This is an incredibly low and heavy 7-string tuning, aptly named 'Drop E/A 7 string tuning'. Famously utilized by Northlane on their 'Alien' album, it plunges the guitar into deep, resonant territories, making it ideal for crushing riffs, intricate djent patterns, and dense soundscapes. The lowest strings, E1 and A1, provide an earth-shattering foundation, while the doubled octaves of E and A create a massive wall of sound when strummed openly. This tuning, however, features a highly unusual setup on the highest strings, where the second string (F4♯) is significantly higher in pitch than the first string (B3). This unexpected arrangement likely introduces unique dissonances, harmonic tensions, or allows for specific melodic lines where the higher note is played on a thicker string, creating a unique timbre.

Technical Analysis

The tuning consists of the following open notes, from the lowest (7th) to the highest (1st) string: E1-A1-E2-A2-D3-F4♯-B3.

• The initial string intervals (E1 to A1, E2 to A2, A2 to D3) predominantly follow a pattern of perfect fourths, creating a 'drop' style characteristic with a deep, resonant quality. Specifically:
  • 7th String (E1) to 6th String (A1): Perfect 4th
  • 6th String (A1) to 5th String (E2): Perfect 5th (also an octave up from E1)
  • 5th String (E2) to 4th String (A2): Perfect 4th (also an octave up from A1)
  • 4th String (A2) to 3rd String (D3): Perfect 4th
• This creates a powerful E minor/A minor tonality or drone with the lower open strings. Chords like open E5 (E1-E2), A5 (A1-A2), or even an Eadd4/11 (E1-A1-E2-A2) are readily available, providing a massive low-end foundation. Moving a single finger across the lowest three or four strings can yield powerful, root-fifth-octave power chords due to the drop tuning structure.
• The true peculiarity emerges with the higher strings:
  • 3rd String (D3) to 2nd String (F4♯): This is a vast interval, a Major Tenth (an octave plus a major third). This represents a significant jump in pitch from the 3rd to the 2nd string, introducing a bright, piercing element.
  • 2nd String (F4♯) to 1st String (B3): This is highly unconventional, as the 1st string (B3) is tuned a perfect fourth lower than the 2nd string (F4♯). This inverted pitch relationship between the two highest strings is a defining and unusual characteristic of this tuning, likely employed for specific textural or melodic effects, perhaps to utilize the thicker gauge of the second string for a note typically played on the first, or for creating wide interval stretches across adjacent strings.

How to Tune

To achieve this extreme tuning, significant adjustments are required for all strings. Due to the substantial semitone changes (all strings are tuned down 5 to 7 semitones), it is highly recommended to use a heavier gauge of strings than standard to maintain proper tension and tone and prevent potential breakage.

• 7th String (E1): Tune down 7 semitones.
• 6th String (A1): Tune down 7 semitones.
• 5th String (E2): Tune down 5 semitones.
• 4th String (A2): Tune down 5 semitones.
• 3rd String (D3): Tune down 5 semitones.
• 2nd String (F4♯): Tune down 5 semitones.
• 1st String (B3): Tune down 5 semitones.