This tuning, which we've named Industrial D Drone, truly lives up to its original evocative description of "Make some noise". It's a heavy, low-end focused tuning with an immense drone quality, ideal for creating thick, resonant soundscapes.

Verbal Analysis

The Industrial D Drone tuning is built for power and resonance. The interplay of doubled D and A strings creates a massive, sustained sound perfect for driving rhythm sections, open, ringing riffs, and profound sound textures. It's a tuning that evokes raw energy and a strong sense of atmospheric depth, making it perfectly suited for genres like heavy metal, doom metal, industrial, or experimental music where a powerful, resonant foundation is key. The wide intervallic drops from standard tuning contribute to a sludgy, almost menacing feel, allowing notes to sustain and blend into a rich, harmonic drone.

Technical Analysis

The open strings are tuned to D2 G2 D3 D3 A3 A3. This configuration significantly deviates from standard EADGBE and offers unique sonic possibilities:

• The low three strings (D2 G2 D3) form a robust foundation, effectively creating a Dsus4 voicing or a powerful D5 chord with an added G, providing incredible depth and thickness.
• The unison D3 notes on strings 4 and 3 create a strong, central drone, reinforcing the root of the tuning.
• The unison A3 notes on strings 2 and 1 add a perfect fifth above the D, completing the power chord structure and contributing clarity and brightness to the overall resonance.

This tuning is exceptionally well-suited for open chord playing. Strumming all open strings yields a formidable Dsus4/D5 voicing. Simple one-finger barres across the neck will instantly create powerful, full-bodied chords (e.g., barring all strings at the 3rd fret produces an Fsus4/F5, at the 5th fret a Gsus4/G5). The duplicated notes (D3 and A3) ensure these chords ring out with maximum fullness and sustain. The layout also encourages drone-based playing and heavy, low-register riffing, where the open strings can be used as resonant anchors.

How to Tune

When preparing your guitar for the Industrial D Drone tuning, please follow these instructions carefully. Remember to tune slowly and carefully to avoid string breakage, especially when tuning up, though this tuning primarily involves tuning down.

• String 6 (Low E): Tune down 2 semitones to D2.
• String 5 (A): Tune down 2 semitones to G2.
• String 4 (D): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to D3.
• String 3 (G): Tune down 5 semitones to D3. Caution: Tuning this string down by 5 semitones is a significant drop. For optimal tone, tension, and to prevent string floppiness, it is advisable to consider using a heavier gauge string for this position.
• String 2 (B): Tune down 2 semitones to A3.
• String 1 (High E): Tune down 7 semitones to A3. Caution: Tuning this string down by 7 semitones is a very substantial drop. To maintain playability, tone, and proper intonation, it is highly recommended to use a much heavier gauge string for this position.

String 6: D2 (The lowest D, two octaves below middle C)

String 5: G2 (G, an octave and a half below middle C)

String 4: D3 (Middle D, an octave below middle C)

String 3: D3 (Unison with String 4, also an octave below middle C)

String 2: A3 (A, just below middle C)

String 1: A3 (Unison with String 2, also A just below middle C)