Verbal Analysis

This tuning, famously used by Coldplay for their song "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face" during live performances, particularly around 2012, offers a rich and resonant soundscape. At its core, it's an Open C# minor tuning, which means that when strummed open, the guitar naturally rings out a C# minor chord. This creates an immediate melancholic yet powerful foundation, ideal for atmospheric rock and ballads. The duplicated C# notes on the highest two strings contribute to a shimmering, almost chorused effect, providing excellent sustain and a bright top end that can cut through a mix. Players will find it conducive to strumming open, droning strings, and easily forming barre chords that maintain the C# minor tonality across the fretboard. It allows for creative melodic lines using the open strings as a backdrop, offering a unique sonic texture.

Technical Analysis

This is an Open C# minor tuning, specifically C#3 G#3 C#4 F3 C#5 C#5 (low to high).

• The foundational notes C# G# C# form a strong C# power chord across the lowest three strings.
• The inclusion of F3 on the G string (string 3) completes the C# minor triad (C# - F - G#), as F is the minor third relative to C# (enharmonically E#). This ensures that strumming all open strings produces a clear C# minor chord.
• The highest two strings are both tuned to C#5, an octave above the C#4 on string 4. This unison creates a strong, ringing upper register perfect for arpeggios, sustained melodies, and adding sparkle to strummed chords.
• Compared to standard tuning (E A D G B E), every string except the second string (B string to C#) is tuned down, with significant drops on the lowest and highest strings, indicating a lower overall tension and a deeper, more resonant feel.

Open Chords and Reachable Shapes

• Open C# Minor: Strumming all strings open yields a beautiful C# minor chord, providing an immediate harmonic foundation.
• Barre Chords: Due to the open minor chord nature, simply barring across any fret (e.g., fret 2 for D# minor, fret 4 for E minor, fret 9 for A minor) will produce minor chords corresponding to the fret position, making complex voicings very accessible.
• Power Chords: The lowest three strings (C# G# C#) make it very easy to play power chords by fretting them at the same position.
• Drones and Melodies: The resonant open C# minor chord allows for single-note melodic lines to be played against the sustained open strings, creating a rich, layered sound. The unison C#5 on the top two strings is excellent for creating drone effects or doubling melodic lines for extra fullness.

How to Tune

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

All string adjustments fall within a safe range (less than 4 semitones up or down), so a change in string gauge is generally not required, but always exercise caution when tuning up.

String 6: C3#
String 5: G3#
String 4: C4#
String 3: F3
String 2: C5#
String 1: C5#