About Thirlwell Tuning

The Thirlwell Tuning is a custom creation, born from a desire to craft slowcore soundscapes reminiscent of bands like Low, The Cure, and early Red House Painters. This tuning is designed to evoke a beautiful, haunting atmosphere, especially when paired with a capo and liberal use of chorus and reverb effects on your amplifier. Its open, resonant quality makes it ideal for melancholic, atmospheric, and drone-like compositions.

Technical Analysis

This tuning sets your guitar's open strings to A1 A2 E3 A3 B3 E4. Let's break down the intervals and implications:

• Root Note: The tuning is heavily rooted in 'A', with the 6th, 5th, and 3rd strings all sounding an A note across different octaves (A1, A2, A3). This creates a powerful, sustained drone that forms the backbone of the tuning's unique sound.
• Fifth: The 4th string (E3) and 1st string (E4) provide the perfect fifth (E) to the root A. This solidifies the harmonic foundation and adds to the rich resonance.
• Major Second/Ninth: The 2nd string is tuned to B3. This 'B' note is a major second or major ninth relative to the root 'A'. The absence of a major or minor third (C#/C) in the open position creates an ambiguous, suspended quality. This is key to the haunting and ethereal character of the tuning, allowing the player to imply different moods with minimal fretting.
• Open Chord: The open strings collectively form an A sus2 (A-B-E) or A add9 chord. This voiceless, open sound is incredibly rich and full, perfect for ringing arpeggios, sustained chords, and atmospheric textures without the need for complex fingerings.

Chordal Possibilities

The open A sus2 chord provides a stable and inspiring starting point. Due to the unique arrangement of notes, several common chord shapes become easily accessible:

• A Minor: By simply fretting the 2nd string (B3) at the 1st fret (C), you can achieve an A minor chord (A-C-E), adding a touch of melancholy.
• A Major: Fret the 2nd string (B3) at the 2nd fret (C#) to achieve a bright A major chord (A-C#-E).
• Drone & Melody: The repeated A and E notes across different octaves make this tuning excellent for drone-based music, where a simple melody or lead line can float above the sustained open strings. The lack of a definitive third in the open tuning makes it highly versatile for exploring various harmonic colors.

How to Tune

To achieve the Thirlwell Tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these steps carefully. Please take particular care with string movements exceeding 4 semitones up or down, as a different gauge string may be advisable for optimal tension and guitar health.

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 7 semitones to A1. (Warning: Tuning down 7 semitones is a significant change. A heavier gauge string may be advised for proper tension.)
• 5th String (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). It remains A2.
• 4th String (D): Tune up 2 semitones to E3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune up 2 semitones to A3.
• 2nd String (B): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). It remains B3.
• 1st String (High E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). It remains E4.