The Baritone Slack Tuning: Deep Resonance, Open Harmonies

The "Baritone Slack" tuning for Guitar offers a unique sonic landscape, blending the deep, resonant qualities of baritone instruments with the open, ringing nature characteristic of slack key tunings. This combination results in a rich, full sound with significant low-end extension, while simultaneously providing an accessible framework for complex harmonies and melodic expression.

Verbal Analysis

Imagine a guitar that speaks with the gravitas of a cello but retains the shimmering openness of a Hawaiian slack key instrument. That's the essence of Baritone Slack. With its lowest string plunged to a resounding B1, this tuning immediately commands attention with its deep bass foundation. The overall 'slack' feel, achieved by tuning all strings down, invites a relaxed playing style, allowing for easy string bending and expressive vibrato. The specific intervals between the open strings create a harmonically rich canvas, favoring open chord voicings and droning patterns. It's a tuning that encourages exploration beyond conventional fingerings, rewarding players with a resonant and evocative sound, perfect for fingerstyle, atmospheric compositions, or adding a unique texture to any musical genre.

Technical Analysis

• Instrument Type: Guitar. This tuning transforms a standard guitar into an instrument capable of baritone range and unique tonal characteristics.
• Tuning Notes: The open strings are B1, E2, A2, E3, G4#, C5# (from thickest to thinnest).
  • The lowest string at B1 is a full 7 semitones below standard E2, firmly placing the instrument in the baritone range and providing an exceptionally deep fundamental.
  • The sequence B-E-A-E provides a strong sense of a drone or open fifths and fourths in the lower register, characteristic of many open tunings.
  • A distinctive feature is the large interval jump between the 3rd string (E3) and the 2nd string (G4#), spanning an octave and a major third (16 semitones). This wide interval creates unique melodic and harmonic possibilities, allowing for rich voicings that wouldn't typically be found in standard tuning.
  • The inclusion of G4# (G-sharp) and C5# (C-sharp) on the higher strings, alongside B, E, and A, hints at a strong C# minor 7 (C# - E - G# - B) or A major 6 (A - C# - E - G#) harmonic flavor within the open strings.
• Open Chords & Voicings:
  • C# Minor 7: By playing strings 1 (C5#), 2 (G4#), 3 (E3), and 6 (B1) open, you naturally form a full C#m7 chord, providing a rich, melancholic, and resonant open voicing.
  • A Major 6: By playing strings 1 (C5#), 2 (G4#), 3 (E3), and 4 (A2) open, you create an A Major 6 chord, offering a bright and sophisticated open sound.
  • The repetition of E on strings 5 and 3 allows for droning possibilities, common in slack key playing.
  • The overall openness and the significant drop in tension facilitate expressive slides, hammer-ons, and pull-offs, making it very suitable for fingerstyle and blues-inflected playing.

Tuning Notes & How to Tune

Final Tuning Notes (Low to High)

• String 6: B1
• String 5: E2
• String 4: A2
• String 3: E3
• String 2: G4#
• String 1: C5#

How to Tune (Based on string movements)

• String 6 (Lowest E String): Tune down 5 semitones to B1.

  Important Note: Tuning down 5 semitones is a significant change. For optimal performance and string longevity, considering a heavier gauge string for the lowest three strings is advised.

• String 5 (A String): Tune down 5 semitones to E2.

  Important Note: Tuning down 5 semitones is a significant change. For optimal performance and string longevity, considering a heavier gauge string for the lowest three strings is advised.

• String 4 (D String): Tune down 5 semitones to A2.

  Important Note: Tuning down 5 semitones is a significant change. For optimal performance and string longevity, considering a heavier gauge string for the lowest three strings is advised.

• String 3 (G String): Tune down 3 semitones to E3.
• String 2 (B String): Tune down 3 semitones to G4#.
• String 1 (Highest E String): Tune down 3 semitones to C5#.