The "Moon" tuning offers a truly unique and ethereal soundscape, ideal for creating atmospheric, reflective, or even slightly mysterious music. This tuning deviates significantly from standard, transforming the guitar into an instrument capable of rich, open voicings that resonate with a haunting beauty.

Verbal Analysis

Imagine the soft glow of moonlight – that's the feeling this tuning evokes. The presence of several major thirds and a perfect fifth within the open strings creates a shimmering, almost magical quality. It avoids the typical bright resolve of a major chord, opting instead for a suspended, open-ended feel that invites exploration. It's particularly well-suited for fingerstyle arrangements, ambient soundscapes, or compositions that require a sense of space and contemplation. The overall character is bright yet mellow, with a distinct chime.

Technical Analysis

This tuning presents an open E Major 7th chord with extensions, specifically an Emaj7(9, #11) (no 5th). The open notes are E2-G3#-D4#-F4#-A4#-D5#. Let's break down the intervals and implications relative to the E root:

• 6th String (E2): The foundational root of our chord.
• 5th String (G3#): A Major 3rd from the root, providing the essential major quality.
• 4th String (D4#): A Major 7th from the root, adding a jazzy, open quality. This note is also present on the 1st string (D5#), creating a resonant octave.
• 3rd String (F4#): A Major 9th from the root, enhancing the complexity and 'airy' feel.
• 2nd String (A4#): An Augmented 11th (#11) from the root. This is a crucial interval that adds significant harmonic tension and brightness, moving away from a traditional perfect 4th.
• 1st String (D5#): An octave of the Major 7th, reinforcing that specific harmonic and contributing to the tuning's overall sustain and chime.

Chordal Possibilities

The open tuning itself rings out as a beautiful Emaj7(9, #11) (no 5th), making it a fantastic base for compositions in E major or related modes.

• Open Chord: Simply strumming all open strings will produce a rich, expansive Emaj7(9, #11) sound. This chord can serve as a lush foundation for ambient music or as a vibrant, open-ended chord in a more structured piece.
• Barre Chords: Due to the consistent Major 3rd intervals between strings 4-3 and 3-2 (D# to F# and F# to A#), moving a single finger across these strings (e.g., at the 2nd fret to get E-G#-E-G#-B-E if the bass strings are also fretted) can easily create other major 7th or extended voicings. For instance, barring across the top four strings (4-1) at the first fret would yield F-G-C-F, creating an Fmaj7sus2-like voicing.
• Drone Effects: The doubled D# (strings 4 and 1) provides an excellent opportunity for drone-like passages, especially when played against the lower E root, adding depth and resonance.
• Melodic Runs: The closely stacked notes on the higher strings (D# F# A# D#) lend themselves to flowing melodic lines and arpeggios that sound harmonically rich even with minimal effort, making it ideal for fingerstyle.

Current Tuning: Moon (E2 G3# D4# F4# A4# D5#)

Below is a detailed breakdown of each string's note in the "Moon" tuning, from the thickest (6th) to the thinnest (1st).

• 6th String (Low E): E2
• 5th String (A): G3#
• 4th String (D): D4#
• 3rd String (G): F4#
• 2nd String (B): A4#
• 1st String (High E): D5#

How to Tune to Moon

To achieve the "Moon" tuning, follow these instructions carefully. The string movements are relative to standard guitar tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E). Please proceed with caution, especially when tuning strings up, and ensure your guitar's intonation is checked after significant tuning changes.

• 6th String (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Your string should remain at E2.
• 5th String (A): Tune down 1 semitone. From its standard A note, lower it to G3#.
• 4th String (D): Tune up 1 semitone. From its standard D note, raise it to D4#.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 1 semitone. From its standard G note, lower it to F4#.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 1 semitone. From its standard B note, lower it to A4#.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 1 semitone. From its standard E note, lower it to D5#.

Important Note on String Gauge: When tuning a string up or down by more than 4 semitones (e.g., more than two full steps), it is generally advisable to consider using a different string gauge to avoid excessive tension or looseness, which could affect playability and potentially damage your guitar. For this particular "Moon" tuning, all string adjustments are within a modest range of 1 semitone, so a standard string gauge should be perfectly fine.