Fowler's Open E Drone Tuning: A Deep Dive

This unique guitar tuning, named Grant Fowler, is a fascinating exploration into a resonant and ambiguous soundscape. As described by its creator, the tuning emerged from a desire for the fifth and sixth string 12th fret harmonics to blend harmoniously, coupled with an open strumming approach. It avoids the common practice of tuning the A string to a B when doing an Open E style, leading to a distinct sonic character.

Verbal Analysis

Fowler's Open E Drone creates a rich, full sound with a strong low-end presence provided by the E2 and A2 strings. The high E strings (E3 and E4) reinforce the root, giving the tuning a powerful, open resonance. The creator's intention for the 12th fret harmonics of the 5th (A) and 6th (E) strings to 'sound nice' is achieved, as these are perfect consonances, providing a solid tonal foundation.

The core of this tuning's unique personality lies in the middle strings. The open notes are E2-A2-E3-F4#-A3-E4. When strummed open, this tuning presents a chord that can be interpreted as an Esus4(add2) or an Eadd9sus4. The presence of the A (a perfect 4th from E) creates a suspended quality, while the F# (a major 2nd or 9th from E) adds a bright, slightly jazz-influenced extension. This blend results in a chord that is neither explicitly major nor minor, offering a versatile, spacious, and evocative sound.

The 'odd interval between the third and fourth strings' (E3 to F4#) noted by Grant is indeed a striking feature. While technically a Major 2nd between E and F#, the F4# is an octave higher than the E3 on the adjacent string, creating a wide and airy Major 9th interval. This contributes significantly to the tuning's unique, shimmering quality. It's important to note a discrepancy here: while the tuning_notes specify F4# for the 3rd string, the string_movements indicate tuning down 1 semitone from a standard G3, which would result in F#3. This analysis, however, adheres to the tuning_notes as the final intended state of the open strings.

This tuning is exceptionally well-suited for:

• Drone-based music: The strong E and A presence creates a natural drone effect, perfect for atmospheric and ambient compositions.
• (Sus2, Sus4) Chords: Barring across any fret will yield new suspended chords (e.g., barring at the 5th fret produces an Asus4(add2) or Aadd9sus4). This allows for easy melodic movement up and down the neck while maintaining the characteristic open quality.
• Slide Guitar: The consistent root (E) and 4th (A) intervals across several strings make this tuning potentially excellent for slide playing, allowing for smooth glides and rich voicings.
• Harmonics: As the creator intended, the open string relationships lend themselves well to beautiful natural harmonics.

Technical Analysis

This is a custom tuning for a Guitar. Compared to standard E-A-D-G-B-E tuning, the changes are:

• String 6 (Low E): Remains at E2 (Standard).
• String 5 (A): Remains at A2 (Standard).
• String 4 (D): Tuned up 2 semitones from D3 to E3.
• String 3 (G): Tuned to F4#. This is a significant alteration from standard G3. As noted previously, the tuning instruction specifies tuning G3 down 1 semitone to F#3. If F4# is the target, this would be an extreme change from G3 (up 11 semitones) and would necessitate a much lighter gauge string. We proceed with the analysis assuming F4# is the intended final note as per tuning_notes.
• String 2 (B): Tuned down 2 semitones from B3 to A3.
• String 1 (High E): Remains at E4 (Standard).

The full tuning in ascending order of pitch is E2, A2, E3, F4#, A3, E4. The harmonic series created by these open strings emphasizes the root (E), the perfect fourth (A), and the major second/ninth (F#).

Tuning Notes

Here are the target notes for each string in Fowler's Open E Drone tuning:

• String 6 (Low E): E2
• String 5 (A): A2
• String 4 (D): E3
• String 3 (G): F4#
• String 2 (B): A3
• String 1 (High E): E4

How to Tune (from Standard E-A-D-G-B-E)

Follow these instructions carefully to achieve the Fowler's Open E Drone tuning:

• String 6 (Low E, E2): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 5 (A, A2): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 4 (D, D3): Tune up 2 semitones to E3. Caution: Tuning up 2 semitones is a moderate change; listen carefully as you tune.
• String 3 (G, G3): Tune down 1 semitone to F#3. Note: While the tuning instructions derived from 'string_movements' lead to F#3, the provided 'tuning_notes' specifies F4#. If F4# is the desired target, this would be an upward tuning of 11 semitones from G3, which is an extreme change and typically requires a much lighter gauge string to avoid breakage or neck damage. Please double-check your intended target note.
• String 2 (B, B3): Tune down 2 semitones to A3.
• String 1 (High E, E4): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).