The Diminished Tuning

The "Diminished Tuning" for a 7-string guitar is a highly specialized and captivating setup designed to unlock the enigmatic world of diminished harmony. As its name suggests, this tuning makes it significantly easier to navigate and express diminished scales and chords, offering a unique sonic palette. It's an excellent choice for players looking to explore complex harmonies, create suspenseful or jazzy soundscapes, or delve into progressive and experimental genres.

Technical Analysis

This 7-string tuning features the following open notes from the lowest (String 7) to the highest (String 1): G1, C#3, G2, C#4, E3, A#4, C#5. A remarkable and defining characteristic of this tuning is that the open strings themselves form a complete G diminished 7th chord (G-A#-C#-E) spread across multiple octaves. This inherent diminished quality means you can effortlessly strum all open strings to achieve a powerful Gdim7 chord voicing.

• The root (G) is present on String 7 (G1) and String 5 (G2).
• The minor third (A#) is on String 2 (A#4).
• The diminished fifth (C#) is prominent on String 6 (C#3), String 4 (C#4), and String 1 (C#5).
• The diminished seventh (E) is found on String 3 (E3).

This symmetrical structure of the diminished 7th chord (built on stacked minor thirds) implies that by simply shifting your hand up or down in increments of 3 frets, you can easily access other diminished 7th chords (e.g., Gdim7, A#dim7, C#dim7, Edim7). This opens up vast possibilities for intricate diminished arpeggios, dominant 7b9 voicings (as diminished 7th chords are often used as components), and complex jazz voicings without demanding extensive finger stretches. While standard major and minor chord shapes will require re-learning, the rewards in harmonic exploration are substantial, offering a rich tapestry for composition and improvisation.

How to Tune (Assuming Standard 7-String B-E-A-D-G-B-E)

Please exercise caution when tuning, especially with significant changes in string tension. For movements exceeding 4 semitones up or down, considering a different gauge string is often recommended to maintain optimal playability and string integrity, and to prevent potential damage to your instrument or strings.

• String 7 (Lowest String): Tune down 4 semitones to G1. (Note: This is a substantial drop; a heavier gauge string may be advisable.)
• String 6: Tune down 3 semitones to C#3.
• String 5: Tune down 2 semitones to G2.
• String 4: Tune down 1 semitone to C#4.
• String 3: Tune down 3 semitones to E3.
• String 2: Tune down 1 semitone to A#4.
• String 1 (Highest String): Tune down 3 semitones to C#5.

String 7: G1

String 6: C#3

String 5: G2

String 4: C#4

String 3: E3

String 2: A#4

String 1: C#5