The ABR Generations Tuning is a uniquely low and heavy guitar tuning, famously utilized by August Burns Red for their song "Generations." This setup is perfectly crafted for the band's signature metalcore sound, which demands a robust low end, percussive rhythm capabilities, and complex harmonic textures. It’s a tuning that emphasizes depth, tension, and a broad tonal palette, allowing for both crushing riffs and intricate, often dissonant, melodic passages.

The overall character is dark and powerful, providing a massive sonic foundation. The significant drop in pitch across most strings results in a slacker feel, which can facilitate aggressive string bends and vibrato, while also contributing to the tuning's inherent percussive quality. Guitarists looking to explore extreme low-end aggression combined with surprising melodic potential will find this tuning inspiring.

Open Chord Voicings & Harmonic Analysis

The open notes of this tuning are B1 F#3 B2 E3 G3 C4 (from low to high string).

• The bottom three strings (B1, F#3, B2) form a powerful and unusual voicing of a B5 power chord. Strings 6 and 4 are B an octave apart (B1-B2), providing a thick, resonant low end. The F#3 on String 5 is positioned an octave and a perfect fifth above B2, creating an extremely wide and resonant chord voicing. This configuration makes open chugging and palm-muted riffs exceptionally heavy and impactful.
• The top three strings (E3, G3, C4) surprisingly spell out a C Major triad (E-G-C), specifically a first inversion C major chord. This creates a striking harmonic contrast with the heavy B-power base, hinting at polytonal possibilities or serving as a bright, melodic counterpoint.
• When all six strings are played open, the resulting chord (B1 F#3 B2 E3 G3 C4) is a complex and highly dissonant cluster. It contains B, C, E, F#, and G. The presence of both B and C (a minor ninth interval across the tuning's extremes), and E against F# (a minor second interval), indicates that this tuning is not designed for conventional open strumming. Instead, it’s optimized for specific partial voicings, power chords, arpeggios, and single-note riffs that leverage its unique intervals to create a distinctive and aggressive soundscape. The strong b9 dissonance between the B root and the C major triad is a common element in modern metal and metalcore, adding tension and grit.
• Due to the B-octave relationship between strings 6 and 4, easily accessible two-string power chords and octave riffs can be formed by barring across these strings, enabling swift, heavy passages. The C Major triad on the upper strings also provides a familiar melodic framework for lead lines or arpeggiated figures.

How to Tune Your Guitar

To achieve the ABR Generations Tuning, you'll need to tune most of your strings down significantly from standard E A D G B E tuning. Please proceed with care, especially with the larger drops in pitch.

• String 6 (Low E to B1): Tune down 5 semitones (a perfect fourth) to B1. Caution: Tuning this string down 5 semitones represents a significant drop in tension. A heavier gauge string (e.g., a .060 or thicker) may be advisable for optimal tone, intonation, and playability, as this movement exceeds the general recommendation of -4 semitones.
• String 5 (A to F#3): Tune down 3 semitones (a minor third) to F#3.
• String 4 (D to B2): Tune down 3 semitones (a minor third) to B2.
• String 3 (G to E3): Tune down 3 semitones (a minor third) to E3.
• String 2 (B to G3): Tune down 4 semitones (a major third) to G3. Note: Tuning this string down 4 semitones represents a considerable drop in tension. While often manageable, some players might prefer a slightly heavier gauge.
• String 1 (High E to C4): Tune down 4 semitones (a major third) to C4. Note: Tuning this string down 4 semitones represents a considerable drop in tension. While often manageable, some players might prefer a slightly heavier gauge.

String 6: B1 (Lowest string)

String 5: F#3

String 4: B2

String 3: E3

String 2: G3

String 1: C4 (Highest string)