"Make Friends" Tuning Analysis

Verbal Analysis: The Hiatus Kaiyote Vibe

As the creator notes, this "Make Friends" tuning was specifically designed to transcribe the intricate bassline and chords of Hiatus Kaiyote's track "Make Friends" simultaneously. This origin story immediately hints at a tuning built for complex, fusion-inspired soundscapes. Hiatus Kaiyote is known for their sophisticated harmony, syncopated rhythms, and jazz-funk sensibilities, and this tuning reflects an attempt to unlock that sonic palette on a single instrument. It suggests a journey into rich, dense chord voicings and the ability to emulate bass movement alongside harmonic accompaniment, making it ideal for solo arrangements or pushing creative boundaries in a band setting. The chosen notes create a landscape that is both dissonant and highly expressive, perfect for progressive and experimental genres.

Technical Analysis: Unpacking the Voicings

This tuning presents a highly unconventional and harmonically rich structure. The open strings are: D#3, A#3, F3, A#4, C#5, F4. Let's reorder the unique pitches for analysis: D# (Eb), F, A# (Bb), C# (Db). These notes collectively form an Eb minor 7 chord with a natural 2nd (Eb - F - Bb - Db). This complex harmony immediately sets a jazzy, neo-soul, or fusion tone, characteristic of Hiatus Kaiyote's sound.

Breaking it down further:

• The low three strings (D#3, A#3, F3) can be perceived as an F Major triad in 1st inversion (F - A# - D#), providing a strong, albeit unconventional, foundation.
• The higher three strings (A#4, C#5, F4) form an A# minor triad (A# - C# - F). This provides a clear minor tonality in the upper register.

The juxtaposition of an F Major triad in the bass and an A# minor triad (enharmonically Bb minor) in the treble creates a sophisticated, slightly dissonant, yet highly musical tension, driving home the fusion aesthetic.

Open Chord Possibilities and Shapes

Given the open string notes, the tuning inherently suggests a strong harmonic foundation:

• Open Voicings: The full open strings provide a spread voicing of an Eb minor 7 with an added F. This can be used as a rich, shimmering chord, instantly recognizable for its contemporary jazz/R&B sound.
• A# Minor: Simply strumming strings 3, 2, and 1 (A#4, C#5, F4) yields a clear A# minor triad. Adding string 4 (F3) creates an A# minor with an open 5th in the bass.
• F Major / Fsus4: Strings 6, 5, 4 (D#3, A#3, F3) create an F Major chord with a sustained 4th if played correctly (F-A#-D#). Or, viewing D# as Eb, it's an Fmaj/Eb.
• Intervals for Melodic Playing: The presence of repeated F notes (F3, F4) and A# notes (A#3, A#4) across octaves facilitates easy drone notes and octave playing, perfect for melodic lines that weave through the harmony. The interval from String 4 (F3) to String 3 (A#4) is a compound augmented 4th (or perfect 5th if A# is treated as Bb). This wide jump in pitch allows for interesting arpeggiated figures.
• Power Chords: Standard power chord shapes (root-5th) will need to be re-learned due to the non-standard intervals. However, the presence of D# and A# (a perfect 5th) on the bottom two strings suggests easy access to D# power chords, which could serve as a solid rhythmic foundation.
• Fingerpicking: The wide intervals and complex open voicings make this tuning particularly suited for fingerstyle, allowing for intricate arpeggios that highlight the dissonant-yet-beautiful qualities of the Eb minor 7(add2) chord.

Overall, "Make Friends" is a sophisticated tuning for guitarists looking to explore modern jazz, neo-soul, funk, or progressive music. It demands a fresh approach to the fretboard but rewards with a unique and powerful harmonic vocabulary.

How to Tune to "Make Friends"

To achieve this unique tuning, adjust your guitar strings from standard EADGBe tuning according to the following instructions. Please pay close attention to the semitone changes; some are significant and may require careful handling or a change in string gauge if you plan to keep this tuning for extended periods (movements exceeding 4 semitones up or down are generally advised to use different string gauges).

• String 6 (Low E): Tune down 1 semitone. The target note for this string is D#3 (Eb3).
• String 5 (A): Tune up 1 semitone. The target note for this string is A#3 (Bb3).
• String 4 (D): Tune up 3 semitones. The target note for this string is F3.
• String 3 (G): Tune up 3 semitones. The target note for this string is A#4 (Bb4).
• String 2 (B): Tune up 2 semitones. The target note for this string is C#5 (Db5).
• String 1 (High e): Tune up 1 semitone. The target note for this string is F4.

Always tune carefully, especially with significant pitch changes, and check intonation after tuning.

Here are the specific pitches for each string in this "Make Friends" tuning:

• String 6 (Low E): D#3 (Eb3) - Tuned down from standard E, offering a deep, resonant base.
• String 5 (A): A#3 (Bb3) - Raised from standard A, creating interesting harmonic possibilities with the lower D#.
• String 4 (D): F3 - Tuned up significantly from standard D, providing a strong tonal center.
• String 3 (G): A#4 (Bb4) - A substantial raise from standard G, bringing a bright, higher voice.
• String 2 (B): C#5 (Db5) - Raised from standard B, adding to the upper register's unique voicings.
• String 1 (High e): F4 - Tuned up from standard E, completing the high end with a vibrant F.