Tuning Analysis: American Football's 'Stay Home' (Down Two)

This unique guitar tuning, drawing inspiration from American Football's track "Stay Home" and transposed down two frets from its original incarnation, offers a rich, melancholic, and somewhat dissonant sound palette. It diverges significantly from standard tuning, creating opportunities for distinct open voicings and chord shapes characteristic of the band's intricate math rock and emo sound.

Technical Breakdown:

The open string notes for this tuning are (from low to high): D♯3, G2, C3, G3, B2, D♯5. The most striking feature is the profound drop in the second string (B string), which is tuned down a full octave from standard B3, landing at B2, and the wide interval between the B2 on the second string and the D♯5 on the first string.

• Intervals: The tuning presents a sequence of intervals that are far from conventional. From the lowest G (G2) up, we find G2 - B2 (Major 3rd), B2 - C3 (Minor 2nd), C3 - D♯3 (Minor 3rd), D♯3 - G3 (Major 3rd), G3 - D♯5 (Augmented 5th spanning two octaves).
• Harmonic Content: The presence of C, G, B, and D♯ (Eb) creates interesting harmonic possibilities. The C, G, B combination points towards a Cmaj7 sound, while the inclusion of D♯ (Eb) against C, G, B forms a C minor-major 7th chord (C-Eb-G-B), known for its distinct, often dark or jazzy quality. The open strings also contain a G augmented triad (G-B-D♯). These complex harmonies are readily available without fretting, encouraging arpeggiated figures and open-string drones.
• Reachable Chords: Due to the unique intervals, many standard chord shapes will need significant adjustment. However, the tuning naturally lends itself to:
  • Open Voicings: Exploiting the C minor-major 7th and G augmented sounds directly with open strings.
  • Two- and Three-Note Chords: Exploring dyadic and triadic voicings across non-adjacent strings.
  • Drone and Pedal Tones: The low G2 and high D♯5 can serve as powerful drone notes, especially combined with the other open strings.
  • Unique Shapes: Players will find themselves exploring new fingerings that leverage the specific relationships between the open strings, leading to fresh melodic and harmonic ideas. Power chords might be easily achievable on certain string sets due to the dropped nature.

  This tuning is not for the faint of heart or those seeking conventional sounds. It encourages experimentation and a departure from standard playing techniques, perfectly capturing the intricate and emotionally resonant style of American Football.

Open String Notes:

• String 6: D♯3
• String 5: G2
• String 4: C3
• String 3: G3
• String 2: B2
• String 1: D♯5

How to Tune:

To achieve this unique tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these steps carefully. Please note the significant drop on the 2nd string (B), which might require a lighter gauge string to maintain proper tension and avoid breakage if tuning down from a standard B3.

• String 6 (Low E): Tune down 1 semitone from E2 to D♯2 (Eb2).
• String 5 (A): Tune down 2 semitones from A2 to G2.
• String 4 (D): Tune down 2 semitones from D3 to C3.
• String 3 (G): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Stays at G3.
• String 2 (B): Tune down 12 semitones from B3 to B2. *Caution: Tuning a string down a full octave (12 semitones) significantly reduces tension. A different, possibly lighter, string gauge is strongly advised to maintain playability and prevent the string from becoming too floppy.*
• String 1 (High E): Tune down 1 semitone from E4 to D♯4 (Eb4).

Note: The final sounding pitches for strings 6 and 1, as specified in the tuning notes (D♯3 and D♯5 respectively), are an octave higher than what these movements alone would produce from standard EADGBe. This suggests that the 'tuning_notes' may represent the intended target octaves for a guitar already set up for such a deep tuning (e.g., baritone) or with heavier gauge strings on the lower strings to achieve those pitches without excessive floppiness, or lighter gauges on upper strings for higher pitches. Always use a tuner to confirm the exact target pitches.