Tuning Analysis: C# Jank

The 'C# Jank' tuning is a unique and harmonically rich alternate tuning for the guitar, famously used by the band Jank in songs like "Ouran Highschool Toast Club," "Wut I Liek Abt U," and "\/\/eed is tight." This tuning creates a bright, expansive, and slightly melancholic sonic landscape due to its extended major chord voicing. It offers a distinct texture that is often associated with indie rock and emo genres.

Technically, the open strings of this tuning form a C# major 9th (add 6th) chord, specifically C# G# C# F A# D#. Let's break down the intervals relative to the root C#:

• Low C# (6th string): The root note, providing a deep and resonant foundation.
• G# (5th string): The perfect fifth, reinforcing the harmonic stability.
• C# (4th string): An octave of the root, adding fullness and power to the lower register.
• F (3rd string): This acts as the major third (E#) of C#, giving the tuning its distinctly major quality.
• A# (2nd string): The major sixth, which adds a sophisticated and open character.
• D# (1st string): The major ninth, contributing to the bright and extended harmony.

This combination of notes allows for the easy creation of lush, ringing open chords with a characteristic major nine/thirteen sound. The presence of octaves on the 6th and 4th strings (C#) along with the 5th (G#) creates a powerful core. The major 3rd, 6th, and 9th extensions make this tuning particularly suitable for atmospheric clean tones, complex chord voicings, and melodic lead lines that stand out. Barre chords across the fretboard will naturally transpose this rich harmonic structure, making it easy to play in different keys while retaining the tuning's unique flavor. Due to the significant drops in pitch across most strings, particularly the low E string being tuned down 3 semitones, players may experience looser string tension. While none of the individual string movements exceed the general recommendation of tuning down more than 4 semitones (where a string gauge change is often advised), the overall slackness could facilitate bends and vibrato, but might also require a slightly heavier string gauge for optimal playability and to avoid excessive fret buzz depending on guitar setup.

How to Tune: C# Jank

To achieve the 'C# Jank' tuning from standard EADGBe:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 3 semitones to C#.
• 5th String (A): Tune down 1 semitone to G#.
• 4th String (D): Tune down 1 semitone to C#.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 2 semitones to F.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 1 semitone to A#.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 1 semitone to D#.

Note: When tuning strings down more than 4 semitones or up more than 4 semitones, it is generally advised to consider a different string gauge to maintain proper tension and intonation. For this specific tuning, the movements are within typical limits for standard string gauges, but string tension will be noticeably slacker overall.

Here are the notes for each string in C# Jank tuning:

• String 6: C3#
• String 5: G3#
• String 4: C4#
• String 3: F3
• String 2: A4#
• String 1: D5#