The Leviathan Tuning lives up to its name, plunging the guitar into a realm of deep, unsettling sonics. As described by its creator, this tuning is "very distorted and clangy, it sounds extraordinarily unsettling and creepy." It's an extreme departure from conventional guitar tunings, designed to evoke a sense of dread and unease through its unusual intervals and wide pitch range. This tuning is ideal for experimental music, atmospheric metal, drone, or film scoring where a dark, alien soundscape is desired.

Technical Analysis

The open notes for this tuning are: D2 A2 C4# G4# D5# E4.

• String 6 (D2) to String 5 (A2): A perfect fifth (7 semitones) forms the foundation, providing a heavy, resonant bass.
• String 5 (A2) to String 4 (C4#): A massive leap of a compound major tenth (16 semitones). This creates a vast, open sonic gap, contributing significantly to the tuning's unsettling character.
• String 4 (C4#) to String 3 (G4#): A perfect fifth (7 semitones).
• String 3 (G4#) to String 2 (D5#): Another perfect fifth (7 semitones). These three strings (C4#, G4#, D5#) form a stack of perfect fifths, offering a bright, high-pitched set of power chord options.
• String 2 (D5#) to String 1 (E4): Here lies one of the most unique and disturbing aspects: a drastic drop of 11 semitones. The highest string, E4, is actually an octave and a semitone lower than the second string, D5#. This inversion of expected string order creates a pronounced dissonance and prevents traditional linear melodic phrasing across these strings.

Harmonic Implications & Usability

The open string combination of D, A, C#, G#, D#, E is highly complex and atonal. It does not readily form conventional major or minor chords, instead creating dense, dissonant clusters. While the low D-A provides a solid root and fifth, the higher strings introduce stark chromaticism and wide intervallic jumps.

The stacked perfect fifths on strings 4, 3, 2 (C# G# D#) lend themselves to aggressive, high-register power chords or droning textures. The unique drop from String 2 to String 1, where E4 sits below D5#, offers opportunities for unique melodic and harmonic clashes, ideal for creating screeching, "clangy" sounds or unexpected harmonic turns. This tuning is not for the faint of heart or those seeking traditional harmony, but rather for explorers of extreme sonic territories.

How to Tune

To achieve the Leviathan Tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these steps:

• String 6 (Low E): Tune to D2. Tune down 2 semitones.
• String 5 (A): Tune to A2. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 4 (D): Tune to C4#. Tune down 1 semitones.
• String 3 (G): Tune to G4#. Tune up 1 semitones.
• String 2 (B): Tune to D5#. Tune up 4 semitones. Caution: Tuning up 4 semitones significantly increases string tension. For sustained use at this pitch, a different gauge string is strongly advised to prevent breakage or neck damage.
• String 1 (High E): Tune to E4. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).

String 6 (Low E): D2 (D, two octaves below middle C)

String 5 (A): A2 (A, two octaves below middle C)

String 4 (D): C4# (C sharp, in the same octave as middle C)

String 3 (G): G4# (G sharp, in the same octave as middle C)

String 2 (B): D5# (D sharp, one octave above middle C)

String 1 (High E): E4 (E, in the same octave as middle C)