The Night After A Sidewalk Tuning is the signature tuning used by Kaki King for her song of the same name. This intricate tuning, E B C# G# B D#, creates a rich, resonant, and somewhat ethereal soundscape, characteristic of King's innovative acoustic style.

Technical Analysis

Verbally, this tuning presents a complex harmonic palette. The open strings themselves form an E Major 7th (add6) chord (E G# B D# with an added C#). The specific voicing from the lowest to highest string is E2-B2-C#4-G#4-B3-D#5. This means that simply strumming the open strings will immediately evoke a sophisticated, jazzy, or contemporary classical feel. The wide intervals between certain strings, such as the B2 to C#4 (a Major 9th or an Octave + Major 2nd), and the B3 to D#5 (a Minor 10th or an Octave + Major 3rd), contribute to a spacious and open sound, while the perfect fifths (E2-B2, C#4-G#4) provide grounding. The juxtaposition of C#4, G#4, and D#5 on the middle strings creates a strong sense of C# in the upper register, specifically a C#sus2 chord (C# D# G#). This interplay between the foundational E tonality and the prominent C# upper structure provides a unique harmonic tension and release, which is characteristic of Kaki King's compositions.

Open String Chords and Shapes

• The open strings provide an immediate Emaj7(add6) chord (E G# B C# D#). This rich chord is instantly available without any fretting, making it ideal for drone-based compositions or open, resonant passages.
• Because of the unique interval stacking, moving a single finger across various frets can easily yield suspended (sus2, sus4) and extended (maj/min 7th, 9th) voicings, often centered around E or C# sonorities.
• Barring across all strings at any given fret will produce an analogous chord structure, chromatically shifted. For instance, barring at the first fret would yield an Fmaj7(add6) type of chord, allowing for easy transposition of the tuning's inherent harmonic character to different keys.

How to Tune

To achieve the Night After A Sidewalk Tuning, adjust your guitar's standard EADGBe tuning as follows:

• 6th String (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) - Target Note: E2
• 5th String (A): Tune up 2 semitones - Target Note: B2
• 4th String (D): Tune down 1 semitone - Target Note: C#4
• 3rd String (G): Tune up 1 semitones - Target Note: G#4
• 2nd String (B): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) - Target Note: B3
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 1 semitones - Target Note: D#5

All string movements are within 2 semitones of their standard pitch, meaning that a standard set of guitar strings should comfortably accommodate this tuning without requiring heavier or lighter gauges.

6th String: E2

5th String: B2

4th String: C#4

3rd String: G#4

2nd String: B3

1st String: D#5