This unique tuning, affectionately dubbed "Twinkle," lives up to its name by offering a bright, resonant, and somewhat ethereal sound perfect for arpeggiated, clean tones often associated with genres like emo and math rock. It's built around an E major tonality with intriguing twists.

Verbal Analysis:

The open strings themselves chime together to form a rich E major chord with an added A (the 4th), creating a full and slightly suspended sound that feels both familiar and fresh. The "twinkly" character comes from the highly unusual re-entrant arrangement: the 3rd string (G#4) is pitched significantly higher than the 2nd string (B2). This creates wide, shimmering intervals that defy conventional guitar chord voicings and encourage open string drones and melodic patterns. The dramatic drop in pitch for the 2nd string (B2) adds a surprising depth and allows for interesting low-end possibilities, contrasting with the bright upper register.

Technical Analysis:

The tuning is set as E2 A2 E3 G#4 B2 E4.
Examining the intervals from the lowest string up:

• String 6 (E2) to String 5 (A2): Perfect 4th
• String 5 (A2) to String 4 (E3): Perfect 5th
• String 4 (E3) to String 3 (G#4): Major 3rd (a significant jump across octaves, where G#4 is an octave above G#3)
• String 3 (G#4) to String 2 (B2): Descending Major 6th. This is the re-entrant feature, as B2 is much lower than G#4, breaking the typical ascending pitch order of guitar strings.
• String 2 (B2) to String 1 (E4): Perfect 4th

Reachable Chords and Shapes:

The strong E major foundation means that open position E major, A major, and B major (or B7) chords will resonate beautifully, albeit with unconventional fingerings due to the re-entrant strings. The low B2 on the 2nd string offers the potential for extended low voicings, while the high G#4 provides a bright, bell-like quality. Arpeggiated patterns will sound particularly vibrant, emphasizing the wide intervals. Experiment with drone strings, especially the open E and A, against fretted notes to uncover unique harmonic textures. Standard chord voicings across strings 2, 3, and 4 will need significant adaptation, but this opens up opportunities for fresh, complex harmonic structures.

How to Tune:

Follow these instructions carefully to achieve the "Twinkle" tuning. Please pay close attention to the semitone adjustments, especially for significant changes, as these may require a different string gauge for optimal performance and to prevent string breakage or excessive slack.

• String 6 (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Target Note: E2.
• String 5 (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Target Note: A2.
• String 4 (D): Tune up 2 semitones. Target Note: E3.
• String 3 (G): Tune up 1 semitones. Target Note: G#4. (Note: This string is tuned to G#4, an octave higher than the standard G#3 for this string, consider a lighter string gauge if your G string is heavy.)
• String 2 (B): Tune down 12 semitones. Target Note: B2. (Critical Warning: This is a drop of a full octave. A much heavier gauge string is strongly advised for proper tension and tone. Tuning a standard B string down this far will result in excessive slack and poor intonation.)
• String 1 (High E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Target Note: E4.

String 6: E2 (Low E)

String 5: A2

String 4: E3

String 3: G#4 (High G#)

String 2: B2 (Very Low B)

String 1: E4 (High E)