CFCFFC Guitar Tuner
CFCFFC F5 (with Unison F) - Guitar tuning, chords & scales
Description: F5 (with unison F)
This unique tuning for Guitar, named F5 (with unison F), is designed to deliver a rich, resonant sound with a strong emphasis on the F chord. As the original description notes, it "Has a really nice ring with the unison f. Easy to add 3rds and 7ths. The low C is used as a drone." This setup creates a powerful sonic landscape, perfect for driving rhythms, atmospheric textures, and open-string melodic work.
Technical Analysis:
The open strings are tuned to C2-F2-C3-F3-F3-C4 (from low to high). This arrangement technically forms an F5 power chord, heavily reinforced by multiple C notes acting as a drone. Specifically, the tuning features:
- A prominent low C drone (string 6 and 4, and high C string 1), providing a deep, resonant foundation.
- Multiple F notes (strings 5, 3, and 2), with a significant unison F on strings 3 and 2. This unison creates a natural chorus effect and a strong, unwavering F root.
- The intervals primarily consist of octaves and perfect fifths (C-F, F-C), giving the tuning an inherent power chord feel.
The absence of a major or minor third in the open tuning means it's inherently neither major nor minor, allowing for versatile harmonic exploration. This makes it ideal for genres requiring a heavy, unambiguous sound, such as rock, metal, or even ambient music where drones are desired.
Chordal Possibilities:
The open tuning itself is an F5 power chord (C-F-C-F-F-C). This makes barre chords incredibly effective. By simply barring across any fret, you can easily play various 5th chords:
- Open: F5 (C-F-C-F-F-C)
- 1st Fret Barre: F#5
- 3rd Fret Barre: G5
- 5th Fret Barre: A5
As the description mentions, adding 3rds and 7ths is straightforward. For instance, to transform the F5 into:
- F Major: Fret string 5 at the 2nd fret (A) or string 3 at the 2nd fret (A).
- F Minor: Fret string 5 at the 1st fret (Ab) or string 3 at the 1st fret (Ab).
- F7 (Dominant 7th): Fret string 4 at the 8th fret (Eb) or string 1 at the 8th fret (Eb).
The unison Fs on strings 3 and 2 also provide excellent opportunities for melodic phrasing, slides, and double-stops that retain the core F tonality.
How to Tune:
This tuning involves significant string tension changes from standard E-A-D-G-B-E tuning. Particular care should be taken, especially with strings tuned down 4 or more semitones, as this may require a different string gauge for optimal tension and intonation.
- 6th String (Low E): Tune down 4 semitones from E2 to C2. (Warning: Tuning down 4 semitones is a significant drop; consider a heavier gauge string.)
- 5th String (A): Tune down 4 semitones from A2 to F2. (Warning: Tuning down 4 semitones is a significant drop; consider a heavier gauge string.)
- 4th String (D): Tune down 2 semitones from D3 to C3.
- 3rd String (G): Tune down 2 semitones from G3 to F3.
- 2nd String (B): Tune down 6 semitones from B3 to F3. (Warning: Tuning down 6 semitones is a very significant drop; a heavier gauge string is strongly advised.)
- 1st String (High E): Tune down 4 semitones from E4 to C4. (Warning: Tuning down 4 semitones is a significant drop; consider a heavier gauge string.)
Tuning Notes:
- 6th String: C2
- 5th String: F2
- 4th String: C3
- 3rd String: F3
- 2nd String: F3
- 1st String: C4
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Tuning Map
- Fret
- S6
- S5
- S4
- S3
- S2
- S1
- -13
- D#
- G#
- C#
- F#
- A#
- D#
- -12
- E
- A
- D
- G
- B
- E
- -11
- F
- A#
- D#
- G#
- C
- F
- -10
- F#
- B
- E
- A
- C#
- F#
- -9
- G
- C
- F
- A#
- D
- G
- -8
- G#
- C#
- F#
- B
- D#
- G#
- -7
- A
- D
- G
- C
- E
- A
- -6
- A#
- D#
- G#
- C#
- F
- A#
- -5
- B
- E
- A
- D
- F#
- B
- -4
- C
- F
- A#
- D#
- G
- C
- -3
- C#
- F#
- B
- E
- G#
- C#
- -2
- D
- G
- C
- F
- A
- D
- -1
- D#
- G#
- C#
- F#
- A#
- D#
- 0
- E
- A
- D
- G
- B
- E
- 1
- F
- A#
- D#
- G#
- C
- F
- 2
- F#
- B
- E
- A
- C#
- F#
- 3
- G
- C
- F
- A#
- D
- G
- 4
- G#
- C#
- F#
- B
- D#
- G#
- 5
- A
- D
- G
- C
- E
- A
- 6
- A#
- D#
- G#
- C#
- F
- A#
- 7
- B
- E
- A
- D
- F#
- B
- -4
- -4
- -2
- -2
- -6
- -4
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