This unique tuning, which we've named "Open F Major Add9," presents an expansive and bright sonic landscape. It immediately evokes the feeling of a rich F Major chord, but with the added G (the 9th), it gains a sophisticated, open quality. The original creator mentioned experimenting with "extra slinkys," suggesting a pursuit of a lighter feel and perhaps easier bending, which this moderate tuning helps facilitate without excessive string tension changes. It's an inviting setup for strumming full, resonant open chords or for exploring melodic ideas that naturally fit within an F major tonality, often hinting at jazz or folk voicings due to the added 9th.

Technical Analysis

The open strings are configured as F2-A2-C3-G3-A3-F4. This arrangement prominently features an F Major triad (F-A-C) on the lower strings, strongly reinforced by the high F4, establishing F as the clear tonal center. The inclusion of G3 on the 3rd string transforms the harmony into an Fadd9, providing a gentle harmonic tension and complexity that still resolves pleasantly to the F root. The overall voicing is wide and open, with octave Fs anchoring both the low and high registers.

Open String Chords and Voicings:

• Open F Major Add9: Strumming all six open strings immediately produces a full, resonant F Major chord with the characteristic brightness of an added 9th. This makes for a compelling foundation for songwriting in F Major or its relative minor, D minor, allowing for rich textures with minimal left-hand effort.
• C Major & G Major Relationships: While not fully open chords, the relationship between strings 4, 3, and 2 (C3-G3-A3) offers accessible voicings for C major-related harmonies (C and G present) or G major-related harmonies (G and A present, with C being the 4th). Experimenting with single-finger barres or simple two-finger shapes can unlock interesting melodic and harmonic possibilities across the fretboard, especially when targeting suspended chords or extensions.

String Tension & Gauge Advisory:

The string movements required for this tuning are all within very safe limits. The lowest 6th string moves up 1 semitone, the 5th string remains unchanged, the 4th string moves down 2 semitones, the 3rd string remains unchanged, the 2nd string moves down 2 semitones, and the highest 1st string moves up 1 semitone. These adjustments are moderate and do not typically require a change in string gauge. Standard light or extra-light strings, as alluded to by the tuning's creator, are perfectly suitable and will provide a comfortable playing experience without undue stress on the instrument or strings.

Tuning Notes:

• 6th String (Low E): F2
• 5th String (A): A2
• 4th String (D): C3
• 3rd String (G): G3
• 2nd String (B): A3
• 1st String (High E): F4

How to Tune:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune up 1 semitones to F2.
• 5th String (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to A2.
• 4th String (D): Tune down 2 semitones to C3.
• 3rd String (G): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to G3.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 2 semitones to A3.
• 1st String (High E): Tune up 1 semitones to F4.