C Drone with B Bass: A Deep Dive

This is a highly unconventional and intriguing tuning, offering a unique sonic landscape distinct from standard guitar tunings. It grounds itself with a deep B on the lowest string, providing a strong, resonant bass foundation. The middle strings collectively form a bright C major chord (C-E-G), which can create a compelling drone or harmonic center when played openly. The upper strings introduce further complexity and color, with a high E and a very high A#, adding tension and a sharp, almost exotic flavor. This tuning is not designed for easy access to conventional chord shapes but rather encourages exploration of open string voicings, arpeggios, and melodic lines that leverage its unique interval structure. It could be particularly inspiring for ambient, experimental, or filmic compositions seeking a distinct mood.

Technical Analysis:

• Open Strings: The tuning presents the open notes as B2-E3-G3-C3-A4#-E4.
• Bass Foundation: The low B2 (String 6) establishes a deep, resonant foundation.
• C Major Core: Strings 5, 4, and 3 (E3, G3, C3) form an inverted C major triad (C-G-E). When played together, these three strings create a clear C major chord, serving as a prominent harmonic center.
• Interval Structure:
  • String 6 (B2) to String 5 (E3): Perfect Fourth
  • String 5 (E3) to String 4 (G3): Minor Third
  • String 4 (G3) to String 3 (C3): Perfect Fourth
  • String 3 (C3) to String 2 (A4#): This is a very wide interval, an augmented sixth if comparing C3 to A#3, then an octave up. This creates a significant jump and a sharp, leading tone quality.
  • String 2 (A4#) to String 1 (E4): Diminished Fifth
• Accessible Chords & Voicings:
  • Playing strings 3, 4, 5 (C3, G3, E3) yields a clear C Major chord.
  • Incorporating string 6 (B2) with the C Major triad results in a Cmaj/B voicing, offering a strong leading tone or root-5th-9th-11th flavor, depending on the harmonic context.
  • The high A#4 (String 2) provides a distinctive color. If B is considered the root, it acts as a strong Major 7th. If C is the root, C-E-G-A# forms a highly dissonant chord, suggesting its use might be for melodic accents or specific harmonic tension.
• Playability Considerations: Due to the wide range of string movements required (particularly tuning up 7 semitones on strings 5 and 6, down 7 semitones on string 3, and the unique pitch for string 2), string gauge adjustments are highly recommended for optimal playability, intonation, and string integrity.

Here are the target notes for each string, followed by instructions on how to achieve them from standard EADGBe tuning.

• String 6: B2
• String 5: E3
• String 4: G3
• String 3: C3
• String 2: A4#
• String 1: E4

How to Tune to C Drone with B Bass

Achieving this unique tuning from standard EADGBe requires significant adjustments to most strings. Please proceed with caution, especially for strings with large semitone changes, and consider using a different string gauge for optimal tension and string integrity. Movements exceeding 4 semitones up or down generally advise a different gauge string.

• String 6 (Low E): Tune up 7 semitones from standard E2 to B2. (This is a substantial increase; consider a heavier gauge string for proper tension and to prevent breakage.)
• String 5 (A): Tune up 7 semitones from standard A2 to E3. (This is a substantial increase; consider a heavier gauge string for proper tension and to prevent breakage.)
• String 4 (D): Tune up 5 semitones from standard D3 to G3. (This is a significant increase; consider a heavier gauge string for optimal tension.)
• String 3 (G): Tune down 7 semitones from standard G3 to C3. (This is a substantial decrease; consider a lighter gauge string to avoid excessive floppiness and intonation issues.)
• String 2 (B): Tune down 1 semitone from standard B3 to A#3. (Note: The stated target note for this string in the tuning definition is A#4. Tuning down 1 semitone from standard B3 results in A#3. To truly achieve A#4, an 11-semitone increase from B3 would be required, which is extremely high and necessitates a much thinner gauge string, likely from a different instrument set. Follow this instruction for A#3, and consult the tuning creator if A#4 is truly the intended target for an octave shift.)
• String 1 (High E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from standard E4 to E4.