Theurgist Guitar Tuning: A Deep Dive

This is the unique and heavy tuning famously used in "Theurgist" by True Widow. It's a tuning that immediately sets a dark and resonant mood, perfect for sludgy, atmospheric rock. As noted in its description, this tuning may require drastically different sets of strings due to the significant changes from standard pitch, a point we'll elaborate on in the tuning guide below.

Verbal Analysis

The open strings form a powerful Badd9 chord, giving it a rich, full, and slightly dissonant character right off the bat. The lowest string is a booming B1, an entire perfect fourth below standard low E, which contributes significantly to the tuning's characteristic heaviness and depth. The overall voicing is quite expansive, spanning multiple octaves, which allows for very dense and ringing open chord voicings. The prevalence of F# and C# notes across different octaves creates natural resonance and harmonic richness.

The tuning feels very open and encourages droning techniques, with the repeated notes making it easy to create sustained, layered sounds. The substantial drop in tension on most strings will lead to a slacker feel, which can facilitate easier bends and a more malleable string response, though intonation might become a concern without a proper setup and appropriate string gauge.

Technical Analysis

The open string notes are B1, F#3, C#4, D#4, F#4, C#5. This arrangement forms a robust Badd9 chord (B, D#, F#, C#), with the root (B1), major third (D#4), perfect fifth (F#3, F#4), and added ninth (C#4, C#5) distributed across the instrument.

As described in the tuning's original notes, the 2nd string (F#4) and 5th string (F#3) are indeed an octave apart, providing a strong harmonic anchor. While the original description also mentions the 3rd and 6th strings as octaves, analysis of the provided notes (D#4 and B1, respectively) indicates this is not a direct octave relationship. However, further examination of the tuning notes reveals another significant octave pairing between the 1st string (C#5) and 4th string (C#4), further enhancing the tuning's rich resonance.

The wide intervals on the lower strings (e.g., B1 to F#3) create a powerful, extended low end. The relatively small interval between the 4th string (C#4) and 3rd string (D#4) — a major second — offers unique possibilities for tight voicings, dissonant clusters, or easy chromatic movements within chords and melodies. This tuning is particularly well-suited for heavy riffs and atmospheric textures, where the open Badd9 chord can serve as a constant drone or a foundation for modal explorations.

How to Tune

To achieve "Theurgist" tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these steps. Please note that significant detuning may require a different string gauge to maintain tension and intonation, as well as prevent damage to your guitar. Movements exceeding 4 semitones (up or down) are generally beyond the recommended range for a standard string gauge.

• String 6 (Low E): Tune down 5 semitones to B1. (Warning: Significant detuning, consider a heavier gauge string.)
• String 5 (A): Tune down 3 semitones to F#3.
• String 4 (D): Tune down 1 semitone to C#4.
• String 3 (G): Tune down 4 semitones to D#4. (Warning: Consider a heavier gauge string.)
• String 2 (B): Tune down 5 semitones to F#4. (Warning: Significant detuning, consider a heavier gauge string.)
• String 1 (High E): Tune down 3 semitones to C#5.

Always tune slowly and check your guitar's intonation after making significant tuning changes.

String 6 (Lowest String): Tuned to B1
String 5: Tuned to F#3
String 4: Tuned to C#4
String 3: Tuned to D#4
String 2: Tuned to F#4
String 1 (Highest String): Tuned to C#5