Tuning Analysis: Sleeptoken's Eden Drop C#

This unique 7-string guitar tuning, famously used by Sleep Token for "Take Me Back To Eden," is a masterclass in heavy, resonant sound design, pushing the boundaries of conventional guitar tunings.

Verbal Analysis:

From a player's perspective, this tuning feels incredibly deep and dark. The massive drop in pitch across nearly all strings creates an exceptionally heavy foundation, perfect for modern metal, progressive rock, and atmospheric soundscapes. The lowest three strings (C#2, G#2, C#3) immediately form a potent C# power chord, making chunky, low-end riffs incredibly easy to achieve with minimal effort. This provides a solid, menacing drone for rhythm work.

The inclusion of B2 on the 3rd string is particularly intriguing, creating a very low, almost guttural note in the middle of the guitar's range. This unexpected drop allows for interesting melodic counterpoints or even dissonant harmony when combined with the surrounding strings. While not designed for easy open chord strumming in a traditional sense, the arrangement facilitates specific voicings and powerful, wide-interval riffs. It's a tuning that rewards exploration and is clearly crafted for intricate, powerful compositions rather than conventional playing.

Technical Analysis:

This 7-string tuning consists of the notes: C#2, G#2, C#3, F#3, B2, D#4, G#4 (from thickest to thinnest string).

• The foundation is laid by the lowest three strings: C#2-G#2-C#3. This is a clear C#5 power chord (Root-Fifth-Octave), making heavy, drop-tuned riffs extremely accessible and potent.
• Continuing to the 4th string, F#3 is a perfect fourth above C#3. This maintains a strong, metal-friendly series of perfect fourths and fifths (C#-G#-C#-F#) that are ideal for power chord shapes across the lower strings.
• A significant deviation occurs on the 3rd string, which is tuned to B2. This means the pitch actually drops a perfect fifth from the 4th string's F#3. This creates a large interval jump, breaking conventional scale patterns and offering a unique low voice in the upper register.
• The 2nd string is D#4, a major tenth (octave + major third) above B2.
• Finally, the 1st string is G#4, a perfect fourth above D#4.

This specific arrangement is far from a standard tuning. The intervals are highly unconventional beyond the initial power chord formation, especially the F#3 to B2 drop. This suggests the tuning is engineered to facilitate specific melodic lines, arpeggios, and heavy riffs that leverage the unique intervals and low registers, rather than providing easy access to diatonic open chords. The open C# power chord (C#2, G#2, C#3) is very prominent. The higher strings (B2, D#4, G#4) form a B major 6th without the 5th (B-D#-G#) or a G# minor chord over a B root. This blend of C# power and B major/G# minor elements allows for complex harmonic textures that can shift from heavy and dark to more melancholic or even bright depending on the melodic context.

How to Tune:

To achieve Sleeptoken's Eden Drop C#, you will be making significant adjustments to your strings. Please be mindful of string tension. For tuning adjustments exceeding 4 semitones (either up or down), it is often advisable to consider a heavier or lighter gauge string respectively, to maintain optimal playability and intonation and prevent string breakage.

• 7th String (Thickest): Tune down 10 semitones to C#2. This is a very substantial drop, making a heavier gauge highly recommended.
• 6th String: Tune down 8 semitones to G#2. A heavier gauge string is advised for this significant drop.
• 5th String: Tune down 8 semitones to C#3. A heavier gauge string is advised for this significant drop.
• 4th String: Tune down 8 semitones to F#3. A heavier gauge string is advised for this significant drop.
• 3rd String: Tune down 8 semitones to B2. A heavier gauge string is advised for this significant drop.
• 2nd String: Tune down 8 semitones to D#4. A heavier gauge string is advised for this significant drop.
• 1st String (Thinnest): Tune down 8 semitones to G#4. A heavier gauge string is advised for this significant drop.

7th String: C#2
6th String: G#2
5th String: C#3
4th String: F#3
3rd String: B2
2nd String: D#4
1st String: G#4