Verbal Analysis: The "Kozelek Standard Altered"

This intriguing guitar tuning, aptly named "have you forgotten" after the Mark Kozelek / Red House Painters track, presents a subtle yet significant departure from standard EADGBE. It's essentially standard tuning with a single, crucial alteration: the 2nd string (usually B) is tuned up by one semitone to C. This creates a familiar sonic landscape, yet introduces new harmonic possibilities and challenges, inviting players to rediscover common chord voicings and explore fresh melodic pathways.

The inspiration from Mark Kozelek suggests a tuning designed for atmospheric, often melancholic or introspective music, where familiar chord shapes might yield unexpected colors. While not an open chord tuning in the traditional sense, the open strings E A D G C E do create some interesting harmonic relationships. Notably, the top three open strings (G, C, E) form a beautiful C Major chord, allowing for easy arpeggiation and melodic phrases rooted in C major. This alteration will make many standard chords feel different, often leading to suspended qualities or added tensions, encouraging a more nuanced approach to harmony.

Technical Analysis: E A D G C E - The Perfect Fourth Shift

This tuning for a Guitar is precisely defined as E2 A2 D3 G3 C4 E4. Comparing it to standard EADGBE, the modification is pinpointed to the 2nd string:

• String 6: E2 (Standard)
• String 5: A2 (Standard)
• String 4: D3 (Standard)
• String 3: G3 (Standard)
• String 2: C4 (Tuned up from B4)
• String 1: E4 (Standard)

The interval structure from low to high is: Perfect 4th (E-A), Perfect 4th (A-D), Perfect 4th (D-G), Perfect 4th (G-C), and finally a Major 3rd (C-E). This is a distinct shift from standard tuning, where the Major 3rd interval occurs between the 3rd and 2nd strings (G-B), and the 2nd and 1st strings (B-E) form a Perfect 4th. In this tuning, the Major 3rd interval has effectively moved one string higher, now lying between the 2nd and 1st strings (C-E), while the interval between the 3rd and 2nd strings (G-C) is now a Perfect 4th. This makes the tuning more symmetrical in its middle four strings (A-D-G-C are all P4ths apart), which can simplify certain scales and arpeggios across those strings.

Open Chords and Harmonic Implications:

• The top three open strings (G3, C4, E4) form a clear C Major triad in root position. This makes it very easy to achieve C major sounds and arpeggios on the higher register.
• Many standard chords will require re-fingering. For instance, a standard G major chord (320003) will now produce a Gsus4 (320013) due to the C on the 2nd string instead of B.
• Chords involving the 2nd string will often gain an added 4th or 6th, leading to richer, more complex voicings that can sound modern or melancholic, fitting the suggested Kozelek style. For example, an E minor chord (022000) becomes Em7add4 (022010).
• The shift of the Major 3rd interval may make certain scale patterns or barre chords feel different, encouraging exploration beyond typical fretboard shapes.

How to Tune:

To achieve the "have you forgotten" tuning, follow these precise string adjustments:

• String 6 (Low E): Tune to E2. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 5 (A): Tune to A2. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 4 (D): Tune to D3. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 3 (G): Tune to G3. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 2 (B to C): Tune to C4. This string needs to be tuned up 1 semitone from its standard B4 pitch. This is a minor adjustment, but always proceed with care.
• String 1 (High E): Tune to E4. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).

Important Note on String Gauges: When tuning, always exercise caution. While this tuning only involves a 1-semitone increase on one string, general best practice suggests that if a string needs to be tuned more than 4 semitones up or down, considering a different gauge string for optimal tension and playability is advisable to prevent string breakage or damage to your instrument.

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

• String 6: E2 (Low E)
• String 5: A2
• String 4: D3
• String 3: G3
• String 2: C4
• String 1: E4 (High E)