The Sound of Open G7sus4

The "Open G7sus4" tuning, as its name suggests, creates a rich and resonant G7sus4 chord (G-C-D-F) when all open strings are strummed. This particular voicing results in a deep, somewhat bluesy or jazzy feel due to the prominent minor seventh (F) and the suspended fourth (C). The low F on the 6th string adds a foundational growl, while the repeated G and C notes across the middle strings provide a full, ringing quality. It's a tuning ripe for expressive sliding, fingerstyle blues, or creating atmospheric soundscapes. This tuning, born from a late-night thought, offers a unique sonic canvas for creative guitarists.

Technical Analysis

This is an open tuning for a G7sus4 chord, meaning that strumming all strings without fretting creates the chord G-C-D-F. The notes from low to high are F2, G2, C3, G3, C4, D4. Analyzing the intervals relative to the root G:

• 6th String (F2): Minor Seventh (♭7)
• 5th String (G2): Root
• 4th String (C3): Suspended Fourth (sus4)
• 3rd String (G3): Root
• 2nd String (C4): Suspended Fourth (sus4)
• 1st String (D4): Perfect Fifth (5)

The arrangement of these notes makes it incredibly easy to create variations of the G7sus4 chord up and down the neck by simply barring all strings. For instance, barring at the 2nd fret would yield an A7sus4 chord (A-D-E-G). The low F and the higher C and D create a broad sonic palette, encouraging the exploration of melodic lines against the sustained chord. While direct open G major (G-B-D) or G minor (G-B♭-D) triads are not immediately available due to the presence of C and F, the suspended nature allows for easy transitions into dominant 7th chords by altering one or two notes or by finding shapes that resolve the suspended fourth. It's particularly well-suited for slide guitar due to its inherent chordal structure, providing a stable harmonic base for melodic improvisation.

Reachable Chords and Shapes

• Open G7sus4: Strumming all strings open delivers this characteristic chord.
• Movable 7sus4 Shapes: Barring all strings at any fret will produce the corresponding 7sus4 chord (e.g., 2nd fret for A7sus4, 5th fret for C7sus4). This makes transposing easy.
• Dominant 7th Chords: With slight modifications, you can often reach dominant 7th chords. For example, by fretting the 4th and 2nd strings down one semitone to B, you could approximate a G7 chord (G-B-D-F). This will require some experimentation and finger dexterity.
• Blues Licks & Slides: The open string chord lends itself beautifully to blues and folk licks, especially with a slide, where the root, fifth, and seventh are readily available for drone notes and melodic phrases.

How to Tune Your Guitar to Open G7sus4

Follow these precise steps to transform your standard-tuned guitar into the Open G7sus4 tuning:

• String 6 (Low E): Tune up 1 semitones to F2.
• String 5 (A): Tune down 2 semitones to G2.
• String 4 (D): Tune down 2 semitones to C3.
• String 3 (G): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to G3.
• String 2 (B): Tune up 1 semitones to C4.
• String 1 (High E): Tune down 2 semitones to D4.

Here are the notes for each string in Open G7sus4 tuning, from the thickest (6th) to the thinnest (1st):

• String 6: F2
• String 5: G2
• String 4: C3
• String 3: G3
• String 2: C4
• String 1: D4