Verbal Description

The Ab Open Sus4/6 Tuning is an exceptionally bright and resonant open tuning, characterized by its ethereal and expansive sound. With all strings tuned significantly higher than standard, it produces a shimmering, almost bell-like quality. This tuning is ideal for creating atmospheric soundscapes, intricate arpeggios, and melodic lines that stand out. Its suspended 4th and major 6th intervals offer a unique harmonic palette, moving away from conventional major or minor tonalities towards something more modal and open-ended. It invites experimentation and is particularly well-suited for genres like ambient, folk, modern fingerstyle, or any style seeking a fresh, spacious sonic texture.

Technical Analysis

This tuning is composed of the notes Ab Eb Ab Db F Ab (enharmonically G# D# G# C# F G#) from the lowest to highest string. Relative to the lowest string's root note Ab, the open strings form an Ab suspended 4th chord with an added Major 6th. The intervals across the open strings are as follows:

• 6th String (Ab): Root
• 5th String (Eb): Perfect 5th
• 4th String (Ab): Octave Root
• 3rd String (Db): Perfect 4th (creating the 'suspended' quality)
• 2nd String (F): Major 6th
• 1st String (Ab): Octave Root

The presence of the perfect 4th (Db) instead of a major or minor 3rd gives this tuning its suspended character, leading to a sound that is neither overtly happy nor sad, but rather open and unresolved. The added Major 6th (F) contributes to its rich, full harmonic content, making it sound expansive and modern. The duplicated Ab notes (6th, 4th, and 1st strings) reinforce the root, providing a powerful, resonant foundation.

Chordal Opportunities

The open tuning itself forms an Ab sus4/6 chord, meaning that simply strumming the open strings immediately provides a harmonious, rich sound. This makes it incredibly easy to transpose this chord: a single finger barring across any fret will instantly produce another sus4/6 chord (e.g., barring at the 1st fret yields a Bb sus4/6, at the 2nd fret a B sus4/6, and so on). This ease of transposition facilitates quick key changes and modal exploration up and down the fretboard. The strong presence of the root (Ab) and fifth (Eb) also means that power chords (root and fifth) are readily accessible, especially on the lower strings (Ab-Eb-Ab). While traditional major and minor triads may require specific fingerings to avoid or resolve the suspended quality, the inherent modal character encourages exploration of melodic phrases, drone-like qualities, and arpeggiated figures where the open strings can serve as a constant harmonic bed.

How to Tune Your Guitar

This tuning requires significant upward tension on all strings. Please proceed with caution, especially for strings tuned up 6 semitones. It is highly recommended to use a lighter gauge set of strings than standard if you intend to keep your guitar in this tuning for extended periods, or if you plan to tune up by more than 4 semitones on any string, to prevent string breakage or potential damage to your instrument.

• 6th String (Low E): Tune up 4 semitones to G3#.
• 5th String (A): Tune up 6 semitones to D4#.
• 4th String (D): Tune up 6 semitones to G4#.
• 3rd String (G): Tune up 6 semitones to C5#.
• 2nd String (B): Tune up 6 semitones to F4. Note: Tuning a standard B4 string up 6 semitones would logically result in an F5. The target note provided in the tuning notes is F4. If your starting point is B4, tuning up 6 semitones will lead to F5. Please double-check your tuner and the intended pitch for this string, as achieving F4 from a standard B string with an 'up 6 semitones' movement implies a significant discrepancy, and extreme caution is advised to avoid string breakage or incorrect pitch.
• 1st String (High E): Tune up 4 semitones to G5#.

6th String: G3#

5th String: D4#

4th String: G4#

3rd String: C5#

2nd String: F4

1st String: G5#