Prepare for a truly evocative and rich sonic experience with the Open F#m9 Minor Ninth Tuning. As described by Adeeb Muhammed, this tuning is celebrated for its ability to convey a "sad but rocking" sensibility, making it perfect for those exploring deeper, more melancholic, yet powerful musical expressions.

Verbal Analysis

This isn't your everyday guitar tuning; it's a sophisticated open chord that immediately plunges you into a world of lush, jazzy, and slightly melancholic harmony. Strumming all open strings reveals a beautiful F#m9 chord, rich with a minor third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, and a distinctive major ninth. The wide voicings and specific note choices contribute to a sound that is both full and airy. It lends itself wonderfully to genres like jazz fusion, progressive rock, blues, and introspective fingerstyle pieces. The inherent complexity of the minor ninth chord provides an instant foundation for emotional depth, allowing for intricate melodies and harmonies to bloom with minimal effort.

Beyond the open F#m9, this tuning offers fertile ground for creative chord voicings. Barre chords will easily translate to other minor ninth chords up the fretboard. The strategic placement of E notes on the 4th and 1st strings, combined with the low A on the 5th string, provides excellent drone opportunities and allows for open string accompaniment, adding to the richness. The unique spread of notes across the fretboard encourages players to think outside traditional chord shapes, fostering new melodic and harmonic ideas.

Technical Analysis

The Open F#m9 Minor Ninth Tuning sets your guitar to the following notes, from the thickest (6th) string to the thinnest (1st) string:

• 6th String: F#3 (Root)
• 5th String: A2 (Minor Third)
• 4th String: E3 (Minor Seventh)
• 3rd String: G#4 (Major Ninth)
• 2nd String: C#5 (Perfect Fifth)
• 1st String: E4 (Minor Seventh, an octave above the 4th string's E)

When strummed open, these notes collectively form an F#m9 chord (F#-A-C#-E-G#). The unique characteristic of this tuning is the non-linear descending pitch, particularly with the 5th string (A2) being lower in pitch than the 6th string (F#3), and the 1st string (E4) being lower than the 2nd and 3rd strings. This creates a very wide, open, and complex voicing of the chord, with intervals that provide significant harmonic tension and release.

Intervals between adjacent strings (from 6th to 1st):

• 6th (F#3) to 5th (A2): Descending Minor Third
• 5th (A2) to 4th (E3): Ascending Perfect Fifth
• 4th (E3) to 3rd (G#4): Ascending Major Tenth (Major Third + Octave)
• 3rd (G#4) to 2nd (C#5): Ascending Perfect Fourth
• 2nd (C#5) to 1st (E4): Descending Minor Third

How to Tune Your Guitar

To achieve the Open F#m9 Minor Ninth Tuning from standard EADGBE, follow these specific adjustments:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune up 2 semitones to F#3.
• 5th String (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to A2.
• 4th String (D): Tune up 2 semitones to E3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune up 1 semitone to G#4.
• 2nd String (B): Tune up 2 semitones to C#5.
• 1st String (High E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to E4.

All string movements are within a safe range of 0 to +2 semitones, so new string gauges are not advised. Always tune carefully and check pitch frequently to prevent string breakage.

6th String: Tuned to F#3. This is the root of the F#m9 chord, providing a solid bass foundation for the tuning.

5th String: Tuned to A2. This note acts as the minor third of the F#m9 chord, adding a foundational melancholic quality, and is notably lower than the 6th string, creating a unique spread.

4th String: Tuned to E3. This note serves as the minor seventh, enriching the chord with its jazzy and bluesy character, a full octave below the higher E string.

3rd String: Tuned to G#4. This is the major ninth, the defining characteristic of a ninth chord, providing a sophisticated, extended harmony.

2nd String: Tuned to C#5. This note is the perfect fifth, anchoring the chord's harmonic structure and providing stability.

1st String: Tuned to E4. This high E acts as another minor seventh, completing the chord voicing with a bright, sustaining upper register and further emphasizing the melancholic character.