Tuning Analysis: Poets Tuning

The "Poets Tuning," as you've named it, is a fascinating and deeply resonant alternative tuning for the guitar, reportedly discovered while exploring sounds for "Shoot the Poets" by The Cribs. This tuning shifts the entire sonic landscape of the instrument, moving all strings down from standard EADGBe, creating a rich, melancholic, and somewhat dark character.

Verbal Analysis

This tuning immediately presents a somber and introspective mood due to the overall detuning. The lowest string drops a semitone to D#3, providing a solid, dark foundation, and the other strings follow suit with various drops, culminating in the first string dropping three semitones to C#5. This significant lowering creates a looser string feel and a deeper, more resonant sustain. The arrangement of notes, particularly the presence of a minor third (F) and minor seventh (C#) relative to the lowest D#, suggests an inherent minor tonality that lends itself well to expressive, often melancholic, melodies and chord progressions. It feels like a tuning designed for atmospheric arpeggios or powerful, open minor chords, pushing the player away from conventional major shapes.

Technical Analysis

The open strings of the "Poets Tuning" are D#3, G#3, C#4, F3, A#4, C#5. When played together, these notes form a distinct and complex chord. Let's analyze the intervals relative to the lowest note, D#:

• String 6: D#3 (Root)
• String 5: G#3 (Perfect 4th or 11th above D#)
• String 4: C#4 (Minor 7th above D#)
• String 3: F3 (Minor 3rd above D#)
• String 2: A#4 (Perfect 5th above D#)
• String 1: C#5 (Octave above the Minor 7th of D#)

The open strings effectively create a D# minor 11 chord (D# - F - G# - A# - C#). This is a sophisticated and rich voicing, providing a full, dark harmonic canvas. The presence of the root, minor third, perfect fourth (or 11th), perfect fifth, and minor seventh means that simply strumming the open strings yields a beautiful, ready-made minor 11 chord, perfect for evocative soundscapes without fretting a single note. The duplicate C# (minor 7th) adds to the fullness of the sound.

This inherent minor tonality makes it exceptionally easy to construct other minor chords and modes. A simple barre across all strings at any fret will immediately yield variations of minor 11 chords, shifted up the neck. For instance, barring at the first fret would produce an E minor 11 (E G A B D). The consistent intervals between the 6th, 5th, 4th, and 2nd strings (a perfect 4th, perfect 4th, minor 6th, and minor 3rd, respectively, or from a D# perspective) will make certain chord shapes very intuitive across the fretboard, favoring minor or suspended voicings. Due to the significant drop in the 1st and 3rd strings, unique melodic and harmonic possibilities emerge, challenging conventional fingerings and inspiring fresh ideas.

How to Tune

To achieve the Poets Tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these steps. Please be mindful of string tension, especially with larger movements. Tuning down significantly can reduce string tension, while tuning up too much can risk string breakage or neck damage; however, all movements in this tuning are downwards.

• String 6 (Low E): Tune down 1 semitone from E3 to D#3.
• String 5 (A): Tune down 1 semitone from A3 to G#3.
• String 4 (D): Tune down 1 semitone from D4 to C#4.
• String 3 (G): Tune down 2 semitones from G3 to F3.
• String 2 (B): Tune down 1 semitone from B4 to A#4.
• String 1 (High E): Tune down 3 semitones from E5 to C#5.

Note: Movements exceeding negative 4 semitones (e.g., -5, -6, etc.) or positive 4 semitones (e.g., +5, +6, etc.) generally advise a different gauge string to maintain optimal tension and playability. All movements here are within a safe range for standard gauge strings, but the significant overall detuning will result in a much slacker feel.

Open String Notes

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