A Deep Dive into the Open E Minor Drone Tuning

The "Open E Minor Drone" tuning, a powerful 7-string configuration, transforms your instrument into a resonant well of dark, expansive tones. As its name suggests, it's an open tuning where strumming all open strings yields a full E minor chord, instantly creating a rich harmonic landscape. The unique addition of the low B string serves as a foundational drone, adding immense depth and resonance that underpins the entire tuning.

Verbal Analysis: The Sound and Feel

This tuning offers a dark, heavy, and incredibly resonant character. The low B (B1) string provides a formidable bottom end, perfect for deep, sustained drone notes and powerful rhythmic patterns. When strummed open, the E minor chord rings out with a full, haunting quality, making it ideal for atmospheric soundscapes, heavy riffing, and slide guitar. It encourages a percussive playing style where the open strings act as a constant backdrop, allowing for melodic exploration on higher strings. The open E minor lends itself well to genres like doom metal, ambient, blues, and folk, where a rich, melancholic foundation is desired. It's a tuning that feels expansive and moody, inviting exploration into its deep harmonic possibilities.

Technical Analysis: Unpacking the Notes

The tuning consists of the following notes from lowest to highest string: B1-E2-B2-E3-G3-B3-E4.

• The core of this tuning is the E minor triad (E-G-B), which is distributed across multiple octaves.
• The B1 on the 7th string acts as a deep pedal tone, enhancing the E minor chord with its dominant quality (the fifth of E minor). It provides an extended bass range and a powerful drone element.
• The arrangement of E2-B2-E3-G3-B3-E4 forms a robust E minor chord across the top six strings, making it incredibly easy to play E minor and its inversions by simply strumming.
• Chords are readily accessible through barring across the frets. For instance, barring all strings at the 1st fret would yield an F minor chord, at the 2nd fret an F# minor chord, and so on. This makes transposing minor chords remarkably straightforward.
• The open fifths (B1, E2, B2, E3, B3, E4) and the minor third (G3) provide a solid harmonic framework for melodic embellishments and drone-based riffs.

How to Tune Your Guitar for Open E Minor Drone

To achieve the Open E Minor Drone tuning, you'll be adjusting your strings from a standard 7-string tuning (typically B1 E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4). Follow these instructions carefully:

• 7th String (Low B): From B1, keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Tune to B1.
• 6th String (E): From E2, keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Tune to E2.
• 5th String (A): From A2, tune up 2 semitones. Tune to B2.
• 4th String (D): From D3, tune up 2 semitones. Tune to E3.
• 3rd String (G): From G3, keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Tune to G3.
• 2nd String (B): From B3, keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Tune to B3.
• 1st String (High E): From E4, keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Tune to E4.

Please Note: While the string adjustments here are relatively minor (tuning up by 2 semitones for some strings), always exercise caution when tuning strings up. For changes exceeding 4 semitones up or down, it is generally recommended to consider a different string gauge to ensure optimal string tension and prevent damage to your instrument.

7th String: B1 (Low B)
6th String: E2
5th String: B2
4th String: E3
3rd String: G3
2nd String: B3
1st String: E4 (High E)