The Ascending Drone: A Deep Dive into Sonic Exploration

Verbal Analysis

True to its original description, this 7-string guitar tuning, originally dubbed "Spiral Downtune," dives deep into the realm of the experimental and unconventional. It's a tuning that seems to challenge traditional guitar playing, aiming for a distinctive sonic landscape rather than conventional harmony. The overall feel is one of immense resonance and a captivating, almost haunting drone, spanning an impressive five octaves from the lowest C#2 to the highest C#5.

This isn't a tuning for casual strumming; it's a specialized tool for musicians looking to create unique textures, deep, resonant soundscapes, or powerful, dissonant riffs. It encourages a focus on single-note lines, two-note intervals, and sustained sonic exploration rather than traditional chord voicings. Its "insane" nature, as suggested by the creator, opens doors to sounds rarely heard from a conventional guitar setup.

Technical Analysis

• Instrument: 7-string Guitar
• Tuning Notes (Low to High): C#2, G1, C#3, G2, C#4, G3, C#5
• Core Pattern: The tuning presents a consistent alternation between C# and G across its seven strings, with each subsequent C# and G note appearing an octave higher than the previous one. This creates a powerful, multi-octave drone between these two notes.
• Key Intervals: The most striking aspect is the persistent tritone (augmented 4th or diminished 5th) interval between adjacent strings (C# to G, G to C#). This interval is known for its tension and dissonance, giving the tuning an inherent edge. When all strings are played open, the result is a massive, resonant two-note chord (C#/G) spread across five octaves, creating a dense, often dark, or avant-garde harmonic bed.
• Chords and Playability:
  • Open Voicings: The open strings themselves form a unique C#/G tritone drone, ideal for atmospheric intros, heavy riffs, or experimental sound design.
  • Power Chords: Simple power chords (root-5th) on individual C# or G strings are easily accessible. For example, a C#5 can be played on any C# string by fretting the 5th, and a G5 on any G string.
  • Complex Chords: Traditional major or minor barre chords will likely produce highly dissonant and unconventional sounds due to the inherent tritone intervals and octave jumps. This tuning is not designed for standard chordal playing but rather for exploring unique harmonic textures.
  • Melodic Potential: The consistent C#/G pattern across octaves makes this tuning excellent for melodic lines that emphasize these two notes, creating a sense of scale or mode around C# or G with a strong tritone flavor.

How to Tune

To achieve 'The Ascending Drone' tuning, follow these specific string movements. Please pay close attention to the number of semitones and consider string gauge recommendations for higher tension changes.

• String 7 (Lowest C#): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The target note is C2#.
• String 6 (G): Tune up 1 semitone. The target note is G1.
• String 5 (C#): Tune up 2 semitones. The target note is C3#.
• String 4 (G): Tune up 3 semitones. The target note is G2.
• String 3 (C#): Tune up 4 semitones. The target note is C4#. Caution is advised as tuning up 4 semitones can significantly increase string tension.
• String 2 (G): Tune up 5 semitones. The target note is G3. Warning: Tuning up 5 semitones exceeds typical recommendations for standard string gauges. A lighter gauge string is strongly advised for this string to prevent breakage and neck damage.
• String 1 (Highest C#): Tune up 6 semitones. The target note is C5#. Warning: Tuning up 6 semitones (a tritone) will put extreme tension on the string. A significantly lighter gauge string is highly recommended, and care should be taken with your instrument's neck.

Here are the specific notes for each string, from the lowest (String 7) to the highest (String 1):

• String 7: C2#
• String 6: G1
• String 5: C3#
• String 4: G2
• String 3: C4#
• String 2: G3
• String 1: C5#