Bmadd9: A Melancholic Open Minor Tuning

The Bmadd9 tuning transforms your standard Guitar into a rich, resonant soundscape, perfectly suited for introspective fingerstyle, atmospheric compositions, and lush chord voicings. As described, it encourages you to "Capo the 5th and pick around in Bm for some uniquely beautiful tones," suggesting a versatile setup that shines in the key of B minor.

Technical Analysis & Open Chords

This tuning sets your open strings to F#3, B2, D3, F#4, C#5, D4 (low to high). When analyzing these notes, we find the following unique pitches:

• B (Root)
• D (Minor Third)
• F# (Perfect Fifth)
• C# (Major Second/Added Ninth)

These notes coalesce to form a beautiful B minor (add9) chord. This means that simply strumming the open strings will yield a full, harmonically rich Bm(add9) voicing, instantly providing a melancholic yet sophisticated foundation. The strategic placement of the D and F# across multiple octaves, along with the added C#, creates a dense and shimmering texture that is ideal for arpeggios and sustained chords.

The open Bm(add9) chord facilitates easy exploration within the B minor key. Many traditional minor chord shapes will feel new and inspiring, especially those rooted around B. Due to the open fifths (B and F#) and the minor third (D) being readily available, barre chords will often retain a strong B minor quality. Experiment with moving common minor chord shapes up and down the neck, as the open strings will provide sympathetic resonance and drone notes, particularly for chords related to B, D, and F#.

How to Tune Your Guitar to Bmadd9

Please tune your guitar carefully, especially when increasing string tension. Generally, tuning up 3 or 4 semitones should be approached with care, and for movements exceeding 4 semitones (either up or down), a different string gauge is often advised to prevent string breakage or intonation issues. All movements in this tuning are within a safe range.

1. 6th String (Low E Equivalent): Tune up 2 semitones from E to F#3.
2. 5th String (A Equivalent): Tune up 2 semitones from A to B2.
3. 4th String (D Equivalent): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to D3.
4. 3rd String (G Equivalent): Tune down 1 semitone from G to F#4.
5. 2nd String (B Equivalent): Tune up 2 semitones from B to C#5.
6. 1st String (High E Equivalent): Tune down 2 semitones from E to D4.

Here are the target notes for each string in the Bmadd9 tuning (from low to high):

• String 6: F#3
• String 5: B2
• String 4: D3
• String 3: F#4
• String 2: C#5
• String 1: D4