Tuning Analysis: C# Enigma

This unique tuning, aptly named "C# Enigma," perfectly embodies its creator's description of sounding "sad but also mysterious." It departs significantly from standard tuning, offering a palette rich in tension, deep resonance, and unusual harmonic possibilities. Guitarists seeking to evoke introspective, atmospheric, or even slightly unsettling moods will find this tuning particularly inspiring.

Verbal Analysis:

The immediate impression of "C# Enigma" is one of profound depth and a subtle, melancholic beauty. The lowest strings provide a weighty foundation, with the 5th string tuned to A2 and the 6th to C#3, creating a wide, open interval that can feel both expansive and grounding. However, the true mystery unfolds higher up the neck. The startling minor second interval between the 4th string (E3) and the 3rd string (F3) is the heart of this tuning's enigmatic character. This semitone creates a continuous, underlying tension, ensuring that even seemingly simple voicings will carry an emotional weight. The open strings avoid a straightforward major or minor chord, leaning instead towards complex clusters that invite experimentation. It's a tuning that rewards exploration, encouraging non-traditional chord shapes and melodic ideas, and is perfect for atmospheric soundscapes.

Technical Analysis:

The open notes for C# Enigma are from lowest to highest: C#3, A2, E3, F3, A3, E4. Let's break down the intervals between adjacent strings:

• 6th String (C#3) to 5th String (A2): This is a descending major third or an ascending minor sixth (A2 to C#3). This broad interval in the lower register creates a rich, open bass sound.
• 5th String (A2) to 4th String (E3): A perfect fifth (7 semitones). This provides a stable, resonant base for open string harmonies.
• 4th String (E3) to 3rd String (F3): A minor second (1 semitone). This is the tuning's most defining characteristic, introducing a strong, often dissonant tension that contributes significantly to the "mysterious" feel. This interval will require careful fretting and muting to control its impact.
• 3rd String (F3) to 2nd String (A3): A major third (4 semitones). This is a common and harmonically pleasing interval, which helps to balance the tension from the lower strings.
• 2nd String (A3) to 1st String (E4): A perfect fifth (7 semitones). Another stable interval, allowing for ringing open voicings and drone possibilities.

While standard chord shapes will be largely unusable, this tuning opens doors to unique harmonic clusters. For example, playing strings 5, 4, and 2 (A2, E3, A3) yields an open fifth and octave, providing a strong, resonant drone. The combination of strings 6, 5, and 4 (C#3, A2, E3) creates an inverted A Major triad (A-C#-E). However, the F3 on the 3rd string will frequently clash with or dramatically alter these more conventional sounds, requiring a deliberate approach to composition. Players might find themselves gravitating towards arpeggiated figures, sustained drones, and voicings that exploit the minor second tension for dramatic effect. This tuning is not ideal for fast, conventional lead playing but excels in creating atmospheric soundscapes and deeply textured rhythms.

How to Tune to C# Enigma (from Standard EADGBe):

To achieve the C# Enigma tuning, follow these adjustments from standard EADGBe:

• 6th String (Low E to C#3): Tune down 3 semitones.
• 5th String (A to A2): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• 4th String (D to E3): Tune up 2 semitones.
• 3rd String (G to F3): Tune down 2 semitones.
• 2nd String (B to A3): Tune down 2 semitones.
• 1st String (High E to E4): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).

Important Considerations: The 6th string requires tuning down 3 semitones, which is a moderate change. The 4th string is tuned up 2 semitones. While these movements are generally within safe limits for standard strings, always tune carefully and ensure your guitar's intonation is checked after making such adjustments. If you plan to use tunings involving movements of 4 or more semitones (up or down) frequently, considering a different string gauge or a guitar setup for lower/higher tension is advisable for optimal playability and string longevity.

Open String Notes

6th String: C#3 (The lowest string, tuned to C# an octave below Middle C. This provides a deep, resonant bass.)

5th String: A2 (An incredibly low A, two octaves below Middle C. It sits below the 6th string's C#, offering an even deeper foundation.)

4th String: E3 (Tuned to E an octave below Middle C, forming a perfect fifth with the 5th string's A2.)

3rd String: F3 (Tuned to F an octave below Middle C. This note creates a distinct minor second interval with the 4th string's E3, introducing the tuning's characteristic tension.)

2nd String: A3 (Tuned to A above Middle C. This note creates a major third interval with the 3rd string's F3.)

1st String: E4 (The highest string, tuned to E an octave above Middle C. This matches the standard high E string, providing a familiar high register.)