Patrick, it's wonderful you've encountered a song in this tuning! Rest assured, there's no such thing as a "wrong" tuning in music – only different ones that offer unique sonic possibilities. This particular tuning, E-A-D-F#-E-D, is indeed highly unusual and creative, moving significantly away from standard guitar tuning. This opens up a unique sonic landscape for songwriting, allowing for textures and moods that are difficult to achieve in standard tuning. The sound it produces is likely to be quite open, resonant, and possibly melancholic or ethereal, with a strong modal feel, perfect for crafting distinctive atmospheric pieces.

Technical Analysis:

Technically, this tuning sets the open strings to E2, A2, D3, F#4, E3, and D4 (from lowest to highest).

• Starting from the low E string, the notes E, A, D, F# are present. This collection of notes suggests an E minor 7(add9, add11) sound, creating a rich, complex harmony. However, it significantly deviates from a full E minor 7 chord by omitting the typical G and B notes.
• More simply, the open strings can be heard as an E sus4(add9) chord with a minor seventh (D). This gives it a suspended, unresolved, yet full quality.
• The notes D-F#-A (found on strings 4, 3, and 5) form a D Major triad, which means you can easily achieve a D major sound by focusing on these strings.
• The presence of repeated E (string 6 and 2) and D (string 4 and 1) notes allows for natural drone effects, enhancing resonance and sustain across the tuning.

• The open tuning itself provides a complex E minor 7 sus4 add9 chord, offering a unique starting point for compositions without needing to fret any notes.
• Simple one-finger barres across all strings will yield shifted versions of this complex chord. For example, a barre at the 2nd fret would produce an F# minor 7 sus4 add9.
• Power chords are easily accessible on the lower strings (E-A-D), providing a solid rhythmic foundation with minimal effort.
• The pairing of E (string 2) and D (string 1) at the top offers interesting melodic possibilities and allows for partial voicings reminiscent of DADGAD tunings, but rooted differently.

This tuning is best suited for exploring unique harmonic textures, creating atmospheric soundscapes, and writing songs with a distinctive modal character, rather than strictly playing standard chord shapes.

How to Tune to E Modal Drop Tuning from Standard (E-A-D-G-B-E):

To achieve this unique tuning, you will need to adjust several strings from standard E-A-D-G-B-E tuning. Please be cautious with significant changes, especially when tuning strings down by a large number of semitones. When string movements exceed negative 4 or positive 4 semitones, a different gauge string is generally advised for optimal tension, tone, and playability.

• 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 string to F#): Tune down 1 semitone.
• String 2 (B string to E): Tune down 7 semitones. Caution: This is a significant drop (a perfect fifth). Depending on your current string gauge, this string might become very slack, potentially affecting tone and intonation. A heavier gauge string for the 2nd string is strongly advised if you plan to use this tuning frequently to maintain good tension and tone.
• String 1 (High E string to D): Tune down 2 semitones.

Here are the notes for each string, from the lowest (thickest) to the highest (thinnest):

• String 6 (Low E): E2
• String 5 (A): A2
• String 4 (D): D3
• String 3 (G): F#4
• String 2 (B): E3
• String 1 (High E): D4