Tuning Overview: Josh Travis (8-String Guitar)

This unique 8-string Guitar tuning, officially known as the "Fingertap Bonanza Tuning" within the provided description, is strongly associated with the aggressive and technical style of Josh Travis, particularly from his work with The Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganza. It's meticulously crafted for extreme low-end impact, intricate technical playing, and rich harmonic textures, with a distinct emphasis on octaves and wide intervallic leaps, making it ideal for advanced finger tapping and extended range compositions. While the original description alludes to a potential 9-string configuration for an even lower E1, this analysis focuses on the specified 8-string note structure.

Technical Analysis

The open strings are tuned to E1, B1, E2, B2, E3, F#4, B3, E4, ordered from the lowest/thickest string (8th) to the highest/thinnest string (1st).

• The foundation of the tuning, spanning the 8th through 4th strings (E1, B1, E2, B2, E3), establishes a formidable E power chord structure (E-B-E-B-E) across multiple octaves. This provides immense depth, thickness, and resonance, characteristic of modern progressive metal and djent genres.
• A striking feature is the interval between the 4th string (E3) and the 3rd string (F#4), which is an expansive leap of 14 semitones (an octave and a major second). This dramatic increase in pitch creates vast melodic potential, particularly for rapid finger tapping and wide arpeggios that traverse a significant portion of the fretboard.
• Following this, the interval from the 3rd string (F#4) to the 2nd string (B3) is a unique descent of 9 semitones. This unconventional pitch drop for an adjacent higher string is highly unusual in standard tunings and underscores the specialized design of this tuning for particular voicings and playing techniques, rather than traditional chord shapes.
• The top two strings (B3 and E4) then resume a more conventional perfect 4th interval, offering familiar melodic and harmonic possibilities at the higher end of the guitar's range.

Chordal Possibilities & Playing Style

When all open strings are strummed, the tuning resonates with a powerful E(add9) voicing (E, B, E, B, E, F#, B, E). This produces a full, open, and slightly bright sound, with the F# providing an ethereal or tense quality. The repeating E and B notes across octaves ensure a robust harmonic anchor. Given the dramatic intervallic shifts, this tuning is exceptionally well-suited for:

• Finger Tapping: The large leaps and octave displacements are tailor-made for complex tapping patterns, enabling intricate melodic runs and arpeggios that exploit the full range and unique note relationships of the tuning.
• Heavy Riffing: The extremely low E and B notes offer an immense foundation for crushing, percussive riffs, while the higher strings can be employed for melodic counterpoints or dissonant textures.
• Complex Soundscapes: The density of the open notes and the ability to span a vast tonal range make this tuning ideal for crafting lush, layered, and orchestrally-inspired soundscapes.

How to Tune

To achieve the Josh Travis tuning from a standard 8-string tuning (e.g., F#1 B1 E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 or similar), follow these precise string adjustments. Always tune with care and consider a professional setup to adjust your guitar's intonation after making significant tuning changes.

• 8th String (E1): Tune down 2 semitones.
• 7th String (B1): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• 6th String (E2): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• 5th String (B2): Tune up 2 semitones.
• 4th String (E3): Tune up 2 semitones.
• 3rd String (F#4): Tune down 1 semitone.
• 2nd String (B3): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• 1st String (E4): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).

The movements required for this tuning are relatively minor (maximum of 2 semitones up or down). Therefore, a change in string gauge is generally not explicitly required, though it is always advisable to assess your guitar's playability and string tension after any tuning modification.

8th String: E1 (Lowest pitch, thickest string)

7th String: B1

6th String: E2

5th String: B2

4th String: E3

3rd String: F#4

2nd String: B3

1st String: E4 (Highest pitch, thinnest string)