Verbal Analysis

Jandek's 'Ready for the House' tuning is an extraordinary and deeply resonant open tuning, famously used on the album of the same name. It creates a rich, complex soundscape centered around an E tonality, providing a unique foundation for experimental and drone-like playing. The tuning's character is shimmering and somewhat ethereal, driven by its full open chord and a distinct re-entrant quality.

The open strings offer a powerful Emaj7sus4 voicing (E A E A D# E). This provides a blend of stability with the root E and its perfect fourth A, while the high D# introduces a bright, major seventh tension that resolves compellingly to E. This is not a tuning for conventional chord shapes; instead, it encourages exploration of open voicings, sustained drones, and unique melodic possibilities arising from its wide intervals and re-entrant structure. The original description mentions subtle 'quarter tone' adjustments for some strings, suggesting an even more nuanced and 'out-of-tune' texture that contributes to Jandek's signature sound, though the semitone movements detailed below provide the core structure.

Technical Analysis

This tuning deviates significantly from standard E-A-D-G-B-E. The open notes are as follows:

• 6th String: E2 (Standard Low E)
• 5th String: A2 (Standard A)
• 4th String: E3 (Up from standard D)
• 3rd String: A3 (Up from standard G)
• 2nd String: D5# (Significantly up from standard B, and the highest note in the tuning)
• 1st String: E4 (Standard High E, but lower than the 2nd string)

The open strings, when strummed, create a unique and resonant chord voicing: E2, A2, E3, A3, D#5, E4. This translates to an E root, layered with perfect fourths (A) and octaves (E), and a prominent Major 7th (D#). Crucially, this is a re-entrant tuning, meaning the 2nd string (D#5) is tuned to a higher pitch than the 1st string (E4). This inversion of the expected string pitch order contributes heavily to its distinctive harmonic texture, allowing for shimmering, sustained notes and complex overtones, often favoring melodic lines that incorporate the upper string's higher pitch.

The tuning involves several strings being raised significantly from standard, particularly the 4th, 3rd, and the 2nd strings. This necessitates careful attention to string tension and gauge, especially given the extremely high target pitch for the 2nd string.

How to Tune

To achieve Jandek's 'Ready for the House' tuning from standard E-A-D-G-B-E, follow these steps:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune to E2. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• 5th String (A): Tune to A2. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• 4th String (D): Tune to E3. Tune up 2 semitones from standard D. (This is a moderate change. While within safe limits for most strings, regular use might benefit from a slightly lighter gauge D string.)
• 3rd String (G): Tune to A3. Tune up 2 semitones from standard G. (This is a moderate change. Regular use might benefit from a slightly lighter gauge G string.)
• 2nd String (B): Tune to D#5. The instruction from 'string_movements' states to tune up 4 semitones from standard B (B3). This would result in D#4. However, the specified target note in 'tuning_notes' is D#5, which is an octave higher than D#4. To reach D#5 from a standard B3 string would require tuning up 16 semitones, which is an extreme change and would almost certainly break a standard B string. Therefore, a significantly lighter gauge string would be essential to achieve D#5. If tuning up 4 semitones, the string will reach D#4.
• 1st String (High E): Tune to E4. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).

Important Note: The target tuning of the 2nd string to D#5 is exceptionally high. As detailed above, the specified movement of 4 semitones up from a standard B string will only reach D#4. To truly achieve D#5, a much lighter gauge string is necessary. Always exercise extreme caution when tuning strings significantly above their standard pitch to avoid breakage or damage to your instrument.