The 'Rearranged Standard' tuning offers a creative twist on the familiar landscape of a standard-tuned guitar. As its name suggests, it reconfigures the traditional interval relationships, resulting in a fresh sonic palette described as 'kinda funky but cool to play with' by its creator. This tuning invites players to explore new chord voicings and melodic patterns, breathing new life into your playing.

Technical Analysis

The open strings for this tuning are D2-G2-C3-E3-A3-E4, from the lowest (String 6) to the highest (String 1).

Analysing the intervals reveals the following structure (from low to high strings):

• String 6 (D2) to String 5 (G2): Perfect 4th
• String 5 (G2) to String 4 (C3): Perfect 4th
• String 4 (C3) to String 3 (E3): Major 3rd
• String 3 (E3) to String 2 (A3): Perfect 4th
• String 2 (A3) to String 1 (E4): Perfect 5th

Compared to standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-e), the most significant changes include:

• The major third interval, typically found between String 3 (G) and String 2 (B) in standard, is shifted to String 4 (C) and String 3 (E) in this tuning.
• The top two strings (S2-S1) now feature a Perfect 5th interval (A3-E4) instead of the Perfect 4th found in standard (B-E).
• The lowest three strings maintain the Perfect 4th intervals, akin to the bottom three strings of standard EADG tuning, providing a familiar foundation.
• Notably, the third string (E3) and the first string (E4) are an octave apart, which can create rich, resonant harmonies and simplify octave melodic movements across these strings.

Open Chords & Playability

The unique interval layout of 'Rearranged Standard' facilitates several interesting open string voicings and encourages a fresh approach to chord shapes. The open strings are D-G-C-E-A-E.

Some immediate open string chords include:

• Playing Strings 5-4-3 (G-C-E) together yields an open C Major triad.
• Playing Strings 4-3-2 (C-E-A) together forms an open A minor triad.
• Playing Strings 3-2-1 (E-A-E) together creates an open A Major triad.

The tuning's description suggests "shifting all of your regular chord shapes down a string." While the altered intervals mean a direct one-to-one mapping isn't always possible, experienced players will find that adapting familiar chord shapes to these new relationships unlocks innovative sonic textures and playing styles.

How to Tune

To achieve the 'Rearranged Standard' tuning from standard E-A-D-G-B-e, follow these string adjustments:

• String 6 (Low E): Tune down 2 semitones to D2.
• String 5 (A): Tune down 2 semitones to G2.
• String 4 (D): Tune down 2 semitones to C3.
• String 3 (G): Tune down 3 semitones to E3.
• String 2 (B): Tune down 2 semitones to A3.
• String 1 (High E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to E4.

Important Note: While none of the individual string adjustments exceed 4 semitones up or down, this tuning involves significant downtuning across most strings. This will result in a noticeable reduction in overall string tension. Always tune carefully and be mindful of your instrument's setup. If you experience fret buzz or intonation issues, a professional setup may be beneficial.

String 6: D2

String 5: G2

String 4: C3

String 3: E3

String 2: A3

String 1: E4