Verbal Description: Open G# Tuning

The 'Open G#' tuning, as notably used by Emma Ruth Rundle, is a darkly resonant and highly versatile setup designed to create a rich, atmospheric soundscape. Unlike typical open tunings that immediately resolve to a major or minor chord, this tuning leans into a suspended, slightly dissonant quality, offering a canvas for more complex harmonic textures. Its inherent mood is often described as melancholic, heavy, or introspective, making it ideal for genres like doom, post-rock, or experimental music where a sense of depth and tension is desired. The unique characteristic of this tuning is its flexibility around the 3rd string, which can be easily adjusted to shift the entire harmonic context from suspended to major, minor, or other modal qualities, giving the player immense control over the emotional impact of their music with minimal effort.

Technical Analysis: Open G# Tuning

Open Tuning Notes and Chords

The open strings are tuned to G2#, D3#, G3#, C4#, F4#, G4#. When strummed open, these notes combine to form a G#sus4 chord with an added flattened 7th (G#, C#, D#, F#), specifically a G#7sus4 (Root - Perfect 5th - Octave - Perfect 4th - Minor 7th - Octave). This provides a strong, drone-like G# foundation imbued with a suspended quality, immediately setting a pensive or unresolved tone. The presence of G# on the 6th, 4th, and 1st strings creates a powerful, full-bodied resonance, while the D# (5th) on the 5th string reinforces the root harmony. The C# on the 3rd string acts as the suspending 4th, and the F# on the 2nd string introduces the minor 7th.

Accessible Chords and Playability

This tuning excels in creating expansive, atmospheric soundscapes. Due to the repeated G# notes and the strong G#-D#-G# power chord on the lower strings (6th, 5th, 4th), power chords and drone-based riffs are exceptionally easy to play by simply barring across frets. Moving a single finger across a fret will yield variations of the G#7sus4 chord. The statement from the tuning description, "adjust 3rd string for major/minor/modal tuning," highlights a key feature: by altering the C4# on the 3rd string to, for example, a B# (C) for G# major, or a B for G# minor, the player can dramatically change the harmonic character of the open chord and subsequent barre chords. This makes the tuning highly adaptable for diverse musical expressions beyond its initial suspended nature.

How to Tune

To achieve the 'Open G#' tuning from standard EADGBe, apply the following adjustments:

• 6th String (Low E): From its standard E2, tune down 8 semitones to G#2. Note: Movements of 5 semitones or more (up or down) often benefit from a different string gauge to maintain tension and tone.
• 5th String (A): From its standard A2, tune down 6 semitones to D#3. Note: Movements of 5 semitones or more (up or down) often benefit from a different string gauge to maintain tension and tone.
• 4th String (D): From its standard D3, tune down 6 semitones to G#3. Note: Movements of 5 semitones or more (up or down) often benefit from a different string gauge to maintain tension and tone.
• 3rd String (G): From its standard G3, tune down 6 semitones to C4#. Note: Movements of 5 semitones or more (up or down) often benefit from a different string gauge to maintain tension and tone.
• 2nd String (B): From its standard B3, tune down 5 semitones to F4#. Note: Movements of 5 semitones or more (up or down) often benefit from a different string gauge to maintain tension and tone.
• 1st String (High E): From its standard E4, tune down 8 semitones to G4#. Note: Movements of 5 semitones or more (up or down) often benefit from a different string gauge to maintain tension and tone.

Here are the notes for each string in 'Open G#' tuning:

• 6th String (Low E): G2#
• 5th String (A): D3#
• 4th String (D): G3#
• 3rd String (G): C4#
• 2nd String (B): F4#
• 1st String (High E): G4#