Tuning Overview: Tristan Welles' Instagram Tuning

This unique guitar tuning, sourced from musician Tristan Welles' Instagram, offers a distinctive and harmonically rich soundscape that diverges significantly from standard guitar tuning. It creates an intriguing blend of minor tonality with open string tension, providing fresh melodic and harmonic possibilities for players looking to explore beyond traditional boundaries. The open voicing can sound both melancholic and expansive, making it ideal for fingerstyle, atmospheric compositions, or inventive chordal work.

Technical Analysis

The open strings are tuned to D2-F2-E3-A3-C4-E4 (from low E to high E string). Let's break down the intervals and implications:

• Low Strings (D2, F2): The lowest two strings form a minor third interval (D to F), providing a solid foundation for minor chords and power chords with a darker character.
• Middle Strings (E3, A3, C4): The E3 on the 4th string creates an interesting tension against the F2 on the 5th string (a major 7th up). The A3-C4 interval (minor third) complements the lower strings, while A3-E3 (perfect 4th) offers a familiar solid interval.
• High String (E4): The highest string is tuned to E4, forming a major third with C4 (String 2). This E4 provides a bright, open major ninth extension to a D minor chord.

When strummed open, the full set of notes (D-F-E-A-C-E) creates a complex voicing that can be interpreted as a D minor 9 chord with an added E natural on the 4th string. The inherent D minor 7 (D-F-A-C) is strongly present, with the E notes adding both harmonic richness and a subtle dissonance that can be highly effective.

Chords and Playability

Due to the open string configuration, several chord shapes become readily accessible or take on new voicings:

• D Minor Shapes: The strong presence of D, F, A, and C makes D minor, D minor 7, and D minor 9 chords very natural to play, often with open strings enriching the sound.
• F Major and C Major: F major triads (F-A-C) can be easily voiced across strings 5, 3, and 2. Similarly, C major (C-E-G) can be found using open strings and minimal fretting.
• A Minor: The open strings A3, C4, and E4 (strings 3, 2, 1) form a perfect A minor triad, making this chord very resonant and easy to play.
• Unique Harmonies: The dissonant yet compelling interval between F2 and E3 (string 5 and 4) can be utilized to create suspended chords, jazz voicings, or drone-like textures with minimal effort. Barre chords will also produce interesting parallel harmonies.

How to Tune

To achieve Tristan Welles' Instagram Tuning, start from standard EADGBe tuning and adjust your strings as follows:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 2 semitones from E2 to D2.
• 5th String (A): Tune down 4 semitones from A2 to F2. Caution: Tuning down 4 semitones is a significant drop. If you notice excessive floppiness or intonation issues, a heavier gauge string is advised.
• 4th String (D): Tune up 2 semitones from D3 to E3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune up 2 semitones from G3 to A3.
• 2nd String (B): Tune up 1 semitone from B3 to C4.
• 1st String (High E): Keep as is; no change from E4 to E4 (0 semitones).

Always tune carefully and incrementally to avoid string breakage, especially when tuning strings up.

String 6: D2 (Low D)

String 5: F2

String 4: E3

String 3: A3

String 2: C4

String 1: E4 (High E)