This is "My Little Empire tuning," famously used by the Manic Street Preachers in their track "My Little Empire" from the album "This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours." It's a tuning that immediately signals a specific, atmospheric, and slightly tense sonic landscape, moving away from conventional open chords to create a distinctive musical texture.

Technical Analysis:

The open strings are tuned to E2-A2-E3-F3-A3-E4 (low to high). This tuning is fundamentally built around the note E, featuring it prominently across three octaves (E2, E3, E4). It also heavily features A (A2, A3), which is the perfect fourth above E, contributing to a resonant, drone-like quality reminiscent of a suspended chord.

The most striking feature of this tuning is the G-string tuned down to F3. This F note creates a very tight, dissonant minor second interval with the adjacent E3 on the D-string, and a minor ninth with the root E2. This tension is central to the tuning's character, preventing it from resolving into a simple major or minor chord and instead pushing it towards more complex, often melancholic or searching tonalities. If the F note on the 3rd string is muted or avoided, the remaining strings (E-A-E-A-E) effectively form an E5 power chord or Eadd4 (E A E A E), providing a robust drone foundation.

Chordal Possibilities:

• Drone Chords: The strong presence of E and A makes this an excellent tuning for creating sustained drone chords. By barring across the first, second, fourth, fifth, and sixth strings, you can easily achieve movable E5 or Eadd4 shapes (e.g., barring at the 2nd fret would yield F#5/F#add4).
• Tension and Release: The F3 note is key for the tuning's unique sound. Open strumming will yield a dissonant, atmospheric sound that can be explored for tension. This suggests a focus on specific melodic lines or arpeggios that interact with this F, rather than traditional chord voicings.
• Modal Explorations: The E-A-E-F-A-E structure lends itself well to modal playing, particularly in modes that accommodate the minor second interval (E-F), such as Phrygian or Locrian, or for creating an eastern or suspenseful feel.
• Specific Voicings: While traditional open chords are not readily available, specific fingerings can create unique voicings. The E-A-E-A-E framework allows for easy suspended 4th chords (Esus4) by simply barring across these strings, with the F adding a layer of complexity or dissonance that can be resolved or embraced.

Overall, "My Little Empire tuning" is designed for a distinctive sonic palette, favoring atmospheric tension and drone over straightforward harmonic progressions. It encourages experimentation with single-note lines, arpeggios, and specific dissonant voicings that leverage its unique interval structure.

How to Tune Your Guitar for "My Little Empire"

To achieve the "My Little Empire tuning," you'll need to adjust three of your guitar strings from standard E Standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-e).

• 6th String (Low E): Tune to E2. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from standard E.
• 5th String (A): Tune to A2. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from standard A.
• 4th String (D): Tune to E3. This string needs to be tuned up 2 semitones from its standard D3. Listen carefully and turn slowly.
• 3rd String (G): Tune to F3. This string needs to be tuned down 2 semitones from its standard G3.
• 2nd String (B): Tune to A3. This string needs to be tuned down 2 semitones from its standard B3.
• 1st String (High e): Tune to E4. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from standard E.

All string adjustments are within a safe range (tuning up or down 2 semitones), so a change of string gauge is not typically required for this tuning.