Berriel Tuning Analysis

Verbal Analysis

The Berriel tuning, as described by its creator, truly comes alive when one has a good grasp of the fretboard and a solid understanding of major and minor chords. This suggests it's a tuning that rewards exploration and a deeper knowledge of music theory, rather than being a simple 'strum and play' open tuning. However, its fundamental structure provides a rich harmonic foundation right from the open strings, making it immediately inspiring.

It offers a bright and expansive sound, particularly suitable for genres like folk, singer-songwriter, or even some forms of jazz and ambient music where rich, open voicings are desired. The open strings immediately present a full and consonant chord, ready to be embellished or moved up and down the neck.

Technical Analysis

The Berriel tuning sets your guitar to the open notes F2 A2 C3 E3 A3 D4, from the 6th (low) to the 1st (high) string. This arrangement forms a beautifully rich F Major 13th chord when all strings are strummed open. Let's break down the harmonic structure:

• The lowest three strings (F2, A2, C3) form a clear F Major Triad.
• Adding the 3rd string (E3) completes an F Major 7th chord (F-A-C-E).
• The 2nd string (A3) doubles the 3rd of the F Major chord an octave higher, adding density and chime.
• The highest string (D4) introduces the 13th (or 6th) of the F chord, extending the harmony to a full F Major 13th (F-A-C-E-D with A doubled).

This tuning is essentially an Open Fmaj13 tuning. This means that barring across all strings at any given fret will yield the corresponding Major 13th chord. For example, barring at the 1st fret will produce an F#maj13, at the 2nd fret a Gmaj13, and so on. This makes it incredibly easy to play a wide range of extended major chords with a single finger.

The presence of an octave F on the 6th string and the E on the 3rd string, along with the repeated A on the 5th and 2nd strings, provides excellent opportunities for melodic lines and drone notes. While standard minor chord shapes will require significant re-learning due to the altered intervals, the tuning's fundamental major quality lends itself to exploring modal sounds, especially Lydian or Major scale runs, around the F root.

How to Tune

To achieve the Berriel tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these steps:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune up 1 semitone from E2 to F2. (Care should be taken when tuning up, but a single semitone is generally safe for standard string gauges).
• 5th String (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). It remains A2.
• 4th String (D): Tune down 2 semitones from D3 to C3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 3 semitones from G3 to E3.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 2 semitones from B3 to A3.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 2 semitones from E4 to D4.

The maximum string movement in this tuning is 3 semitones down, which falls within a safe range for standard light to medium gauge strings. No strings exceed the recommended maximum of 4 semitones up or down, so a different string gauge is not strictly necessary but can always enhance playability and tone.