The DGDGCB tuning is a captivating and versatile setup, often celebrated in genres like indie rock and shoegaze for its rich textures and expansive sonic palette. As the provided description notes, it's a tuning that users often "love to death" for its unique character and expressive potential.

Technical Analysis

This tuning transforms the standard EADGBe into DGDGCB:

• String 6 (Low E) to D2: A full step down.
• String 5 (A) to G2: A full step down.
• String 4 (D) to D3: Stays the same.
• String 3 (G) to G3: Stays the same.
• String 2 (B) to C4: A half step up.
• String 1 (High E) to B3: A perfect fourth plus a half step down (5 semitones down).

The resultant open string intervals from low to high are particularly interesting:

• D2 to G2: Perfect 4th
• G2 to D3: Perfect 5th
• D3 to G3: Perfect 4th
• G3 to C4: Perfect 4th
• C4 to B3: Minor 2nd (descending)

The lowest four strings (D-G-D-G) immediately present a powerful open Gsus2/D chord or Dsus4 harmony, offering a rich, resonant drone base. This "double drop D" like effect on the lower strings, combined with the repeated D and G, lends itself to big, open power chords and arpeggios. The addition of C4 and B3 on the higher strings creates a unique harmonic cluster. The interval between C4 and B3 (a minor second descending) provides a beautiful, almost shimmering dissonance that's characteristic of shoegaze and ambient sounds, allowing for complex, ringing chords and melodic possibilities that wouldn't be available in standard tuning.

Open Chords and Voicings

The open tuning itself (D-G-D-G-C-B) offers a complex, yet inspiring, open voicing. While not a conventional major or minor chord, it has a beautiful, suspended quality. Key chords and voicings within reach include:

• Open Dsus4 / Gsus2/D: The bottom four strings (D-G-D-G) immediately form a strong Dsus4 chord, or a Gsus2 chord with D in the bass. This provides a solid harmonic foundation for drone-based music.
• Barre Chords: Simple barre chords across the lower four strings will yield rich voicings. For example, a barre at the 2nd fret across strings 6-3 would produce an Esus4 or Asus2/E voicing.
• Extended Harmony: The C4 and B3 on the higher strings can be used to create lush, open voicings with added 7ths, 9ths, or even dissonant clusters, perfect for atmospheric textures. By strategically muting or fretting the C and B strings, one can easily move between more conventional sounds and unique, ethereal harmonies. For example, simply barring all strings at the 2nd fret would give E-A-E-A-D-C#, creating a complex E-based harmony.

How to Tune

To achieve the DGDGCB tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these steps:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 2 semitones to D2.
• 5th String (A): Tune down 2 semitones to G2.
• 4th String (D): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to D3.
• 3rd String (G): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to G3.
• 2nd String (B): Tune up 1 semitone to C4.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 5 semitones to B3. Caution: A drop of 5 semitones is significant. For optimal tension and tone, consider using a heavier gauge string for your 1st string to prevent excessive looseness and potential intonation issues.

Here are the target notes for each string, from the lowest (6th) to the highest (1st):

• 6th String: D2
• 5th String: G2
• 4th String: D3
• 3rd String: G3
• 2nd String: C4
• 1st String: B3