Verbal Analysis: The Mystic Chord Unleashed

Prepare for an otherworldly sonic journey with the CF#A#EAD Mystic Chord (Prometheus Chord) tuning for your Guitar. As aptly described in its essence, this tuning is crafted "for atonal music and just for fun," inviting players to explore realms beyond conventional harmony. It directly embodies Alexander Scriabin's famous 'Mystic Chord' (C, F#, B♭, E, A, D), a cornerstone of his unique atonal and spiritual compositions. By tuning your guitar to these specific pitches, you unlock an instrument that inherently resonates with the dissonant, shimmering, and often hypnotic qualities central to Scriabin's work. This isn't a tuning for campfire singalongs; it's a gateway to rich, complex soundscapes, encouraging experimentation and a departure from traditional melodic and harmonic structures.

Technical Analysis: Unpacking the Prometheus Tuning

This tuning sets your Guitar's open strings to the following absolute pitches:

• 6th String (Low E string position): C2
• 5th String (A string position): F#3
• 4th String (D string position): A#3
• 3rd String (G string position): E3
• 2nd String (B string position): A3
• 1st String (High E string position): D4

The open strings themselves form a complex, layered voicing of the Mystic Chord (C-F#-A#-E-A-D). Examining the intervals between adjacent strings reveals the tuning's unique architecture:

• Between the 6th (C2) and 5th (F#3) strings: A compound augmented fourth (tritone + octave, 18 semitones).
• Between the 5th (F#3) and 4th (A#3) strings: A Major Third (4 semitones).
• Between the 4th (A#3) and 3rd (E3) strings: A Perfect Fifth descending (7 semitones down). This creates a unique voicing where string 4 is higher than string 3 in pitch.
• Between the 3rd (E3) and 2nd (A3) strings: A Perfect Fourth (5 semitones).
• Between the 2nd (A3) and 1st (D4) strings: A Perfect Fourth (5 semitones).

This tuning's primary 'open chord' is the Mystic Chord, providing a resonant, full voicing of this famous sonority with a single strum. Due to the intricate and often dissonant intervals, forming conventional major or minor triads and scales will be highly challenging and often require significant finger stretching or re-thinking of chord shapes. Instead, this tuning excels at facilitating clustered harmonies, open voicings of the Mystic Chord, and other atonal or polytonal explorations. Melodies will take on a new character, influenced by the unique intervallic relationships available on the open strings and within easy reach of minimal finger movements. Players should anticipate a need for heavier gauge strings on the lower strings, given the significant downtuning, to maintain optimal tension and tone.

How to Tune Your Guitar to CF#A#EAD Mystic Chord

To achieve the CF#A#EAD Mystic Chord tuning, you will be tuning all strings down from standard EADGBe. Please proceed with care, especially with the larger downward movements. Always use a reliable digital tuner.

• 6th String (Low E String, normally E2): Tune down 4 semitones to C2. Caution: Since this is a drop of 4 semitones, a different gauge string is advised to maintain optimal tension and tone.
• 5th String (A String, normally A2): Tune down 3 semitones to F#3. Take care when adjusting string tension. Note that the target pitch F#3 is an octave higher than what a direct 3-semitone drop from A2 would typically yield (F#2). Tune carefully to the F#3 pitch.
• 4th String (D String, normally D3): Tune down 4 semitones to A#3. Caution: Since this is a drop of 4 semitones, a different gauge string is advised to maintain optimal tension and tone. Note that the target pitch A#3 is an octave higher than what a direct 4-semitone drop from D3 would typically yield (A#2). Tune carefully to the A#3 pitch.
• 3rd String (G String, normally G3): Tune down 3 semitones to E3. Take care when adjusting string tension.
• 2nd String (B String, normally B3): Tune down 2 semitones to A3. Take care when adjusting string tension.
• 1st String (High E String, normally E4): Tune down 2 semitones to D4. Take care when adjusting string tension.

Remember to check your tuning frequently as strings settle into their new tensions.