Verbal Description

The "Blood On The Valley Floor" tuning, famously utilized by Soundgarden, is a deep, raw, and immensely powerful sonic landscape. It immediately conjures a heavy, resonant, and slightly ominous atmosphere, perfectly embodying the grunge and hard rock aesthetic Soundgarden was known for. This tuning is a thoughtful synthesis of two tunings the band had previously explored, culminating in a truly unique and potent configuration. With a low C as its bedrock, the tuning offers profound depth and a guttural growl that underpins its overall character. The open strings, C-G-D-G-G-E, ring out to create a rich, layered harmonic texture. The prominent G notes, notably the unison on the 3rd and 2nd strings, establish a compelling drone-like quality and a wide, open resonance. While the highest E string remains standard, allowing for familiar melodic phrasing and leads, it strikingly contrasts with the dense, droning, and heavy lower strings. This setup is ideal for crafting colossal power chords, sustained, impactful riffs, and exploring darker, more intricate harmonic structures. Open chords in this tuning will often feel powerful and suspended, while a single-finger barre across the lower strings can produce remarkably unique and massive intervallic clusters.

Technical Analysis

This tuning sets your Guitar to the sequence of notes C2-G2-D3-G3-G3-E4, from lowest to highest string.

• Root Note: The lowest string is tuned to C2, establishing a very deep and fundamental bass voice for the tuning.
• Open Intervals Between Adjacent Strings:
  • String 6 (C2) to String 5 (G2): Perfect 5th (P5)
  • String 5 (G2) to String 4 (D3): Perfect 5th (P5)
  • String 4 (D3) to String 3 (G3): Perfect 4th (P4)
  • String 3 (G3) to String 2 (G3): Unison (P1)
  • String 2 (G3) to String 1 (E4): Major 6th (M6)
• Harmonic Structure: The open C2, G2, and D3 strings form a powerful C suspended 2nd chord (Csus2) or a robust combination of C5, G5, and D5 power chords. The subsequent unison G3 on the 3rd and 2nd strings creates a rich, sustained drone. The highest E4 adds a major 6th interval above the Gs, providing a touch of brightness and melodic potential despite the tuning's low foundation. This unique structure facilitates diatonic and pentatonic melodies on the upper E string over a sustained, heavy harmonic bed.
• Chord Possibilities: Due to the open string intervals, a single-finger barre across the lower C-G-D-G-G strings at any fret will immediately yield a powerful, harmonically dense chord, often a variant of a power chord or suspended chord. Open position chords rooted in C, G, or D will resonate with exceptional fullness. Chords incorporating suspended or dominant qualities are particularly accessible and impactful due to the prevalent Perfect 5th and Perfect 4th intervals in the lower register.

How to Tune

To accurately achieve the "Blood On The Valley Floor" tuning from standard EADGBe, please follow these precise string adjustments:

• String 6 (Low E to C2): Tune down 4 semitones. This is a significant drop; caution is advised to prevent string breakage, and a heavier gauge string is strongly recommended for optimal tension, intonation, and tone stability.
• String 5 (A to G2): Tune down 2 semitones.
• String 4 (D to D3): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 3 (G to G3): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 2 (B to G3): Tune down 4 semitones. This is a significant drop; caution is advised to prevent string breakage, and a heavier gauge string is strongly recommended for optimal tension, intonation, and tone stability.
• String 1 (High E to E4): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).

String 6: C2 (Low C)

String 5: G2

String 4: D3

String 3: G3

String 2: G3

String 1: E4 (High E)