Verbal Analysis

The CGCGAD tuning offers a profoundly dark and resonant sound, as noted in its association with Jose Gonzalez's 'Cycling Trivialities'. This tuning lowers most strings significantly, creating a rich, deep sonic landscape. The repeated C and G notes across the lower strings provide a powerful, droning foundation, while the higher A and D add a contemplative, open quality. It's particularly well-suited for fingerstyle arrangements, intricate melodies, and atmospheric compositions, allowing for open, ringing harmonies and deep bass notes that would be impossible in standard tuning. The overall feel is introspective and expansive, lending itself to a folk-infused, melancholic, or even cinematic sound.

Technical Analysis

CGCGAD is a non-standard guitar tuning built around the root note of C, with a strong emphasis on perfect fourths and fifths, creating a resonant sound. The string notes are: C2-G2-C3-G3-A3-D4.

• The lowest four strings (C-G-C-G) form an octave C-G power chord, making it very easy to create huge, droning, resonant chords by simply barring or using a few fingers across these strings.
• The intervals are as follows: a perfect fifth (C2-G2), a perfect fourth (G2-C3), a perfect fifth (C3-G3), a major second (G3-A3), and a perfect fourth (A3-D4).
• This arrangement provides a unique harmonic palette. An open strum across all strings yields the notes C-G-C-G-A-D. This collection of notes can be interpreted as a Cmaj9sus4 (C, G, A, D are present, with repeated C and G). It creates a rich, open, and slightly suspended quality, immediately suggesting a melancholic or contemplative mood.
• Due to the low C and G, power chords are readily accessible and sound particularly full. Simple one-finger barres can yield powerful open voicings. For instance, barring the lower four strings on the 3rd fret would give Eb-Bb-Eb-Bb.
• The G3-A3-D4 on the higher strings offers interesting melodic and harmonic possibilities, allowing for suspensions and open voicings over the strong C-G bass. For example, playing the open G-A-D creates a Gsus4 chord. Combined with the low C, this contributes to the distinctive open sound.

How to Tune

To achieve the CGCGAD tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these steps. Please be mindful of string tension when tuning significantly up or down, especially for string 6, which is tuned down 4 semitones.

• String 6 (Low E): Tune down 4 semitones to C2. Note: As this string is tuned down 4 semitones, close to the recommended limit, consider a heavier gauge string if you plan to use this tuning frequently or for extended periods to maintain optimal tension and tone.
• String 5 (A): Tune down 2 semitones to G2.
• String 4 (D): Tune down 2 semitones to C3.
• String 3 (G): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to G3.
• String 2 (B): Tune down 2 semitones to A3.
• String 1 (High E): Tune down 2 semitones to D4.

String 6: C2

String 5: G2

String 4: C3

String 3: G3

String 2: A3

String 1: D4