Tuning Analysis: BEDEAD Drone

This is a highly distinctive custom Guitar tuning, which we've named BEDEAD Drone. Originally described as "Don't Live", this tuning, with its "Slide tuning with unique Chord shapes/voicing", truly lives up to its promise of offering fresh sonic landscapes. It radically alters the standard EADGBe configuration to create a dark, resonant, and expansive sound palette.

Verbal Analysis

The BEDEAD Drone tuning immerses the player in a rich, melancholic atmosphere, characterized by its deep, droning low B string. This tuning is perfectly suited for slide guitar work, where its open intervals can ring out with complex harmonies. The arrangement of notes, particularly the repeated D and E across different octaves, creates a dense, almost symphonic resonance when strummed open. It encourages exploration beyond traditional chord shapes, pushing players to discover new voicings and melodic possibilities, particularly in genres like ambient, blues, folk, or even heavy rock where a unique low-end rumble is desired. The name "BEDEAD" itself hints at the profound, almost haunting quality this tuning can evoke.

Technical Analysis

The open notes of this tuning are B1-E2-D3-E3-A3-D4 (low to high). This translates to the notes B, E, D, A. Strummed open, this forms a Bm7sus4 chord (B, D, E, A). Specifically, the tuning provides a powerful voicing: Root (B), Perfect 4th (E), minor 3rd (D), Octave 4th (E), minor 7th (A), Octave minor 3rd (D). This intricate stack of intervals offers immediate harmonic richness without fretting a single note. The close proximity of D3 and E3 on strings 4 and 3, and A3 and D4 on strings 2 and 1, allows for interesting arpeggios and melodic phrases. Due to the significant changes from standard tuning, exploring familiar chord shapes will yield entirely new sounds. For instance, barring across a single fret will produce variations of m7sus4 chords up the neck, making it ideal for creating drone-based music or expansive soundscapes with ease.

How to Tune to BEDEAD Drone

Achieving the BEDEAD Drone tuning from standard EADGBe requires significant adjustments. Please proceed with care and consider using appropriate string gauges for the strings with larger movements.

• Low E String (6th String): Tune down 5 semitones from E to B1. This is a substantial drop; a heavier gauge string is strongly advised.
• A String (5th String): Tune down 5 semitones from A to E2. Another significant drop, for which a heavier gauge string is recommended.
• D String (4th String): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from D to D3.
• G String (3rd String): Tune down 3 semitones from G to E3.
• B String (2nd String): Tune down 2 semitones from B to A3.
• High e String (1st String): Tune down 2 semitones from E to D4.

Important Note on String Gauge: When tuning strings down by more than 4 semitones (or up by more than 4 semitones, though not applicable here), it is generally advisable to use a different gauge string to maintain proper tension, intonation, and string integrity. The 6th and 5th strings in this tuning fall into this category, with a 5-semitone drop each.

Here are the individual notes for each string in the BEDEAD Drone tuning, from the thickest (6th) to the thinnest (1st) string:

• 6th String (Low B): B1 (an octave and a perfect fifth below standard E)
• 5th String (E): E2 (a perfect fifth below standard A)
• 4th String (D): D3 (same as standard D)
• 3rd String (E): E3 (a minor third below standard G)
• 2nd String (A): A3 (a whole step below standard B)
• 1st String (High D): D4 (a whole step below standard high E)