A#FA#C#G#C#FA#D# Guitar Tuner
A#FA#C#G#C#FA#D# | B♭FB♭D♭A♭D♭FB♭E♭ Da Fuq? - Guitar tuning, chords & scales
Verbal Analysis: Virginia Lowdown
The "Virginia Lowdown" is an incredibly deep and resonant 9-string guitar tuning, clearly conceived for sonic exploration and heavy, atmospheric soundscapes. As its original description hints, it's a tuning born from a moment of introspection, leading to a unique and potent sonic palette. With notes dipping into the first octave, it commands a dark, expansive presence, ideal for genres like doom metal, progressive metal, ambient drone, or any style demanding a profound, weighty foundation. The prevalence of flattened intervals and lower octaves creates a tuning that feels both powerful and melancholic, capable of producing dense, brooding chords and intricate, low-end riffs. It encourages a slower, more deliberate playing style, allowing the massive sustain and inherent dissonance to fully resonate.
Technical Analysis
This 9-string guitar tuning presents a complex array of notes: A1#, F1, A2#, C3#, G3#, C4#, F3, A4#, D5#. The lowest notes, F1 and A1#, establish a remarkably deep tonal center. When viewed as a composite chord, the unique notes present across the open strings are F, A# (Bb), C# (Db), G# (Ab), and D# (Eb). This collection of notes strongly hints at an F diminished quality, or perhaps an Ab minor 7 structure with additional extensions, due to the presence of F, G#, C#, D# (F, Ab, Db, Eb). The intervals are wide and often dissonant, promoting a rich harmonic texture when all strings are strummed open.
Specifically, the relationship between the lowest F1 (String 8) and A1# (String 9) is a perfect fourth (F to A#). The subsequent C3# (String 6) creates an augmented fourth/diminished fifth interval with F1, contributing significantly to the dark, unstable character. Octaves are strategically placed, such as F1-F3 (String 8 - String 3), A#1-A#2-A#4 (String 9 - String 7 - String 2), and C#3-C#4 (String 6 - String 4), which adds thickness and power to the overall sound.
Open Chords and Voicings
Given the intervallic structure, the "Virginia Lowdown" is ripe for:
- Massive Power Chords: The abundant octaves of F, A#, and C# make power chords extremely resonant and full. For instance, an open F5 can be achieved using String 8 (F1) and String 3 (F3) with a fretted C on String 6 or String 4, or utilizing the C# for a dissonant feel. Similarly, A#5 (A#1, D#5 on String 9 and String 1) provides a huge low-end.
- Dissonant Drones: Strumming all open strings yields a complex, dark, and sustained chord, often resembling an Fsus4(b5) or an extended Ab minor voicing (Ab-Db-Eb-F). This is perfect for creating atmospheric backdrops.
- Minor and Diminished Voicings: The underlying F, G#, C#, D# (F, Ab, Db, Eb) tones naturally lend themselves to minor or diminished chord shapes. An A# minor triad (A#-C#-D#) can be formed across strings 9, 6, and 1, or by using fretted notes to complete the chord. Similarly, C# diminished (C#-F-G#) is readily accessible.
- Low-End Riffing: The extremely low F1 and A#1 make this tuning exceptional for heavy, single-note or two-note riffs that utilize the deep register of the 9-string instrument.
How to Tune
To achieve the "Virginia Lowdown" tuning, follow these precise adjustments from standard tuning:
- String 9 (Lowest): Tune down 3 semitones to A1#.
- String 8: Tune down 1 semitones to F1.
- String 7: Tune down 1 semitones to A2#.
- String 6: Tune down 3 semitones to C3#.
- String 5: Tune down 1 semitones to G3#.
- String 4: Tune down 1 semitones to C4#.
- String 3: Tune down 2 semitones to F3.
- String 2: Tune down 1 semitones to A4#.
- String 1 (Highest): Tune down 1 semitones to D5#.
Note: All string movements for this tuning are within a safe range for standard string gauges. Always tune carefully and incrementally.
String 9: A1#
String 8: F1
String 7: A2#
String 6: C3#
String 5: G3#
String 4: C4#
String 3: F3
String 2: A4#
String 1: D5#
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Capos for A#FA#C#G#C#FA#D#
Capo | Tuning | Name |
---|---|---|
0 | A#FA#C#G#C#FA#D# | Da Fuq? |
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Tuning Map
- Fret
- S9
- S8
- S7
- S6
- S5
- S4
- S3
- S2
- S1
- -13
- C
- F
- A#
- D#
- G#
- C#
- F#
- A#
- D#
- -12
- C#
- F#
- B
- E
- A
- D
- G
- B
- E
- -11
- D
- G
- C
- F
- A#
- D#
- G#
- C
- F
- -10
- D#
- G#
- C#
- F#
- B
- E
- A
- C#
- F#
- -9
- E
- A
- D
- G
- C
- F
- A#
- D
- G
- -8
- F
- A#
- D#
- G#
- C#
- F#
- B
- D#
- G#
- -7
- F#
- B
- E
- A
- D
- G
- C
- E
- A
- -6
- G
- C
- F
- A#
- D#
- G#
- C#
- F
- A#
- -5
- G#
- C#
- F#
- B
- E
- A
- D
- F#
- B
- -4
- A
- D
- G
- C
- F
- A#
- D#
- G
- C
- -3
- A#
- D#
- G#
- C#
- F#
- B
- E
- G#
- C#
- -2
- B
- E
- A
- D
- G
- C
- F
- A
- D
- -1
- C
- F
- A#
- D#
- G#
- C#
- F#
- A#
- D#
- 0
- C#
- F#
- B
- E
- A
- D
- G
- B
- E
- 1
- D
- G
- C
- F
- A#
- D#
- G#
- C
- F
- 2
- D#
- G#
- C#
- F#
- B
- E
- A
- C#
- F#
- 3
- E
- A
- D
- G
- C
- F
- A#
- D
- G
- 4
- F
- A#
- D#
- G#
- C#
- F#
- B
- D#
- G#
- 5
- F#
- B
- E
- A
- D
- G
- C
- E
- A
- 6
- G
- C
- F
- A#
- D#
- G#
- C#
- F
- A#
- 7
- G#
- C#
- F#
- B
- E
- A
- D
- F#
- B
- -3
- -1
- -1
- -3
- -1
- -1
- -2
- -1
- -1