ADADEA Tuning: An Open A-Suspended Sound

The ADADEA tuning is a fascinating adaptation, originally inspired by the DGDGAD tuning often found on instruments like the Guitarlele. It establishes a rich, open sound that leans towards an A-centric drone, making it highly versatile for various musical styles, particularly those favoring open string resonance and a suspended, neither major nor minor, harmonic feel.

Verbal Analysis

Imagine strumming your guitar and hearing a deep, resonant chord that feels both powerful and ethereal. That's the essence of ADADEA. It's a tuning that encourages experimentation with open strings, creating a sustained, almost hypnotic drone. The repetition of A and D across the strings, punctuated by a single E, creates a spacious soundscape. It's excellent for fingerstyle, slide guitar, or just for adding unique textures to your playing, moving beyond standard major/minor progressions.

Technical Analysis

The tuning lays out as follows, from low to high: A2-D3-A3-D4-E4-A4. Analysing the intervals, we find a prominent interplay of roots (A), perfect fourths (D), and a perfect fifth (E):

• 6th String (A2): The foundational root of the tuning.
• 5th String (D3): A perfect fourth above the 6th string, introducing a prominent suspended quality.
• 4th String (A3): An octave above the 6th string, reinforcing the root.
• 3rd String (D4): An octave above the 5th string, reiterating the suspended fourth.
• 2nd String (E4): A perfect fifth above the low A, providing harmonic stability.
• 1st String (A4): An octave above the 4th string and two octaves above the 6th string, completing the full, resonant sound.

The open tuning itself presents an A5sus4 chord (A, D, E). This makes it neither purely major nor minor, offering a versatile blank slate for melodic exploration. The consistent presence of A and D across multiple octaves creates a rich, full-bodied resonance that is instantly captivating.

Chordal Possibilities

Given the open A5sus4 nature of this tuning:

• Open Chords: Strumming all open strings gives you a powerful A5sus4, suitable for drones, ambient textures, or as a starting point for modal melodies.
• Barre Chords: A single finger barre across all strings at any fret will instantly yield a transposed 5sus4 chord. For example, barring at the 2nd fret gives a B5sus4, at the 5th fret a D5sus4, and at the 7th fret an E5sus4.
• Folk & Blues: The open and resonant nature makes it ideal for folk and blues styles, where single-note melodies can be played against a sustained drone.
• Slide Guitar: This tuning is exceptionally well-suited for slide playing due to its open chord structure and consistent intervals across several strings, allowing for fluid glides through the 5sus4 harmony.

How to Tune

To achieve the ADADEA tuning from standard E-A-D-G-B-E tuning, follow these precise adjustments. Please note, all strings require significant tuning up, which can put increased tension on your instrument. It is highly recommended to use a lighter gauge string set if you plan to keep your guitar in this tuning for extended periods, as all adjustments exceed the recommended 4 semitone limit. Proceed with caution and monitor your instrument's neck tension.

• 6th String (Low E): Tune up 5 semitones from E2 to A2. (Original E2, Target A2) Caution: Significant tension increase. Consider a lighter gauge string.
• 5th String (A): Tune up 5 semitones from A2 to D3. (Original A2, Target D3) Caution: Significant tension increase. Consider a lighter gauge string.
• 4th String (D): Tune up 7 semitones from D3 to A3. (Original D3, Target A3) Caution: Significant tension increase, an entire perfect fifth up! Consider a lighter gauge string.
• 3rd String (G): Tune up 7 semitones from G3 to D4. (Original G3, Target D4) Caution: Significant tension increase, an entire perfect fifth up! Consider a lighter gauge string.
• 2nd String (B): Tune up 5 semitones from B3 to E4. (Original B3, Target E4) Caution: Significant tension increase. Consider a lighter gauge string.
• 1st String (High E): Tune up 5 semitones from E4 to A4. (Original E4, Target A4) Caution: Significant tension increase. Consider a lighter gauge string.

The notes for ADADEA tuning, from the lowest string to the highest, are:

6th String: A2

5th String: D3

4th String: A3

3rd String: D4

2nd String: E4

1st String: A4