The C#m11 Scribble Tuning: An Eccentric Open Voicing

This intriguing tuning, aptly named "C#m11 Scribble," truly embodies its origin story. As the original description notes, it was quite literally a scribble, later altered to feature a C# on the 4th string. This tale hints at an experimental, perhaps even accidental, discovery that led to a unique sonic landscape, though the creator ultimately moved back to standard range. It suggests a tuning designed for specific riff ideas rather than broad versatility.

Technical Analysis & Open Chords

This is a 6-string guitar tuning. Let's examine the target notes:

• 6th String (Low): C#2
• 5th String: E1
• 4th String: G#2
• 3rd String: D#3
• 2nd String: F#3
• 1st String (High): B2

When played open, this tuning strikingly forms a full C# minor 11 (C#m11) chord. The notes present are C#, E, G#, B, D#, F#. This provides a rich, complex, and dark harmonic foundation, ideal for atmospheric or progressive music genres. The extremely low E1 on the 5th string, paired with the low B2 on the 1st string, creates a vast intervallic spread, offering unique voicing possibilities that standard tuning simply cannot achieve. The open string configuration itself is a chord, meaning simple strumming will yield a sophisticated harmony.

The wide intervals, especially between strings 5 (E1) and 4 (G#2), and 1 (B2) and 2 (F#3), might require an adjustment in playing style, encouraging arpeggiated figures or drone notes over conventional chord shapes. This tuning leans into its specific harmonic character, making it less of a general-purpose tuning and more of a dedicated tool for particular musical ideas.

How to Tune

Important Note: There appears to be a discrepancy between the target notes for this tuning (listed above, which form C#m11) and the explicit string movement instructions provided. The instructions below strictly follow the given string_movements data as movements from standard EADGBE tuning. Applying these movements will likely result in a different set of open notes than the stated C#m11 tuning. This analysis proceeds by providing the instructions as given in the JSON's string_movements data.

• 6th String (Low E - E2): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The string remains E2.
• 5th String (A - A2): Tune down 2 semitones to G2.
• 4th String (D - D3): Tune down 3 semitones to C3.
• 3rd String (G - G3): Tune down 1 semitone to F#3.
• 2nd String (B - B3): Tune down 3 semitones to G#3.
• 1st String (High E - E4): Tune down 3 semitones to C#4.

Based on the specific semitone movements provided in the string_movements data, none of the individual string adjustments exceed the +/- 4 semitone threshold. Therefore, a change in string gauge is not strictly advised according to these explicit instructions for string stability, though personal preference for tension may vary.

Final Tuning Notes:

6th String: C#2
5th String: E1
4th String: G#2
3rd String: D#3
2nd String: F#3
1st String: B2