Ronald Hoggan's Happy Accident Tuning

This intriguing guitar tuning, affectionately named "Ronald Hoggan" after its creator's serendipitous discovery, is a true testament to the beauty of happy accidents in music. Born from a missed attempt at tuning to DADGAD due to a lack of glasses, this unique arrangement of notes led to the composition of an entirely new song. It's a tuning that encourages exploration and offers a distinct sonic palette for those looking to venture beyond conventional sounds.

Verbal Analysis:

The "Ronald Hoggan" tuning possesses a dark, resonant, and somewhat mysterious character. The lower strings provide a solid, almost drone-like foundation, while the upper strings introduce a captivating dissonance and complexity. It evokes a mood suitable for introspective folk, blues-infused explorations, atmospheric rock, or even cinematic soundscapes. The unique interval relationships create a tension and release that can be highly expressive, lending itself well to both intricate fingerstyle and powerful strumming, especially with open voicings. Its "happy accident" origin story truly encapsulates the spirit of creative discovery.

Technical Analysis:

The tuning notes are D2 A2 D3 G3 A#4 D#5.

• The bottom three strings (D2, A2, D3) form a powerful D5 chord, providing a strong, open resonance often associated with dropped D or DADGAD tunings.
• Moving up, the G3 string adds a perfect fourth to the D root, creating a Dsus4 feel on the lower strings.
• The most distinctive characteristic lies in the upper two strings: A#4 and D#5. Compared to standard DADGAD (D A D G A D), both the 2nd and 1st strings are altered significantly. The A#4 (a minor sixth or augmented fifth relative to D) and D#5 (a minor ninth or augmented root relative to D) introduce rich, complex harmonic overtones.
• Specifically, the G3-A#4-D#5 combination on the top three strings forms a G minor chord (G, B♭/A#, D/D#), which is a fascinating contrast and adds a distinct minor flavor to the overall open sound, despite the D-centric lower strings.
• Open Chords and Shapes:
  • Open Tuning Voicing: The full open tuning D-A-D-G-A#-D# creates a unique Dsus4 with a minor 6th (A#) and a minor 9th (D#). It's a rich, slightly dissonant, and very evocative sound that defies simple categorization.
  • G minor on Top: A significant discovery is that the open G3, A#4, and D#5 strings together form a perfect G minor triad, opening up opportunities for G minor melodies and arpeggios on the higher register without fretting.
  • Easy Barre Chords: Due to the consistent intervals (Perfect 5th, Perfect 4th, Perfect 4th, Minor 3rd, Perfect 4th), a single-finger barre across all six strings at any fret will yield interesting, complex chord voicings that maintain the tuning's unique harmonic signature. For example, a barre at the 2nd fret would yield E B E A C F.
  • Arpeggio Potential: The open strings present a series of intervals that can be explored for arpeggios, creating unexpected melodic contours.
• This tuning offers a departure from standard chord shapes, inviting players to discover new voicings and melodic possibilities, particularly favoring a minor or bluesy sensibility due to the presence of A# and D#.

Tuning Notes Breakdown

Here's a detailed look at each string's target note in the "Ronald Hoggan" tuning, relative to standard E Standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E).

• String 6 (Low E): D2 - The lowest string is tuned down to D2.
• String 5 (A): A2 - This string remains at A2.
• String 4 (D): D3 - This string remains at D3.
• String 3 (G): G3 - This string remains at G3.
• String 2 (B): A#4 - This string is tuned down to A#4.
• String 1 (High E): D#5 - The highest string is tuned down to D#5.

How to Tune:

Follow these steps to accurately achieve the "Ronald Hoggan" tuning from standard E Standard tuning. Please take care when adjusting string tension. Generally, tuning up 3 or 4 semitones or down more than 4 semitones may require a different string gauge to maintain optimal playability and avoid potential damage. All movements in this tuning are within safe limits for standard guitar strings.

• String 6 (Low E): Tune down 2 semitones to reach D2.
• String 5 (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) at A2.
• String 4 (D): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) at D3.
• String 3 (G): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) at G3.
• String 2 (B): Tune down 1 semitone to reach A#4.
• String 1 (High E): Tune down 1 semitone to reach D#5.