About Maki's Open E Drone Tuning

Maki's Open E Drone is a unique and resonant folk-inspired tuning for the guitar, perfectly suited for creating rich, sustained soundscapes. It allows for drone-like textures and melodic playing over a full, open harmony. The strategic arrangement of B notes across multiple octaves, combined with an open E Major chord on the higher strings, gives this tuning a bright yet deep character. It is an excellent choice for fingerstyle players, slide guitarists, or those who enjoy open strumming, offering a broad sonic palette for creative exploration beyond standard tuning. Its wide range, spanning from a low B1 to a high E4, ensures a full and resonant sound.

Technical Analysis

The open strings for Maki's Open E Drone are: B1 A2 B2 G#3 B3 E4. This configuration creates a complex yet harmonious open chord. Most notably, the top three strings (G#3-B3-E4) articulate a clear and vibrant E Major triad (E, G#, B) when strummed together. The lower strings feature resonant B notes (B1, B2) which add significant depth and a powerful drone foundation. The A2 on the 5th string introduces a unique character, creating an overall open voicing that can be perceived as a rich E Major chord with an added A (Esus4(add3)), or, when considering B as the root, a Bm7(add4, add6). The strong presence of the note B across multiple octaves (B1, B2, B3) establishes a natural, sustained drone, making this tuning excellent for improvisation and crafting lush, ambient soundscapes. Due to the inherent E Major voicing, chords based around E, B, and A will be particularly accessible, with simple one- or two-finger fretting often yielding interesting and full voicings.

How to Tune

To achieve Maki's Open E Drone tuning, begin from standard EADGBe tuning and adjust each string as follows:

• 6th String (E): Tune down 5 semitones to B1. Note: As this involves tuning down more than 4 semitones, a thicker gauge string is highly recommended for optimal tension and improved tone.
• 5th String (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to A2.
• 4th String (D): Tune down 3 semitones to B2.
• 3rd String (G): Tune up 1 semitone to G#3.
• 2nd String (B): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to B3.
• 1st String (E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to E4.

6th String: B1 (Low B)

5th String: A2 (A)

4th String: B2 (B)

3rd String: G#3 (G Sharp)

2nd String: B3 (B)

1st String: E4 (High E)