The "Pipe" tuning, EADEAE, is a resonant and unique alternate tuning, famously used by English guitarist Martin Carthy, who dubbed it a "pipe tuning." As its name suggests, it excels in creating a droning, sustained sound, making it particularly well-suited for Celtic music and other traditional styles where open, ringing tones are desired. However, its versatility extends beyond this, allowing for the performance of delicate and intricate pieces as well.

Technical Analysis

This tuning presents the open strings as E2 A2 D3 E3 A3 E4. This configuration is essentially an E chord with added 4th and minor 7th intervals (E, A, D), or more simply, it can be conceptualized as a Dsus2 chord over an E bass (D-E-A). The open strings themselves do not form a standard major or minor triad, but rather a rich, suspended sonority. The repeated E and A notes across different octaves create a powerful, resonant drone, which is a hallmark of this tuning.

The unique intervals mean that barring across a single fret will typically produce a movable suspended chord shape; for example, barring at the 7th fret results in a Bsus4 chord (B-E-A-B-E-B). This characteristic simplifies playing chordal harmonies while maintaining the open, ringing quality. The presence of three E notes and two A notes provides a strong tonal center, making it easy to find melodic and harmonic anchors within the keys of E or A. The relatively close voicings on the higher strings (E3 A3 E4) offer bright, chiming possibilities, while the lower strings provide a solid, open foundation.

How to Tune

To achieve the EADEAE "Pipe" tuning from standard EADGBe tuning, follow these steps:

• String 6 (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 5 (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 4 (D): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 3 (G): Tune down 3 semitones to E.
• String 2 (B): Tune down 2 semitones to A.
• String 1 (High E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).

The downward adjustments to the 3rd and 2nd strings are within a safe range, but you may notice a slight reduction in string tension. Always tune carefully and check intonation.

String 6: E2

String 5: A2

String 4: D3

String 3: E3

String 2: A3

String 1: E4