Verbal Description

The Minor Thirds (m3) tuning is a truly unique and highly unconventional approach to the guitar, designed to unlock a very specific harmonic landscape. While its name suggests a straightforward pattern of minor third intervals, the actual arrangement of pitches across the strings is intricate and non-linear, creating a sound that is both rich and somewhat dissonant in a compelling way. This tuning moves significantly away from standard guitar voicings, offering a fresh palette for exploration in genres like jazz, blues, contemporary classical, or any style seeking a distinctive, harmonically complex texture.

The open tuning itself forms a G# diminished seventh chord (G#, B, D, F) with additional octave doublings and an extra B. This means the guitar, when strummed open, produces a full, tense, and evocative diminished sound. This inherent tension makes it perfect for creating dramatic moods, sophisticated harmonies, and resolving passages. Players will find that traditional chord shapes are rendered largely unusable, but new, often simpler, shapes will emerge, especially for diminished and altered chords. Barring across frets will instantly yield movable diminished chords due to the symmetrical nature of the diminished seventh, opening up a world of arpeggios and melodic possibilities built on this foundation.

This tuning is not for the faint of heart, as it requires a complete re-thinking of the fretboard, but the sonic rewards are substantial for those willing to dive into its unique geometry.

Technical Analysis

This tuning sets the guitar strings (from low to high) to: G#3, B2, D3, F3, G#4, B3.

Let's examine the intervals between adjacent strings:

• 6th String (G#3) to 5th String (B2): A descending minor third.
• 5th String (B2) to 4th String (D3): An ascending minor third.
• 4th String (D3) to 3rd String (F3): An ascending minor third.
• 3rd String (F3) to 2nd String (G#4): An ascending compound minor third (or minor tenth), spanning an octave and a minor third. This is a significant jump in pitch.
• 2nd String (G#4) to 1st String (B3): A descending major sixth.

The core of the tuning, specifically on strings 5, 4, and 3 (B2-D3-F3), clearly demonstrates the 'minor thirds' aspect with a consistent ascending m3 interval. However, the presence of major pitch shifts and inversions on the 6th, 2nd, and 1st strings creates a highly unconventional arrangement. The open strings collectively produce a G# diminished seventh chord (G#, B, D, F), with the G# and B notes repeated in higher octaves (G#4, B3), providing a dense, harmonically rich open voicing. This makes it an ideal tuning for exploring diminished harmonies, symmetrical scales (like the octatonic scale), and creating sophisticated, tension-filled musical passages. The arrangement encourages diagonal movement and inventive fingerings, as standard chord shapes will generally not apply.

Here are the notes for each string, from the lowest (6th) to the highest (1st):

• 6th String: G3#
• 5th String: B2
• 4th String: D3
• 3rd String: F3
• 2nd String: G4#
• 1st String: B3

How to Tune

To achieve the Minor Thirds (m3) tuning from standard E-A-D-G-B-E tuning, follow these precise string adjustments:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune up 4 semitones to G3#. Caution is advised as tuning up 4 semitones places significant tension on the string, potentially requiring a heavier gauge string for optimal stability and safety.
• 5th String (A): Tune up 2 semitones to B2.
• 4th String (D): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to D3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 2 semitones to F3.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 3 semitones to G4#.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 5 semitones to B3. As this is a significant drop of 5 semitones, the string tension will be considerably lower than standard. A different string gauge (often heavier, depending on desired feel) might be preferable to maintain playability and intonation.