Tuning Overview: Almost Tuning

"Almost Tuning" is a deeply reconfigured guitar tuning, originally crafted for a specific song and offered as a unique sonic landscape for others to explore. It deviates significantly from standard EADGBe, creating a distinctive and resonant character. This tuning provides a fresh palette for players seeking non-traditional harmonies and voicings.

Technical Analysis

The open strings are set to D2-A2-B2-C#3-A3-C#4 (low to high). This arrangement immediately establishes a D-centric tonality, with the lowest two strings forming a powerful D5 (D-A) power chord foundation. The collection of open notes – D, A, B, C# – suggests a D Major 7 chord (D-A-C#) with an added B (the Major 6th), resulting in a rich, sophisticated, and potentially melancholic or ethereal quality. The presence of octave unisons for the A (strings 5 and 2) and C# (strings 3 and 1) enhances depth and sustain, lending itself well to lush arpeggios and drone effects.

Due to its significant departure from standard tuning, familiar chord shapes will need to be re-learned or entirely new voicings discovered. However, the open strings themselves form a beautiful and complex open chord (a D Major 7 with an added 6th). By barring this open shape across the fretboard, families of similar chords can be easily accessed; for example, barring at the 2nd fret would yield an E Major 7 add 6 chord. The wide intervals and specific note choices make this tuning particularly suitable for ambient soundscapes, fingerstyle arrangements, or compositions that require a non-traditional harmonic foundation, encouraging creative exploration of the fretboard.

How to Tune from Standard EADGBe

To achieve "Almost Tuning" from standard EADGBe, carefully follow these instructions using a reliable tuner. Pay particular attention to the magnitude of the semitone changes.

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 2 semitones to D2.
• 5th String (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) at A2.
• 4th String (D): Tune down 3 semitones to B2.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 6 semitones to C#3. Important: A change of this magnitude (-6 semitones) is substantial. If this string feels excessively loose, buzzes, or doesn't intonate well, consider using a heavier gauge string to maintain proper tension and tone.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 2 semitones to A3.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 3 semitones to C#4.

As a general guideline, for any string movements exceeding 4 semitones (up or down), considering a different string gauge is advisable for optimal playability, intonation, and to prevent potential damage or breakage, especially when tuning up. In this tuning, the primary concern is the significant drop on the 3rd string.

Here are the specific notes for each string in "Almost Tuning", from lowest (6th string) to highest (1st string):

• 6th String: D2 (The D two octaves below Middle C)
• 5th String: A2 (The A one octave below Middle C)
• 4th String: B2 (The B one octave below Middle C)
• 3rd String: C#3 (The C-sharp below Middle C)
• 2nd String: A3 (The A above Middle C)
• 1st String: C#4 (The C-sharp above Middle C)