful extended E Major chord with a distinct Lydian character:

• E (Root)
• G# (Major 3rd)
• C# (Major 6th, or a Perfect 4th above G#)
• F# (Major 9th/2nd, or a Perfect 4th above C#)
• A# (Augmented 4th/#11, or a Major 3rd above F#)
• D# (Major 7th, or a Perfect 4th above A#)

This intervallic structure spells out an Emaj7(#11)add9 chord, strongly evoking the bright and ethereal sound of the Lydian mode. The omission of the perfect 5th (B) from the E major triad, combined with the presence of the #11 (A#), gives it a shimmering, open quality. The prevalence of stacked perfect fourths (G# to C#, C# to F#, A# to D#) across the middle and high strings facilitates easy creation of quartal harmonies and allows for unique melodic phrasing opportunities.

Open Chords and Playing Potential

• Instant Lydian Voicings: Simply strumming the open strings produces a rich Emaj7(#11)add9 chord. This serves as a fantastic tonic for Lydian-based compositions.
• Movable Shapes: Barring all strings at any given fret will instantly transpose this complex open chord, allowing you to easily play a Gmaj7(#11)add9 at the 3rd fret, an Amaj7(#11)add9 at the 5th fret, and so on, opening up a world of sophisticated harmonic movement with minimal effort.
• Quartal Harmony: The numerous perfect fourths within the tuning make it easy to craft modern-sounding, ambiguous quartal harmonies with just two or three fingers.
• Melodic Exploration: The open intervals provide a lush backdrop for melodic lines, encouraging fresh scale and arpeggio shapes not typically found in standard tuning.

Target Notes for Each String:

• String 6 (Low E): E2
• String 5 (A): G3#
• String 4 (D): C4#
• String 3 (G): F4#
• String 2 (B): A4#
• String 1 (High E): D5#

How to Tune Your Guitar:

To achieve the E Lydian Chordal Tuning, please adjust your strings as follows. All string movements are within safe limits and do not require a different string gauge.

• String 6 (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 5 (A String): Tune down 1 semitone from A to G#.
• String 4 (D String): Tune down 1 semitone from D to C#.
• String 3 (G String): Tune down 1 semitone from G to F#.
• String 2 (B String): Tune down 1 semitone from B to A#.
• String 1 (High E String): Tune down 1 semitone from E to D#.