This is a unique Guitar tuning known as DAEEAD. It's specifically noted for its use by Jacob Collier in his piece "Little Blue," suggesting a sophisticated and harmonically rich application. This tuning creates an open, resonant sound that lends itself to a modern, intricate musical style.

Verbal Analysis

Strumming this tuning open yields a bright, full sound dominated by D, A, and E notes across two octaves. The two E notes (on what would be the D and G strings in standard tuning) create a strong, sustained drone, while the two A notes (on what would be the A and B strings) reinforce the perfect fifth. The open tuning naturally forms a Dsus2/Dadd9 chord (D-A-E), providing a sense of openness and suspension without a clear major or minor quality until further fretting. This makes it versatile for both diatonic and modal playing, offering a rich palette for melodic exploration. The arrangement of notes also facilitates easy access to power chords on D and A, and the consistent low D provides a solid root foundation. The doubled notes and specific intervals also mean that simple one-finger barres across certain frets can yield interesting harmonic clusters.

Technical Analysis

The DAEEAD tuning deviates significantly from standard E Standard. Starting from the lowest string (6th) to the highest (1st), the notes and their intervals are:

• 6th String (D2) to 5th String (A2): Perfect Fifth (+7 semitones)
• 5th String (A2) to 4th String (E3): Perfect Fifth (+7 semitones)
• 4th String (E3) to 3rd String (E3): Unison (+0 semitones)
• 3rd String (E3) to 2nd String (A3): Perfect Fourth (+5 semitones)
• 2nd String (A3) to 1st String (D4): Perfect Fourth (+5 semitones)

This unique interval structure, particularly the two consecutive perfect fifths followed by a unison and then two perfect fourths, creates a rich harmonic landscape. The duplication of E3 and A3 notes at different octaves across the fretboard enhances resonance and allows for interesting fingerings that leverage these open-string harmonies. The tuning spans two octaves from D2 to D4, offering a full range for musical expression.

How to Tune

To achieve the DAEEAD tuning from standard E Standard, follow these string adjustments:

• 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 up 2 semitones to E3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 3 semitones to E3.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 2 semitones to A3.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 2 semitones to D4.

These string movements are generally within safe limits for standard gauge guitar strings, as none exceed 4 semitones up or down. However, as a general precaution, when tuning more than 4 semitones (either up or down), it is often advisable to consider a different string gauge to maintain optimal tension and prevent potential string breakage.

String 6: D2
String 5: A2
String 4: E3
String 3: E3
String 2: A3
String 1: D4