Verbal Analysis: Open emaj7

This tuning, aptly named 'Open emaj7', is a beautifully resonant and sophisticated open tuning that evokes a dreamy, spacious, and often jazzy or ambient feel. As the creator mentioned, their love for the Emaj7 chord inspired this setup, and it truly shines through. When strummed open, the guitar sings with a rich, full E Major 7 chord, immediately setting a serene and harmonious mood. This makes it incredibly inviting for sonic exploration without needing complex fretboard shapes. You'll find a natural sense of 'rightness' with this tuning, making it easy to discover lush harmonies and melodic phrases that feel intuitive and inspiring, perfect for atmospheric textures or a modern, contemplative sound. The open Emaj7 chord allows for an immediate sense of sophisticated harmony, encouraging improvisation and exploration with minimal effort on the fretboard.

Technical Analysis: Open emaj7

The 'Open emaj7' tuning transforms your guitar into an E Major 7 chord (E-G#-B-D#) when all strings are played open. Here's a breakdown of the notes from low to high:

• 6th String (Low E): E2 (Root)
• 5th String (A String tuned down): G3# (Major Third)
• 4th String (D String tuned up): D4# (Major Seventh)
• 3rd String (G String tuned down): E3 (Root, one octave up from 6th string)
• 2nd String (B): B3 (Perfect Fifth)
• 1st String (High E): E4 (Root, two octaves up from 6th string)

The clever arrangement of these notes provides multiple instances of the root (E), the major third (G#), the perfect fifth (B), and the major seventh (D#) across different octaves, creating a dense and full voicing of the Emaj7 chord. This open chord provides an excellent foundation for improvisation.

Due to the nature of the tuning, several interesting chord voicings become readily available:

• Open Strum: An immediate and beautiful Emaj7 chord.
• Barre Chords: Moving a single-finger barre up the neck will yield different major 7th chords. For example, a barre at the 1st fret would give you an Fmaj7. A barre at the 3rd fret would yield Gmaj7, and so on. This allows for easy transposition of the base Emaj7 shape.
• Minor 7th Chords: By simply fretting the 5th string at the 4th fret (B) instead of the open G# and perhaps the 4th string at the 2nd fret (C#) instead of the open D#, you can quickly find relative minor 7th chords or even E minor 7 voicings by adjusting the G# and D# to G and D respectively with careful fingering.
• Dominant 7th Chords: Flattening just the major seventh (D# to D) on the 4th string (by fretting the 4th string at the 11th fret, or adjusting the tuning temporarily) allows for E7 voicings, adding a bluesy or resolved feel.
• The presence of an open E on the 6th, 3rd, and 1st strings, combined with the open B on the 2nd string, provides a strong E power chord foundation. The G# on the 5th string and D# on the 4th string add the sophisticated major 7th flavour. Experimenting with just two or three adjacent strings will reveal many harmonious intervals and partial chords that resonate beautifully within the Emaj7 framework, making it ideal for fingerstyle arpeggios and droning.

Tuning Notes

String 6 (Low E): E2
String 5 (A): G3#
String 4 (D): D4#
String 3 (G): E3
String 2 (B): B3
String 1 (High E): E4

How to Tune 'Open emaj7'

To achieve the 'Open emaj7' tuning from standard E Standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E), follow these specific adjustments for each string:

• String 6 (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The note remains E2.
• String 5 (A): Tune down 1 semitone. The A string will become G#3.
• String 4 (D): Tune up 1 semitone. The D string will become D#4.
• String 3 (G): Tune down 3 semitones. The G string will become E3. Exercise care when tuning this string down, ensuring stability and a smooth transition.
• String 2 (B): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The note remains B3.
• String 1 (High E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The note remains E4.

Important Note on String Gauges: For tunings that involve significant changes (exceeding 4 semitones up or down), a different string gauge may be advised to maintain optimal tension and prevent string breakage. In this 'Open emaj7' tuning, the largest movement is 3 semitones down on the 3rd string (G to E). While this is generally within a safe range, always tune carefully, monitor your guitar's neck relief, and ensure your strings are in good condition.