Description of the "Enemy (Days of the New)" Guitar Tuning

This intriguing tuning, known as "Enemy (Days of the New)" for the Guitar, deviates significantly from standard EADGBe, creating a unique sonic landscape often associated with the song of its namesake. It's an open tuning that emphasizes a dark, atmospheric, and slightly dissonant yet resonant quality.

Verbal Analysis:

Verbally, this tuning presents a sound that is both haunting and expansive. The lowest string is tuned down significantly to B1, providing a deep, resonant foundation. The combination of B, F#, C#, F#, A, C# on the open strings doesn't form a simple major or minor chord. Instead, it creates an open Bsus2(add b7) voicing (B - C# - F# - A). This gives the tuning a modal, slightly melancholic feel, perfect for creating atmospheric textures, heavy riffs with a suspended quality, or intricate arpeggios that shimmer with tension and release. The doubled F# and C# notes across different octaves add a ringing sustain and harmonic depth. Due to the wide intervallic stretches, especially with the high C# and A notes, this tuning can lend itself to interesting finger-picking patterns and rich, sustained chords that would be impossible in standard tuning. It's particularly well-suited for rock, alternative, or progressive genres seeking a distinctive and powerful sound.

Technical Analysis:

Technically, the "Enemy" tuning is an open B tuning with a strong suspended second and an added minor seventh. The specific open string notes are B1-F#3-C#4-F#4-A3-C#5 (from low to high). Let's break down the intervals relative to the lowest B1 string:

• String 6 (B1): Root
• String 5 (F#3): Perfect 5th (P5) above B.
• String 4 (C#4): Major 2nd (M2) above B, or a Perfect 4th (P4) above F#.
• String 3 (F#4): Perfect 5th (P5) above B, an octave above String 5.
• String 2 (A3): Minor 7th (m7) above B.
• String 1 (C#5): Major 2nd (M2) above B, an octave above String 4.

The combined open notes B, C#, F#, A form a Bsus2(add b7) chord, also interpretable as a Bm7(no 3rd, add 9) or a B Dominant 9th chord without the third. This complex harmony provides a ready-made foundation for powerful, resonant voicings. The presence of both F# (P5) and C# (M2) multiple times across the octaves reinforces this unique harmonic structure. Chords based on the open strings would likely involve barring across a single fret to create movable shapes, taking advantage of the consistent intervals between the lower strings (P5, M2). For example, barring at the 2nd fret would yield an open C#sus2(add b7) voicing. This tuning encourages players to think outside standard chord shapes and explore unique voicings.

Open String Notes

Here are the specific notes for each open string, from the thickest (6th) to the thinnest (1st):

• 6th String: B1
• 5th String: F#3
• 4th String: C#4
• 3rd String: F#4
• 2nd String: A3
• 1st String: C#5

How to Tune to "Enemy (Days of the New)"

To achieve the "Enemy (Days of the New)" tuning from standard EADGBe tuning, you will need to adjust each string as follows. Please exercise caution, especially with significant downward tuning, as string tension changes considerably. For movements exceeding 4 semitones up or down, considering a different string gauge might be advisable for optimal playability and intonation.

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 5 semitones to B1. (Note: Tuning down this significantly, from E to B, might require a heavier gauge string for optimal tension and sound).
• 5th String (A): Tune down 3 semitones to F#3.
• 4th String (D): Tune down 1 semitone to C#4.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 1 semitone to F#4.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 2 semitones to A3.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 3 semitones to C#5.