Verbal Analysis: Sun Kil Moon Tuning

This tuning, named "Sun Kil moon" and accompanied by the poignant description "Richard died today of natural causes," immediately conjures a mood of deep introspection and melancholia. It represents a profoundly detuned, resonant open tuning designed to create drone-like textures and a dark, atmospheric soundscape. The extremely low pitches – with the lowest string plummeting to A1 – imbue the guitar with a rich, almost guttural timbre. It’s a tuning that speaks with gravitas, ideal for slow, deliberate fingerstyle passages or crafting a broad, contemplative canvas for vocals.

The prevalence of A and E notes across most strings establishes a powerful, open "A power chord" foundation. However, the F3 on the second string is the intriguing outlier. Instead of completing a simple major or minor chord, this F introduces a subtle tension and harmonic ambiguity, pushing the tuning beyond conventional tonality. It suggests a sound that is neither purely joyful nor purely sorrowful, but rather a complex emotional state, perfectly suited for the reflective and often somber themes found in Sun Kil Moon's music. This tuning isn't about strumming familiar chord shapes; it's about exploring the unique resonances and the interplay of these specific intervals to craft a very particular sonic mood.

Technical Analysis: A1 E2 A2 E3 F3 A3

The "Sun Kil moon" tuning is configured as A1 E2 A2 E3 F3 A3 from the thickest (6th) to the thinnest (1st) string. This is a highly customized open tuning, with every string significantly lowered from standard EADGBe. The intervallic structure relative to the root A is as follows:

• String 6 (A1): Root
• String 5 (E2): Perfect 5th
• String 4 (A2): Octave (Root)
• String 3 (E3): Perfect 5th
• String 2 (F3): Minor 6th (relative to A)
• String 1 (A3): Octave (Root)

The core of the tuning is a robust A5 power chord (A-E-A-E-A). The F3 on the second string (B string in standard tuning) is the defining characteristic, introducing a minor 6th interval above A. This interval, while not forming a simple A major or A minor triad, creates a unique harmonic cluster of A, E, and F. This cluster could be seen as an A power chord with an added minor 6th, or a subset of an Fmaj7 (F-A-C-E) chord without the C. It allows for an ambiguous, often melancholic, and modal feel.

Open Chords and Accessible Shapes:

• Open Strum: Strumming all open strings produces a rich, resonant sound based on A-E-F. This is an A5 with an added minor 6th (F), creating a unique, suspended quality. It leans towards a darker, more unresolved tonality.
• Am7 Potential: One immediately accessible chord is an A minor 7th. By fretting the 2nd string (F3) at the 3rd fret, it becomes a G3. This transforms the open tuning into A1 E2 A2 E3 G3 A3, which is a full A minor 7th chord (A-C-E-G) with an open fifth, perfect for easily accessible Am7 voicings.
• Droning Power Chords: The strong A-E-A-E-A drone allows for powerful, resonant power chords by simply muting or avoiding the 2nd string, or using it as a melodic voice. Moving this five-string power chord shape up the neck will yield similar resonant power chords at different roots.
• Unique Melodic Opportunities: The F3 note encourages melodic lines that explore minor 6th relationships or blend with D minor or F major scales. The wide intervals between strings, particularly at the lower end, offer possibilities for arpeggiated figures with great depth.

How to Tune:

To achieve the "Sun Kil moon" tuning, you will need to significantly alter the tension of your strings. It is strongly recommended to use a heavier gauge string set for this tuning, especially given the considerable drops in pitch. Exceeding a 4-semitone change (up or down) generally warrants a different string gauge to maintain proper tension, intonation, and prevent string breakage or floppiness.

• String 6 (Standard E2): Tune down 7 semitones to A1. (This is a very significant drop. A heavier gauge string is advised.)
• String 5 (Standard A2): Tune down 5 semitones to E2. (This is a significant drop. A heavier gauge string is advised.)
• String 4 (Standard D3): Tune down 5 semitones to A2. (This is a significant drop. A heavier gauge string is advised.)
• String 3 (Standard G3): Tune down 3 semitones to E3.
• String 2 (Standard B3): Tune down 6 semitones to F3. (This is a significant drop. A heavier gauge string is advised.)
• String 1 (Standard E4): Tune down 7 semitones to A3. (This is a very significant drop. A heavier gauge string is advised.)

String 6: A1

String 5: E2

String 4: A2

String 3: E3

String 2: F3

String 1: A3