The Frisbee Drone Tuning, famously utilized by Ringo Deathstarr in their track 'Frisbee', is a distinctive and resonant alteration from standard guitar tuning, designed to create a massive, open soundscape. This tuning plunges the guitar into a deeply drone-like state, centered around a powerful D major tonality without the fifth, providing a vast canvas for atmospheric and shoegaze styles.

Verbal Analysis

Imagine a colossal, shimmering wall of sound – that's the essence of this tuning. The lowest three strings are all tuned to D (D2-D2-D3), creating an incredibly deep and resonant bass foundation that thunders with a unified drone. Above this, the highest three strings are all tuned to F# (F4#-F4#-F4#), adding a bright, ringing major third interval that lifts the sound without becoming overly dominant. This combination of D and F# across multiple octaves produces a sound that is both expansive and harmonically rich, lending itself perfectly to open string chords, sustained notes, and massive power chords that will feel enormous. The absence of a perfect fifth (A) keeps the sound open and non-committal, allowing for creative melodic and harmonic exploration. It's a tuning that invites sonic experimentation, perfect for creating lush, sustained textures and swirling soundscapes, characteristic of the shoegaze genre.

Technical Analysis

This tuning sets the open strings to: D2, D2, D3, F4#, F4#, F4#. When strummed openly, this configuration produces a D major triad (root and major third) spread across several octaves, with the fifth (A) conspicuously absent. The low end is profoundly fortified by the unison D2 and octave D3, providing immense sustain and a fundamental bass note. The upper F4# unison and octave provide a bright, ringing quality, completing the D major harmony. This setup facilitates massive open chords that resonate with an underlying D major quality. Power chords on the lower strings will be exceptionally heavy, and the repeated F# notes on the higher strings make fingerings for F# related chords or melodic passages very accessible and resonant. The substantial down-tuning on several strings, particularly the 5th, 2nd, and 1st, will significantly reduce string tension, requiring careful consideration of string gauge for optimal playability and intonation.

Open Chords & Shapes

The open strings themselves form a D major chord (1-1-octave-M3-M3-M3) without the 5th, making it instantly sound full and harmonious. Due to the unison and octave tunings, simple two-finger shapes can create complex harmonies. For example, barring across the 6th, 5th, and 4th strings at any fret will always produce a resonant power chord with a strong root. Similarly, barring the top three strings will create a ringing F# major voicing. Experimenting with a single finger across various frets will yield interesting intervallic and chordal voicings. Given the D-F# relationship, chords in the D major family (D, Dmaj7, Dadd9) are easily accessible with minimal fretwork, as are relative minor chords (B minor) if you fret the necessary notes.

How to Tune

To achieve the Frisbee Drone Tuning from standard E Standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-e), follow these specific adjustments for each string:

• 6th String (Low E): From its standard E2, tune down 2 semitones. The target note for this string is D2. This movement is within a safe range for standard string gauges.
• 5th String (A): From its standard A2, tune down 7 semitones. The target note for this string is D2. Caution: A significant drop of 7 semitones (more than 4 semitones) can lead to very low string tension. Consider using a heavier gauge string to maintain tension and avoid string flop.
• 4th String (D): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). This string remains at D3.
• 3rd String (G): From its standard G3, tune down 1 semitone. The ultimate target note for this string is F4#.
• 2nd String (B): From its standard B3, tune down 5 semitones. The ultimate target note for this string is F4#. Caution: A substantial drop of 5 semitones (more than 4 semitones) can significantly loosen the string. Consider using a heavier gauge string.
• 1st String (High E): From its standard E4, tune down 10 semitones. The ultimate target note for this string is F4#. Caution: A very drastic drop of 10 semitones (more than 4 semitones) will result in extreme slackness. A much heavier gauge string is strongly advised to prevent poor intonation and ensure playability.

Here are the target notes for the Frisbee Drone Tuning, from the thickest (6th) string to the thinnest (1st) string:

• 6th String: D2
• 5th String: D2
• 4th String: D3
• 3rd String: F4#
• 2nd String: F4#
• 1st String: F4#