This unique tuning, affectionately known as "Don Ross's Open F," transforms your guitar into a resonant soundscape perfect for intricate fingerstyle, expressive slide work, and rich harmonic accompaniment. The open strings immediately present a full F major chord, providing a strong and immediate harmonic foundation.

Technically, this is an Open F tuning, configured as F2-A2-C3-F3-C4-F4. This arrangement clearly outlines an F major triad (F-A-C) distributed across several octaves, ensuring a deep and vibrant sound when strummed open. The intervals from the lowest F string (String 6) are a major 3rd, minor 3rd, perfect 4th, perfect 5th, and another perfect 4th, creating a rich, layered chordal voicing.

This tuning makes it incredibly easy to achieve a powerful sound with minimal effort, allowing for immediate melodic and rhythmic exploration over a solid F drone. Its structure naturally lends itself to:

• Open F Major Chord: Strumming all open strings produces a full F Major chord.
• Barre Chords: By barring all strings at any fret, you can effortlessly transpose the F major chord to other major keys (e.g., barre at the 1st fret for F# Major, 2nd fret for G Major, etc.).
• Sus2/Sus4 Variations: The intrinsic triad allows for relatively simple manipulation into sus2 or sus4 voicings with minor fingering adjustments.
• Minor Chords: Achieving an F minor is straightforward, typically requiring only the A string (String 5) to be lowered by a semitone to A-flat.

How to Tune Your Guitar to Don Ross's Open F:

To achieve this vibrant Open F tuning, follow these specific string adjustments from standard E-A-D-G-B-E tuning:

• String 6 (Low E): Tune up 1 semitone from E2 to F2.
• String 5 (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones), remains A2.
• String 4 (D): Tune down 2 semitones from D3 to C3.
• String 3 (G): Tune down 2 semitones from G3 to F3.
• String 2 (B): Tune up 1 semitone from B3 to C4.
• String 1 (High E): Tune up 1 semitone from E4 to F4.

All string movements are within a safe range for standard gauge strings. Always tune carefully and slowly, especially when tuning strings up, to prevent string breakage or damage to your instrument.

String 6 (Low E string tuned up): F2

String 5 (A string, no change): A2

String 4 (D string tuned down): C3

String 3 (G string tuned down): F3

String 2 (B string tuned up): C4

String 1 (High E string tuned up): F4