Tuning Analysis: Open E Raga Lakita

The Open E Raga Lakita tuning transforms your guitar into a resonant soundscape, deeply rooted in the exotic and expressive Raga Lakita hexatonic scale. This is a highly specialized open tuning designed to immediately evoke a distinct melodic and harmonic character, perfect for exploring sounds reminiscent of traditional Indian music or modern experimental genres. As described in its definition, this tuning contains the Scale Raga Lakita, a Hexatonic Scale
I, II, III, V, bVI, VII. It lays out the E Raga Lakita scale (E, F#, G#, B, C, D#) directly across the open strings, creating a rich and complex harmony when strummed open.

Technical Breakdown:

This tuning sets the low E string as the root (E2) and then arranges the remaining strings to form the other five notes of the E Raga Lakita scale: B2 (Perfect 5th), D4# (Major 7th), G4# (Major 3rd), C4 (Minor 6th/Flat 13th), and F5# (Major 2nd). The direct correspondence between the open strings and the scale notes means that simply strumming all open strings produces a unique and full-bodied chord: an E major 7th with added 9th (F#) and flat 13th (C). This allows for easy melodic improvisation within the Raga Lakita scale across the fretboard, as many open string notes provide strong harmonic anchors.

Chords and Playability:

The open tuning itself strongly implies an Emaj7(add9, b13) chord (E-G#-B-D# with F# and C). Moving a single finger across various frets will yield chords all within the Raga Lakita scale, making it incredibly intuitive for creating progressions and melodies within this specific musical mode. For instance, a simple barre chord at any fret will produce a chord shape that maintains the intervallic relationships of the Raga Lakita scale, transposed to the new root. This tuning excels in creating drone-like textures and fluid melodic lines that float over the rich open harmonies.

How to Tune:

To achieve the Open E Raga Lakita tuning from standard guitar tuning (E2-A2-D3-G3-B3-E4), follow these steps:

• Sixth String (Low E - E2): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to reach E2.
• Fifth String (A - A2): Tune up 2 semitones to reach B2.
• Fourth String (D - D3): Tune up 1 semitone to reach D4#.
• Third String (G - G3): Tune up 1 semitone to reach G4#.
• Second String (B - B3): Tune up 1 semitone to reach C4.
• First String (High E - E4): Tune up 2 semitones to reach F5#.

Note on string tension: The semitone adjustments (0-2 semitones) are generally moderate and should be manageable with standard string gauges. No individual string movement, as specified by the 'fret_movements' data, exceeds 4 semitones up or down, which is often the threshold for considering a change in string gauge.

Open String Notes:

The open strings are tuned as follows, from thickest to thinnest:

• Sixth String: E2 (E two)
• Fifth String: B2 (B two)
• Fourth String: D4# (D-sharp four)
• Third String: G4# (G-sharp four)
• Second String: C4 (C four)
• First String: F5# (F-sharp five)