The "Baritone DADGAD in double E" tuning transforms your guitar into a deeply resonant instrument, designed for a "heavier tone" and powerful sonic impact. While its name suggests a connection to DADGAD, this tuning is fundamentally an incredibly low and rich open E Major chord, making it ideal for creating massive, droning soundscapes, heavy riffs, or atmospheric fingerstyle. It pushes the boundaries of standard guitar tuning to achieve a profound, almost bass-like sonic foundation.

Technical Analysis

This tuning features the notes E1-B1-E2-G#3-B2-E3 from the 6th to the 1st string, respectively. When strummed open, these notes form a full E Major chord. The presence of E on the 6th, 4th, and 1st strings justifies the "double E" aspect of its name, providing a strong root and octave presence across the fretboard. The incredibly low E1 and B1 notes define its "Baritone" character, making it suitable for instruments with longer scale lengths or requiring very heavy gauge strings.

The open string intervals, relative to the lowest E (E1), are:

• String 6 (E1): Root (R)
• String 5 (B1): Perfect Fifth (P5)
• String 4 (E2): Octave (R)
• String 3 (G#3): Major Third (M3) (relative to E2)
• String 2 (B2): Perfect Fifth (P5) (relative to E2)
• String 1 (E3): Octave (R) (relative to E2)

It's important to note that while the tuning description mentions "DADGAD in E," the actual interval structure (R-P5-R-M3-P5-R) is that of an Open E Major chord, not a transposed DADGAD (which would typically be R-P5-R-P4-P5-R). This distinction means that while it shares the open, resonant character DADGAD is known for, the specific chord shapes and voicings common in DADGAD will not directly apply. Instead, it offers a powerful and deeply resonant foundation in E Major, particularly effective for its extremely low register.

Chords and Playability

• Open Chord: The open strings deliver a commanding E Major chord, perfect for creating rich, full sonic textures, powerful strumming, or resonant arpeggios.
• Barre Chords: By simply barring all strings across any fret, you can easily play other major chords. For example, barring at the 1st fret yields an F Major, and the 3rd fret a G Major, maintaining the open E Major voicing's character and allowing for easy transposition.
• Minor Chords: To achieve an E minor chord, simply fret the 3rd string at the 2nd fret (changing G# to G natural). This type of simple, single-finger alteration can open up various minor and suspended voicings (e.g., fretting the 2nd string at the 1st fret for a sus4).
• Drone and Slide: The open, resonant nature and particularly low register make this tuning exceptional for drone-based playing, slide guitar, and heavy, sustained riffs where the open strings can ring out, creating a massive wall of sound.
• Bass-like Qualities: The incredibly low E1 and B1 strings provide a deep, almost bass-like foundation, which can add significant weight and power to your guitar's sound, bridging the gap between guitar and bass frequencies.

How to Tune

This tuning involves significant down-tuning across all strings from standard EADGBe. For optimal performance, stable tuning, and to prevent string floppiness or potential damage with standard gauges, it is highly recommended to use heavier gauge strings. Movements exceeding 4 semitones (up or down) generally advise a different string gauge to maintain proper tension and tone.

• String 6: Tune down 7 semitones to E1. (Significant downtuning, a heavy gauge string is strongly advised).
• String 5: Tune down 5 semitones to B1. (Significant downtuning, a heavy gauge string is strongly advised).
• String 4: Tune down 5 semitones to E2. (Significant downtuning, a heavy gauge string is strongly advised).
• String 3: Tune down 6 semitones to G#3. (Significant downtuning, a heavy gauge string is strongly advised).
• String 2: Tune down 8 semitones to B2. (Extreme downtuning, a heavier gauge string is essential).
• String 1: Tune down 7 semitones to E3. (Significant downtuning, a heavy gauge string is strongly advised).