Tuning Analysis: Ben Howard's CGA#A#FC (Small Things)

This unique guitar tuning, famously used by Ben Howard for his song "Small Things," offers a deep, resonant, and somewhat melancholic soundscape. It shifts away significantly from standard EADGBe, creating new harmonic possibilities and a distinctive voice for the instrument. The tuning emphasizes low C notes and includes a prominent minor seventh (A#) along with an interesting F, giving it a modal and open quality.

Technical Breakdown:

• The open strings are tuned to: C2-G2-A#3-A#4-F3-C4 (from lowest to highest pitched strings).
• Low End Focus: The lowest string is tuned down four semitones to C2, providing a powerful, deep foundation. The highest string is also brought down four semitones to C4, reinforcing the tonic an octave higher.
• Fifth and Minor Seventh: The 5th string is G2, a perfect fifth above the low C. The 4th and 3rd strings are both tuned to A# (Bb), an octave apart (A#3 and A#4). This A# serves as the minor seventh of C, immediately imparting a C minor 7th or C Dorian/Phrygian tonality to the open strings.
• Suspended Quality: The 2nd string is an F3. When combined with the C, G, and A# (Bb), the open strings effectively form a C minor 7th chord with an added F (C-F-G-A#), which functions as a suspended 4th or an 11th. This creates an ethereal, open, and slightly unresolved sound, perfect for atmospheric and introspective music.
• Drone and Resonance: The duplicated A# notes (4th and 3rd strings) create a natural drone, while the C-octave relationship between the 6th and 1st strings provides a strong, unifying resonance.

Open Chords and Playability:

Playing all open strings yields a rich, complex chord, best described as a C minor 7th (C, G, A#) with an added F. This chord is inherently melancholic and expansive. Due to the unique spacing and note choices, this tuning encourages:

• Drone Textures: The low C and G, combined with the doubled A#s, make it easy to create sustained drone effects and open, ringing harmonies.
• Fretted Minor 7ths and Suspended Chords: Simple one or two-finger shapes can easily create variations of C minor 7th, Csus4, or C7sus4 chords, allowing for quick melodic and harmonic shifts.
• Melodic Opportunities: The clustered A# and F notes in the middle range offer interesting melodic intervals that can be explored with fingerpicking, leading to unique arpeggios and riffs.
• Unique Voicings: Barring across specific frets, especially lower ones, will produce voicings that are impossible in standard tuning, opening up new harmonic landscapes for composition and improvisation.

How to Tune:

To achieve CGA#A#FC tuning from standard EADGBe, carefully adjust each string as follows:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 4 semitones from E2 to C2. *Note: This is a significant drop. Consider a heavier gauge string for optimal tension and tone.
• 5th String (A): Tune down 2 semitones from A2 to G2.
• 4th String (D): Tune down 4 semitones from D3 to A#3. *Note: This is a significant drop. Consider a heavier gauge string for optimal tension and tone.
• 3rd String (G): Tune up 3 semitones from G3 to A#4. *Note: This is a notable increase in tension. Exercise caution when tuning up.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 6 semitones from B3 to F3. *Note: This is a substantial drop. Consider a heavier gauge string for optimal tension and tone.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 4 semitones from E4 to C4. *Note: This is a significant drop. Consider a heavier gauge string for optimal tension and tone.

Always tune slowly and carefully to avoid damaging your strings or instrument. Adjusting string gauges is highly recommended for movements exceeding four semitones (up or down) or at four semitones, to ensure proper tension, intonation, and string longevity. For increases of three or more semitones, always exercise caution.

Open String Notes (Low to High):

• 6th String: C2
• 5th String: G2
• 4th String: A#3
• 3rd String: A#4
• 2nd String: F3
• 1st String: C4