Description

The Shoegaze Open E Drone tuning transforms your guitar into a resonant, textural instrument, perfectly suited for the lush, layered soundscapes of shoegaze and dream pop. As its name suggests, this tuning emphasizes open E and B notes across multiple octaves, creating a natural drone effect that contributes to its rich, sustained character. It's not just an open chord; it's a sonic canvas designed for harmonic depth and swirling textures. Notably, applying a capo at the second fret will achieve the iconic My Bloody Valentine "Soon" tuning, providing a direct link to one of shoegaze's most influential sounds.

Technical Analysis

The open string notes, from low to high, are:

• E2 (6th string - Low E)
• B2 (5th string - A)
• E3 (4th string - D)
• E3 (3rd string - G)
• B3 (2nd string - B)
• B3 (1st string - High E)

This configuration is an open E Major chord (E-G#-B) where the G# is omitted, resulting in a robust E5 power chord across the lower strings, with the upper strings further reinforcing the root and fifth. Specifically, the tuning provides the root (E) on the 6th, 4th, and 3rd strings, and the perfect fifth (B) on the 5th, 2nd, and 1st strings. The doubling of E3 and B3 on adjacent pairs of strings (4th/3rd and 2nd/1st respectively) creates a powerful unison/octave resonance, which is fundamental to its droning quality and harmonic density. The intervals from the lowest E (E2) are P1, P5, P8, P8, P5, P5.

Playing Opportunities

• Open E Major Chord: Strumming all open strings yields a full, rich E Major chord, providing a powerful harmonic foundation ready for layered effects.
• Movable Major Chords: By barring across any single fret, you can effortlessly create major chords up and down the fretboard (e.g., bar at the 1st fret for F Major, 2nd fret for F# Major).
• Drone Textures: The repeated E and B notes across different octaves are perfect for creating sustained, ethereal drone effects, allowing notes to ring out and blend harmonically.
• Power Chords: The lower strings naturally form powerful, thick E5-like voicings, ideal for rhythmic or heavy parts.
• Slide Guitar: The open E major framework makes this tuning exceptionally well-suited for slide playing, offering a broad and resonant sonic palette.

How to Tune

To achieve the Shoegaze Open E Drone tuning from standard E-A-D-G-B-E, follow these precise movements for each string:

• String 6 (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The string remains tuned to E2.
• String 5 (A): Tune up 2 semitones from its standard A2 to B2.
• String 4 (D): Tune up 2 semitones from its standard D3 to E3.
• String 3 (G): Tune down 3 semitones from its standard G3 to E3.
• String 2 (B): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The string remains tuned to B3.
• String 1 (High E): Tune down 5 semitones from its standard E4 to B3.

Important Note on String Gauge: When tuning strings, exercise caution. Tuning up 3 or 4 semitones can put considerable tension on a string. Tuning down 5 semitones for the 1st string (High E) is a significant change. For movements exceeding 4 semitones (either up or down, such as tuning the 1st string down 5 semitones), it is generally advised to consider a different string gauge to ensure optimal playability and string longevity, and to prevent potential string breakage.