Verbal and Technical Analysis

This unique tuning, famously utilized by Jacob Collier during his performance on "Harry," (as referenced here), transforms the guitar into a highly resonant and harmonically rich instrument, leaning heavily into suspended sonorities. It's an open tuning that encourages broad, textural playing and offers a distinct sonic palette.

Technical Breakdown:

• Open Notes: C#3, G#3, D#4, G#4, G#4, D#5
• Chordal Structure: The open strings inherently form a C#sus2 chord (C#, D#, G#). The tuning is heavily voiced with two G#s and two D#s across different octaves, giving it a rich, dense quality. Specifically, it provides the root (C#), the major second/ninth (D#), and the perfect fifth (G#) of C#.
• Intervals from Low to High:
  • C#3 to G#3: Perfect 5th (+7 semitones)
  • G#3 to D#4: Perfect 5th (+7 semitones)
  • D#4 to G#4: Perfect 4th (+5 semitones)
  • G#4 to G#4: Unison (0 semitones)
  • G#4 to D#5: Perfect 5th (+7 semitones)
• This arrangement of 4ths and 5ths creates a powerful, "power chord"-like foundation, particularly on the lower strings, while the unison G#4 adds to the sustain and harmonic complexity in the middle register. The repetition of notes across octaves and strings (G#3, G#4, G#4 and D#4, D#5) makes the open tuning highly resonant.

Playing Potential:

• Open Chords: The fundamental C#sus2 chord is immediately available and highly resonant. By simply barring across all strings at different frets, you can easily transpose this C#sus2 voicing to Dsus2 (1st fret), D#sus2 (2nd fret), etc., creating a quick way to access a range of suspended chords.
• Drone and Melody: The multiple G# and D# notes make it ideal for drone-based playing, allowing for melodic lines to be played against a stable, open harmonic backdrop.
• Unique Voicings: Due to the internal unisons and octave repetitions, even simple two or three-finger chord shapes will yield complex and full voicings that are not possible in standard tuning. The close proximity of D#4 and G#4 (a perfect 4th) and the unison G#4 on strings 3 and 2 offers interesting opportunities for melodic and harmonic embellishments.
• Power Chords: The abundance of perfect fifths lends itself well to powerful, thick-sounding root-fifth chords, making it suitable for rock, folk, or experimental genres where a strong harmonic foundation is desired.

Overall, this is an adventurous and musically rich tuning that invites exploration of new harmonic territories, characteristic of Jacob Collier's innovative approach to music.

How to Tune Your Guitar for Jacob Collier's Harry Performance Tuning

Please follow these instructions carefully to achieve the desired tuning. It's recommended to use a reliable digital tuner. Remember, significant pitch changes (generally more than 4 semitones up or down from standard EADGBe) may warrant a different string gauge to ensure optimal playability and prevent string breakage, although this particular tuning largely stays within safe limits for standard gauge strings. Always tune slowly and carefully.

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