The "Chromatic Drone D#" tuning, famously utilized by Swirlies in their track "Sunn" from the 1996 album "They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days in the Glittering World of the Salons," is a unique and highly unconventional tuning for guitar. It departs significantly from standard tuning, creating a sonic landscape ripe for experimental, shoegaze, and noise-pop explorations.

Verbal Analysis

This tuning is characterized by a dense, somewhat dissonant, and droning quality across its open strings. The arrangement of notes doesn't readily form traditional major or minor chords, leaning instead towards suspended, ambiguous, or highly chromatic voicings. The prevalence of minor third intervals (D#-F#, C#-F, F-G#) and perfect fifths (F#-C#, G#-D#) creates a rich, often shimmering texture when strummed openly, with the D# notes on the lowest and highest strings providing a grounding, yet ethereal, anchor. Players can expect a sound that is both full and slightly unsettling, perfect for atmospheric textures, sustained chords, and intricate melodic lines that exploit the unusual string relationships.

Technical Analysis

• The open string notes are: D#3, F#3, C#4, F3, G#4, D#5 (from lowest to highest string position).
• Analyzing the intervals between adjacent open strings:
  • String 6 (D#3) to String 5 (F#3): Minor Third (3 semitones)
  • String 5 (F#3) to String 4 (C#4): Perfect Fifth (7 semitones)
  • String 4 (C#4) to String 3 (F3): Diminished Third (C#4 is higher than F3, so this is a large drop of 9 semitones, or an upward minor third if considering F3 as the root of C#4). This unusual cross-octave relationship where the 3rd string is lower than the 4th significantly contributes to the tuning's unique character.
  • String 3 (F3) to String 2 (G#4): Minor Tenth (15 semitones), or a minor third plus an octave.
  • String 2 (G#4) to String 1 (D#5): Perfect Fifth (7 semitones)
• The overall tuning leans heavily into flats/sharps, indicating a departure from standard major/minor scales and favoring a more chromatic approach. The presence of D# an octave apart on the lowest and highest strings provides a strong root/octave resonance.
• Potential open chord voicings or accessible shapes:
  • Strumming all open strings yields a complex, dissonant cluster, which could be utilized as a sustained drone or a dramatic, unresolved chord. This voicing can be described as a D# minor chord with an added major seventh and an ambiguous F natural, creating a rich, suspended quality.
  • Chords built around the D# root will be prominent. The F# (minor third) and G# (perfect fourth) support a D# minor feel, but the C# and F introduce significant tension, inviting experimentation with altered chords or modal approaches.
  • Experimenting with two or three-string voicings will be key. For example, Strings 6, 5 (D#3, F#3) form a minor third. Strings 2, 1 (G#4, D#5) form a powerful perfect fifth. Combining Strings 6, 5, 4 (D#3, F#3, C#4) offers a D# minor (add maj7) sound.
  • Due to the significant deviations from standard tuning, playing conventional chord shapes will produce entirely new, often unexpected harmonies. Barring across a single fret will create highly specific, sometimes very dissonant, clusters of notes that demand creative exploration.
• All strings are tuned down from their implied standard starting positions. The movements range from 1 to 3 semitones down. These are generally safe adjustments for standard string gauges. No string movement exceeds the recommended threshold of 4 semitones (either up or down), so a different string gauge is not strictly necessary but could be considered for optimal tension and tone, especially for strings tuned down 3 semitones.

Open String Notes

• String 6 (Lowest String position): D#3
• String 5: F#3
• String 4: C#4
• String 3: F3
• String 2: G#4
• String 1 (Highest String position): D#5

How to Tune

To achieve the "Chromatic Drone D#" tuning, adjust each string as follows, using the provided target notes and semitone movements:

• String 6 (Lowest String): Tune down 1 semitone to reach D#3.
• String 5: Tune down 3 semitones to reach F#3.
• String 4: Tune down 1 semitone to reach C#4.
• String 3: Tune down 2 semitones to reach F3.
• String 2: Tune down 3 semitones to reach G#4.
• String 1 (Highest String): Tune down 1 semitone to reach D#5.

Note: All described string movements are within the safe range for standard guitar string gauges, meaning a different gauge is not strictly required. However, for optimum tension and feel, especially on strings tuned down 3 semitones, experimentation with slightly heavier gauges for those specific strings could be beneficial.