# Who here uses an open tuning?



## JEngelking (Sep 26, 2012)

So I just tuned my six to open C major. I had heard that Misha had a variation on the tuning (Open C add9, what I had originally meant to tune to to learn the following songs) showed to him by Nolly and was inspired to write Epic Fail (one of my personal Bulb favorites), and when Misha showed Mark the tuning, Scarlet was written. Also Devin Townsend, 'nuff said. After hearing that the tuning was so inspiring to write in I wanted to try it, and at first I didn't get it and just sorta stumbled around not understanding how to play anything... good sounding. Then immediately after finding out Scarlet was in the add9 variaton. So feeling demotivated I set the guitar aside and went back to my usual seven string.

Then yesterday I picked my six back up and gave it another try. Wrote something I'm really liking the sounds of, and got motivated to give the open tuning another try. Played all last night and this morning, I think the tuning will help me get some ideas for new songs. 

So I'm just curious, anyone else use here open tunings? What do you find to be the advantages to using such tunings?

Cheers


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## GuitaristOfHell (Sep 26, 2012)

I use Open E, C,D,G 

The advantage is all taste. I just like the sounds I can create with them.


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## JEngelking (Sep 26, 2012)

Nice! So far I like the fact that it's easier for me to play some larger/wider (more fret spanning) chords


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## GuitaristOfHell (Sep 26, 2012)

JEngelking said:


> Nice! So far I like the fact that it's easier for me to play some larger/wider (more fret spanning) chords


I like how I can do rockabillyish stuff with it.


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## JEngelking (Sep 26, 2012)

Not much of a rockabilly player myself, but I just attempted to do something rockabilly sounding with it and I definitely see where you're coming from with that


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## The Reverend (Sep 26, 2012)

Nobody here uses it because it's cheating. *wink wink*


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## JEngelking (Sep 26, 2012)

Okay, you caught me. I was just gonna use it for evil instead of good and just lay my finger across all the strings to change chords...


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## Winspear (Sep 26, 2012)

Scarlet is in C add 9? Sick!

I play in C# sus2 on a 7. Could be mistaken for add 9 but there is only 1 5 and 9/2. I originally got it from looking at David Maxim Micics 6 string tuning which is G# sus2, transposed it up and then added a low 7 string.

I ended up with C# G# C# G# C# D# , but a low F# on the bottom (unrelated to the chord, just felt it worked nice with 5ths tuning across the 3 bottom strings).


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## JEngelking (Sep 26, 2012)

EtherealEntity said:


> Scarlet is in C add 9? Sick!
> 
> I play in C# add 9. I originally got it from looking at David Maxim Micics 6 string tuning which is G# add 9, transposed it up and then added a low 7 string.
> 
> I ended up with C# G# C# G# C# D# , but a low F# on the bottom (unrelated to the chord, just felt it worked nice with 5ths tuning across the 3 bottom strings).



Yep it is!

And that's awesome, David's the man. Had Bilo and Bilo 2.0 playing for a couple months now


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## Winspear (Sep 26, 2012)

C# add 9 or sus2?I adjusted my post haha. If its my tuning i'll have to transpose the track and learn it


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## Metal_Webb (Sep 26, 2012)

I love me Open B/C Devin Townsend style on my strat copy. For some reason the instrument sounds far better tuned to those 2 tunings than I've heard it when it was tuned to standard.

I also messed around with the Tesseract tuning with a low F/Eb for while on my 8 string. F/Bb/F/Bb/Eb/F/Bb/Eb makes for some pretty large sounding chords.


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## JEngelking (Sep 26, 2012)

EtherealEntity said:


> C# add 9 or sus2?I adjusted my post haha. If its my tuning i'll have to transpose the track and learn it



Open Cadd9 haha, so not C#.


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## Winspear (Sep 26, 2012)

Ah I checked it's CGCEGD which is indeed Cadd9 - mine doesn't have the major in there so it's sus2, CGCGCD. I prefer not having any major or minor influence in there.


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## JEngelking (Sep 26, 2012)

Metal_Webb said:


> I love me Open B/C Devin Townsend style on my strat copy. For some reason the instrument sounds far better tuned to those 2 tunings that I've heard it when it was tuned to standard.
> 
> I also messed around with the Tesseract tuning with a low F/Eb for while on my 8 string. F/Bb/F/Bb/Eb/F/Bb/Eb makes for some pretty large sounding chords.



Devin Townsend ftw. I just ordered a new guitar actually which is a semi-hollow Tele style, and I was planning to try out this new Open C tuning on it already, so what you said just adds to my anticipation to try it.  I'll have to try the Open B too, though I made need larger strings haha.

