Overview

The SUMAC Attis Blade Bass Tuning is a distinctive setup for Electric Bass, engineered to create a deeply resonant and notably unconventional sonic landscape. Drawing inspiration from heavy and experimental music, this tuning moves away from traditional harmonic structures. It focuses on delivering a dense, dissonant, and powerful foundation, making it ideally suited for genres that demand unique textures, crushing riffs, and atmospheric soundscapes.

Technical Analysis

• Open String Notes: From the lowest to highest string, this tuning sets the bass to B1 - A2 - D3 - F3.
• Interval Structure: The intervals between the open strings are highly distinctive, creating a unique sonic character:
  • String 4 (B1) to String 3 (A2): A wide Major 7th (10 semitones).
  • String 3 (A2) to String 2 (D3): A Perfect 4th (5 semitones).
  • String 2 (D3) to String 1 (F3): A Minor 3rd (3 semitones).
  This interval structure results in an open voicing (B-A-D-F) that is inherently dissonant and harmonically ambiguous. It naturally lends itself to thick power chords, grinding riffs, and sonic experimentation rather than conventional open major or minor chords.
• Sonic Character: The extremely low B1 provides a guttural, earth-shaking rumble, establishing a heavy foundation. The wide and irregular intervals contribute to a tense, angular, and often menacing sound. This tuning excels at producing crushing, sludgy tones and allows for intricate, dissonant voicings that can effectively cut through a dense mix.
• Microtonal Nuance: The tuning description includes an additional instruction: "Pitchshift -3 cents to get to G#-F#-B-D". This indicates that after achieving the primary B-A-D-F tuning, a further, subtle microtonal detuning of -3 cents (a very slight flattening) can be applied. This precise shift is often employed to achieve a very specific sonic characteristic, potentially to match the slightly "off" intonation sometimes found in extremely heavy, detuned genres, or to achieve a particular sympathetic resonance with other instruments in an ensemble.

Open Chord and Voicing Possibilities

While this tuning does not readily form conventional open major or minor chords, its unique structure presents distinct opportunities for specific harmonic and rhythmic expressions:

• Power Chords: The combination of the deep B1 on the lowest string and the intervals on the upper strings makes it excellent for powerful, two- or three-note chords. The open B1 serves as a formidable low root for heavy, droning power chords and driving riffs.
• Dissonant Voicings: The open B-A-D-F itself forms a complex, dissonant cluster. This can be creatively utilized for textural and experimental purposes, adding tension and grit to arrangements.
• D minor-related shapes: The A2-D3-F3 on the upper strings strongly outlines a D minor chord in its first inversion (D-F-A). This makes D minor arpeggios, melodic lines, and chordal voicings in this shape particularly accessible and resonant within this tuning.

The Electric Bass is tuned to the following notes for the SUMAC Attis Blade Bass Tuning:

• String 4 (Lowest String): B1
• String 3: A2
• String 2: D3
• String 1 (Highest String): F3

How to Tune

To achieve the SUMAC Attis Blade Bass Tuning (B1 - A2 - D3 - F3), the following string adjustments are required. Please note that for strings 3, 2, and 1, the specified movements imply starting from an already higher octave than standard 4-string bass tuning (E1-A1-D2-G2) to reach the target notes (A2, D3, F3). For string 4, it's a significant drop from standard E1.

• String 4 (Lowest String): Tune down 5 semitones. Starting from a standard E1, this brings the string to B1. Due to this significant drop of 5 semitones, a heavier gauge string is strongly advised to maintain proper tension and tone and prevent string floppiness.
• String 3: Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). This instruction indicates that the string should already be at A2.
• String 2: Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). This instruction indicates that the string should already be at D3.
• String 1 (Highest String): Tune down 2 semitones. This instruction implies starting from G3 to reach the target note of F3.