This unique guitar tuning, featured in a video by the acclaimed guitarist Ichika Nito (dated 04/07/2020), offers a rich and distinctive sound palette, diverging significantly from standard tuning. It's designed to inspire melodic and ambient compositions, characteristic of Nito's experimental style.

Verbal Analysis

At its core, this tuning creates a deep, resonant soundworld dominated by Eb and Ab notes, providing a strong sense of a low, open drone. The repetition of Eb and Ab across multiple strings lays a powerful foundation, allowing for full, ringing chords and sustained harmonies. The inclusion of C on the second string adds a bright, slightly dissonant, yet melodically rich element, creating intriguing harmonic tensions and release possibilities. This setup is ideal for expressive fingerstyle, tapping, and intricate arpeggios, enabling a fluid, almost piano-like melodic flow across the fretboard.

Technical Analysis

The tuning pattern is Eb Ab Eb Ab C Ab (from lowest to highest string). Let's examine the intervals:

• String 6 (Eb) to String 5 (Ab): Perfect 4th (up)
• String 5 (Ab) to String 4 (Eb): Perfect 5th (up) or Perfect 4th an octave down (compound P4)
• String 4 (Eb) to String 3 (Ab): Perfect 4th (up)
• String 3 (Ab) to String 2 (C): Major 3rd (up)
• String 2 (C) to String 1 (Ab): Minor 6th (up) or Major 3rd an octave down (compound M3)

Open String Voicing & Chordal Possibilities

The open strings Eb-Ab-Eb-Ab-C-Ab form a rich, complex chord. The notes present are Eb, Ab, and C. This arrangement can be interpreted as an Ab Major triad (Ab-C-Eb) with a strong Eb root and a high Ab octave, or an Ebadd11 (no 3rd). This implies:

• Ab Major chords are readily available across the open strings, creating a full and resonant sound.
• The repeated Perfect 4ths (Eb-Ab, Eb-Ab) on strings 6-5 and 4-3 make power chords and root-fifth voicings incredibly easy to form by barring across these pairs.
• By fretting just the lower strings, you can quickly achieve powerful Eb5 or Ab5 chords.
• The inclusion of C and Ab higher up offers avenues for creating C minor or C major (with Ab as a b6 or #5) harmonies, adding harmonic depth and colour.

Creative Potential

This tuning is particularly suited for exploring spacious, atmospheric soundscapes. The open nature lends itself well to drones and sustain. Chord shapes will feel familiar yet fresh, especially for major and suspended voicings built around Eb and Ab. Experimentation with slides, hammer-ons, and pull-offs will reveal a wide array of melodic possibilities that lie comfortably under the fingers.

Final Tuning Notes

These are the specific notes each string should be tuned to, from the thickest (6th) to the thinnest (1st) string:

• String 6 (Low E string equivalent): Eb3 (D#3)
• String 5 (A string equivalent): Ab3 (G#3)
• String 4 (D string equivalent): Eb4 (D#4)
• String 3 (G string equivalent): Ab4 (G#4)
• String 2 (B string equivalent): C4
• String 1 (High E string equivalent): Ab5 (G#5)

How to Tune from Standard EADGBe

To achieve this tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these steps for each string:

• String 6 (Standard E2): Tune down 1 semitone to Eb2.
• String 5 (Standard A2): Tune down 1 semitone to Ab2.
• String 4 (Standard D3): Tune up 1 semitone to Eb3 (D#3).
• String 3 (Standard G3): Tune up 1 semitone to Ab3 (G#3).
• String 2 (Standard B3): Tune up 1 semitone to C4.
• String 1 (Standard E4): Tune up 4 semitones to Ab4 (G#4).
  Caution: Tuning up 4 semitones is a significant tension increase. Consider using a lighter gauge string for this string to prevent breakage or neck damage.

When making significant tuning changes, always proceed slowly and check your guitar's intonation and neck relief afterward.