Welcome to the Fmaj9/13 Tuning, a sophisticated open tuning that transforms your guitar into a rich palette of jazz and contemporary harmony. This tuning is designed to open up complex chord voicings and melodic possibilities with minimal effort, offering a fresh perspective on the fretboard.

Technical Analysis

The open strings are tuned to F2-A2-D3-G3-A3-E4, from the lowest to highest string. When strummed open, these notes create a full and resonant Fmaj7(9,13) chord. Let's break down the intervals relative to the root F:

• String 6 (F2): The Root (F)
• String 5 (A2): Major 3rd (A)
• String 4 (D3): Major 6th or 13th (D)
• String 3 (G3): Major 9th (G)
• String 2 (A3): Another Major 3rd, an octave above A2
• String 1 (E4): Major 7th (E)

This intricate arrangement provides immediate access to a lush extended major chord, offering a wide harmonic canvas for exploration.

Playing & Chords

This tuning is a dream for players looking to quickly achieve a sophisticated, jazzy sound. The open Fmaj7(9,13) chord itself is a beautiful starting point. Moving simple shapes up and down the neck will yield a variety of extended chords, making complex harmonies surprisingly accessible. For instance, a single barre across all strings will naturally produce a major 7th(9,13) chord in different keys. The duplicate Major 3rd (A) on strings 5 and 2, along with the Major 7th (E) and Major 9th (G) on the higher strings, provides excellent opportunities for arpeggios and melodic lines that resonate within the chord structure. It encourages experimentation with fingerings that might feel awkward in standard tuning but become intuitive here, opening up new sonic textures for accompaniment and soloing.

How to Tune

To achieve the Fmaj9/13 Tuning, you will adjust your strings from standard EADGBe tuning as follows:

• String 6 (Standard E to F2): Tune up 1 semitones.
• String 5 (Standard A to A2): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 4 (Standard D to D3): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 3 (Standard G to G3): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 2 (Standard B to A3): Tune down 2 semitones.
• String 1 (Standard E to E4): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).

Please exercise caution when adjusting string tension. For movements exceeding 4 semitones up or down (either negative 4 or positive 4 and above), a different gauge string is generally advised to ensure proper string tension and to prevent potential damage to your instrument or strings. In this particular tuning, all string adjustments are within a safe range for standard string gauges.

String 6: F2

String 5: A2

String 4: D3

String 3: G3

String 2: A3

String 1: E4