Welcome to the Modified DADGAD in Drop E1, a powerful and deeply resonant 7-string guitar tuning designed for an expansive sonic palette. Building upon the foundational principles of DADGAD, this tuning pushes the boundaries into a lower register and broader range, creating a truly unique playing experience.

Verbal Analysis

This tuning immediately strikes with its depth, anchored by the low E1 and B1 strings, which offer a formidable foundation for heavy riffs and atmospheric soundscapes. The arrangement of E1 B1 E2 B2 E3 B3 across the low and high strings creates a rich, open E power chord feel, while the inclusion of the A2 string provides harmonic complexity. It's a tuning that encourages open string drones, percussive chugging, and soaring melodic lines, particularly well-suited for progressive metal, ambient sound design, or cinematic scores where a wide dynamic and pitch range is desired. The "DADGAD" heritage hints at chordal voicings that can feel both familiar and refreshingly new, offering a balance between traditional harmony and modern exploration. The description also mentions a focus on "Asus2 open" for strings 1-3 (B2 E3 B3), which presents a strong E power chord that supports the A2, making Asus2 shapes very accessible.

Technical Analysis

The open notes for this 7-string tuning are: E1 B1 E2 A2 B2 E3 B3 (from low to high). This configuration results in several interesting intervallic relationships and open chord possibilities:

• The lowest three strings (E1 B1 E2) form an open E power chord (E-B-E), providing a robust base.
• The grouping of (E2 A2 B2) on strings 5, 4, and 3 contains the notes for an Asus2 chord (A-B-E). These notes are readily available for unique voicings and open string harmonies.
• The highest three strings (B2 E3 B3) also form an E power chord, providing a strong resonant top end.
• The overall tuning contains multiple octaves of E and B, facilitating easy power chords and drone effects. The A2 provides a distinct flavor, allowing for Sus2 and Sus4 chords to be easily constructed by simply barring across certain frets.
• The interval structure across the full set of strings allows for broad, open voicings that resonate powerfully. The mixture of perfect fourths (B1-E2, E2-A2, B2-E3) and perfect fifths (E1-B1, E3-B3) with a major second (A2-B2) creates a versatile landscape for both melodic and harmonic exploration.

How to Tune

To achieve the Modified DADGAD in Drop E1 tuning, you will need to adjust your strings as follows. Please note: All string movements for this tuning involve significant lowering. Tuning strings down by more than 4 semitones can cause them to become loose or intonation issues may arise. For optimal performance and to maintain proper string tension, a different gauge of strings (heavier, especially for the lower strings) is strongly advised for this tuning.

• String 7 (Standard B): Tune down 7 semitones to E1.
• String 6 (Standard E): Tune down 5 semitones to B1.
• String 5 (Standard A): Tune down 5 semitones to E2.
• String 4 (Standard D): Tune down 5 semitones to A2.
• String 3 (Standard G): Tune down 8 semitones to B2.
• String 2 (Standard B): Tune down 7 semitones to E3.
• String 1 (Standard High E): Tune down 5 semitones to B3.

String 7: E1
String 6: B1
String 5: E2
String 4: A2
String 3: B2
String 2: E3
String 1: B3