Open Fmaj9 tuning

The Open F major 9th tuning is an alternative tuning for guitar.

To get the open Fmaj9 tuning on your guitar you tune it like this: FACGAE. The strings that differ from the standard should be turned so the string tension is decreased and not the opposite, except for the low E-string that is turned up one half step. The three highest strings differ from the F tuning.

More info

Including an octave perspective, the tuning is written F2-A2-C3-G3-A3-E4, meaning that the lowest string is a F note on the second octave, the second lowest string is a A note on the second octave and so on. Standard tuning reference: E2-A2-D3-G3-B3-E4.

Chords

Fmaj9

Fmaj13

Fmaj7

F

Dm11/F

Gm6/F

Am/F

A/F

A7/F

Bbmaj7/F

C7/F

C9/F

Comments

Using F as the bass note will result in lots of chord possibilities with simple fingerings.

Obviously, there are many ways to play different F chords. Fmaj9 can also be played as 004030, 000030 and 034003, Fmaj7 can also be played as 000200, Fmaj13 can also be played as 002000, to name a few fingerings. There are also lots of alternatives for D minor with F as bass, for example Dm9/F can be played as 032200 as well as 002030. Notice also that Fmaj9 is theoretically identical with C6/F and Am7/F.

Chord collection: Chord chart FACGAE Tuning (pdf)

Additional chords in Open Fmaj9 Tuning:

F/C: XX0201
C: X30030
C/F: 032030
Dm/F: 0020201
Gm9/F: 002213
Gm11/F: 000013
Am7: X00000
Am7/G: X02210
Am9: X00020
Bb/F: 012311

Chord progressions

Progressions in this specific tuning:

Fmaj13 (007700) - Fmaj9 (007000) - Fmaj7 (005500) - Fmaj9 (005000) - Asus/F (002200) - A7sus/F (002000) - Fmaj7 (000200)

Am11/C (700700) - Dm9/F (050700) - Asus/F (004700) - Fmaj7 (004500)

Gsus4 (X 10 0 0 10 X) - Gsus9 (X 10 0 10 0 X) - C6/9/E (X70700)

Wandering along the 5h string among C chords:

Cadd9/E (X70050) - C/D (X50030) - Cmaj7 (X30020) - C6 (X30000)

For more progressions, see The Alternate Tunings ebook.