Open F maj9 Tuning Analysis

This is an 8-string Guitar tuning known as Open F maj9.

As described, it is A unique tuning by Josh(ua) Travis, guitar innovator for projects such as The Tony Danza Tapdance Experience, Glass Cloud and Emmure. This pedigree suggests a tuning designed for modern, heavy, and complex music, likely leveraging extended range and unconventional harmonies.

Verbal Analysis

Open F maj9 delivers an exceptionally rich and resonant sound from its open strings. The lowest string at F1 provides a deep, guttural foundation, making it ideal for powerful riffs and expansive soundscapes. The arrangement of notes—F, C, G, C, F, G, A, E—creates a full F major nine chord across multiple octaves, with the 9th (G) and major 7th (E) present, contributing to a sophisticated harmonic palette. When strummed open, this tuning produces a complete Fmaj9 chord, offering a complex, almost orchestral sound. This wide intervallic spread and deep bass make it suitable for ambient textures, progressive metal, jazz fusion, or any style requiring a broad harmonic and dynamic range. The natural resonance of the Fmaj9 chord means that even simple single-finger barres can yield transposed maj9 chords, opening up a world of melodic and chordal possibilities with minimal effort.

Technical Analysis

The open string notes are configured as follows from lowest (String 8) to highest (String 1): F1, C2, G2, C3, F3, G3, A3, E4. The unique notes present are F, C, G, A, E. When arranged in order, these notes perfectly spell out an F major 9th chord (F - A - C - E - G).

The intervals from the lowest F1 are:

• String 8 (F1): Root
• String 7 (C2): Perfect 5th
• String 6 (G2): Major 9th (or Major 2nd)
• String 5 (C3): Perfect 12th (or Octave + Perfect 5th)
• String 4 (F3): Perfect 15th (or Double Octave)
• String 3 (G3): Major 16th (or Double Octave + Major 2nd)
• String 2 (A3): Major 17th (or Double Octave + Major 3rd)
• String 1 (E4): Major 21st (or Double Octave + Major 7th)

This comprehensive spread across three octaves ensures a full and harmonically rich voicing of the Fmaj9 chord. The repeated C and G notes, alongside the F octaves, contribute to the tuning's power and sustain.

How to Tune

To achieve the Open F maj9 tuning, adjust your guitar strings as follows, starting from the lowest string. Please note that for changes exceeding 4 semitones up or down, a different string gauge may be advised to maintain optimal playability and string integrity, though this tuning's movements generally stay within a safe range for standard gauges.

• String 8 (Lowest): Tune down 1 semitones to F1.
• String 7: Tune up 1 semitones to C2.
• String 6: Tune up 3 semitones to G2.
• String 5: Tune up 3 semitones to C3.
• String 4: Tune up 3 semitones to F3.
• String 3: Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to G3.
• String 2: Tune down 2 semitones to A3.
• String 1 (Highest): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to E4.

The open string notes for this 8-string guitar tuning, from lowest to highest, are:

• String 8: F1
• String 7: C2
• String 6: G2
• String 5: C3
• String 4: F3
• String 3: G3
• String 2: A3
• String 1: E4