Immerse yourself in the captivating sound of Adrianne Lenker's unique tuning for her song "Come." This D.G.D.F#.G.A tuning transforms your guitar into a deeply resonant and harmonically rich instrument, perfect for intricate fingerstyle playing and creating open, ringing chordal landscapes. It evokes a feeling that is both grounded and ethereal, a signature of Lenker's profoundly evocative songwriting.

Technical Analysis

This tuning features the notes D2-G2-D3-F#4-G3-A4 from the lowest (6th) string to the highest (1st) string. It's built around a D major sonority, with two D notes providing a strong root and an F# on the 3rd string firmly establishing its major character. The inclusion of two G notes introduces a suspended 4th (or added 4th) quality, making the open strings ring out as a lush Dsus4/add9 chord. The high A string further solidifies the D harmony, acting as the perfect 5th of D.

• The low D (6th string) and G (5th string) provide a powerful, resonant bass foundation, giving the tuning a deep and full character.
• The D3 (4th string) and F#4 (3rd string) strings create a clear D major third interval, contributing to the overall D major feel.
• An interesting harmonic feature is the semi-tone interval between the 3rd string (F#4) and the 2nd string (G3). This close voicing can be utilized to create distinctive drone effects, introduce melodic tension, or allow for fluid melodic movements.
• This tuning naturally lends itself to D-based chords and their suspended variations, offering ample opportunities to explore unique voicings and open string harmonies due to the varied intervals and repeated notes.

How to Tune Your Guitar (Standard EADGBe to D.G.D.F#.G.A)

Please proceed with care, especially for strings requiring significant pitch changes. Tuning up or down by 4 semitones or more can affect string tension and potentially require a different string gauge for optimal performance and to prevent string breakage. Always tune slowly and check string tension and neck relief.

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 2 semitones from E to D2.
• 5th String (A): Tune down 2 semitones from A to G2.
• 4th String (D): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) at D3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 1 semitone from G to F#4.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 4 semitones from B to G3. (Caution: A lighter gauge string may be advisable for better tension and playability when tuning down 4 semitones.)
• 1st String (High E): Tune up 5 semitones from E to A4. (Caution: Tuning up 5 semitones is significant. A lighter gauge string is strongly recommended to prevent breakage and ensure comfortable playability. Proceed slowly and carefully.)

6th String (Low E): D2
5th String (A): G2
4th String (D): D3
3rd String (G): F#4
2nd String (B): G3
1st String (High E): A4