And I've always wanted to try the Tesseract tuning on my 7 but first I need to get a 7 that doesn't have a pain in the ass floating bridge FR on it


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## JEngelking (Sep 26, 2012)

Interesting, I'll have to tune down my highest string like you say, see what comes of that...


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## peagull (Sep 27, 2012)

I'm clearly boring in that I only use Open C, no extra extensions for me!


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## CannibalKiller (Sep 27, 2012)

Open B Minor, B F# B F# B D
Probably the perfect tuning for drop tuned riffing and big, lush chord progressions


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## Fat-Elf (Sep 27, 2012)

Mine is in Csus4/9 according to Tuxguitar. CGDFA#D to be exact.


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## JosephAOI (Sep 27, 2012)

John from Monuments exclusively uses open tunings. Not sure what the actual name of it is but he uses 

G#-F-A#-D#-F-A#-D#
A#-F-A#-D#-F-A#-D#
F-A#-F-A#-D#-F-A#-D#

Here's his profile here and you an get in touch with him via formspring pretty easily.

Sevenstring.org - View Profile: John_Strychnine


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## ncfiala (Sep 27, 2012)

My tuning is BEADGBE, so I guess I tune to open G6/9.


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## Wings of Obsidian (Sep 27, 2012)

Mark Tremonti originally got me hooked by saying that he always experiments with all sorts of open tuning on his instruments whenever a bout of "writer's block" comes around. Same with Andy McKee and Mike Dawes.

For me, I use Open-C (Devin Townsend tuning on a six) or add the low-G (on a seven). On my acoustic, I tune to Open-C or Open-Dsus. (I like Dsus better than plain ol' D for some reason. Has more resonance.)


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## JEngelking (Sep 27, 2012)

peagull said:


> I'm clearly boring in that I only use Open C, no extra extensions for me!



No worries man, we're in the same boat then  P.S. I like the Mastodon avatar, wearing one of their shirts right now.



CannibalKiller said:


> Open B Minor, B F# B F# B D
> Probably the perfect tuning for drop tuned riffing and big, lush chord progressions



One more vote to the Open B tuning, the anticipation grows...



Fat-Elf said:


> Mine is in Csus4/9 according to Tuxguitar. CGDFA#D to be exact.



That's a cool take on open tuning. Also yay for tuxguitar 




JosephAOI said:


> John from Monuments exclusively uses open tunings. Not sure what the actual name of it is but he uses
> 
> G#-F-A#-D#-F-A#-D#
> A#-F-A#-D#-F-A#-D#
> ...



Sweet, thanks for the tip dude  Didn't actually know he used open tunings that frequently, just that him and Acle used a couple during their time in Fellsilent, IIRC.



ncfiala said:


> My tuning is BEADGBE, so I guess I tune to open G6/9.



Can't go wrong with standard seven tuning 



Wings of Obsidian said:


> Mark Tremonti originally got me hooked by saying that h always experience nuts with all sorts of open tuning on his instruments whenever a bout of writers block comes around. Sme with Andy McKee and Mike Dawes.
> 
> For me, I use Open-C (Devin Townsend tuning on a six) or add the low-G (on a seven). On my acoustic, I tune to Open-C or Open-Dsus. (I like Dsus better than plain ol' D for some reason. Has more resonance.)



Yep, promises of musical inspiration were the reason I tried the alternate tuning too.  And seems like a common consensus is that such tuning makes playing more lush.


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## kamello (Sep 27, 2012)

Open D add9 

I use it for my acoustic, I can be playing for hours with it, nothing extremely creative  but everything sounds beautiful on that tuning


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## JEngelking (Sep 27, 2012)

kamello said:


> Open D add9
> 
> I use it for my acoustic, I can be playing for hours with it, nothing extremely creative  but everything sounds beautiful on that tuning



That's a cool one  The open tunings really are pretty.

In other news, I just broke the high E on my six tuning down, so that's put an end to my open tuned playing until I get a new set of strings/get my new guitar.


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## Metal_Webb (Sep 27, 2012)

JosephAOI said:


> John from Monuments exclusively uses open tunings. Not sure what the actual name of it is but he uses
> 
> F-A#-F-A#-D#-F-A#-D#



It depends if you have a low F or Eb, but it's Open Bbsus4/F OR Ebsus2/F


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## Zoosadist (Sep 27, 2012)

D-A-D-F-A-E


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## JEngelking (Sep 27, 2012)

Zoosadist said:


> D-A-D-F-A-E



Cool, open Dm9?


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