CGDGCD# Guitar Tuner

CGDGCD# | CGDGCE♭ Cgdgcd# - Guitar tuning, chords & scales

Description - Cgdgcd#

justin st-pierre - commandathe canadian fingerstyle guitar competition 2012

Verbal Analysis

This unique tuning, prominently used by Justin St-Pierre for his performance in the Canadian Fingerstyle Guitar Competition in 2012, is known as C-G-D-G-C-D#. It's a deeply resonant and harmonically rich tuning, exceptionally well-suited for intricate fingerstyle compositions. The low C and G notes establish a powerful and authoritative bass foundation, while the higher strings introduce intriguing minor tonalities and extensions. This gives the overall tuning a somewhat dark, expressive, and sophisticated character, ideal for creating lush soundscapes and complex musical textures.

Technical Analysis

The open strings are set to C2-G2-D3-G3-C4-D5#. Analyzing the intervals relative to the lowest C (C2):

String 6 (C2): The fundamental root note.
String 5 (G2): A perfect fifth above C, providing harmonic stability and depth.
String 4 (D3): A major second (or 9th) relative to C, adding a rich, open quality to the chord.
String 3 (G3): An octave higher of the perfect fifth, reinforcing the G.
String 2 (C4): An octave of the root C, creating strong resonance.
String 1 (D5#): Enharmonically Eb5, this note is a minor third above C, defining a distinct minor tonality. Its high register provides a bright, cutting, and sometimes melancholic upper voice.

The resulting open string chord is a C minor (add9), which produces a full, complex, and evocative sound when played open. The arrangement of C-G-D-G-C across the strings offers versatile possibilities for drones, arpeggios, and powerful bass lines. While many standard chord shapes will require adaptation due to the altered intervals, the open C minor (add9) chord and shapes built around the numerous octaves and fifths are readily accessible. The prominent D# (Eb) on the highest string can be utilized for striking melodic phrases or to introduce unique harmonic tensions within compositions.

How to Tune

To achieve this specific tuning from standard EADGBe, carefully follow these steps:

String 6 (Low E): Tune down 4 semitones to C2. (Note: This is a significant drop. For optimal string tension, tone, and to avoid floppiness, a heavier gauge string is strongly advised for this string.)
String 5 (A): Tune down 2 semitones to G2.
String 4 (D): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) at D3.
String 3 (G): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) at G3.
String 2 (B): Tune up 1 semitone to C4.
String 1 (High E): Tune down 1 semitone to D5#.

Important Note on String Gauge: As string 6 is tuned down by 4 semitones, it falls within the range where a heavier gauge string is recommended. This will help maintain proper string tension, enhance sustain, and ensure better playability compared to using a standard gauge string at such a low tuning.

Here are the notes for each string in this tuning, from lowest (thickest) to highest (thinnest):