The Open E Drone Tuning: A Resonant Minor Landscape

This unique tuning, aptly named Open E Drone, offers a deeply resonant and somewhat melancholic soundscape. At its core, it establishes a solid E minor triad in the lower register, while simultaneously creating a bright, shimmering drone on the upper strings. This combination makes it particularly well-suited for blues, slide guitar, ambient sound textures, or any style where sustained, open resonance is desired.

Verbal Analysis:

Imagine strumming an E minor chord, but with an extraordinary depth and sustain you've rarely heard. The low end provides a rich, dark foundation, characteristic of E minor. As you move to the higher strings, you're greeted by a bright, almost bell-like chime of unison E notes. This creates an open, airy quality that allows individual notes to ring out with great clarity, while the combined effect produces a captivating harmonic shimmer. It feels expansive and a little mysterious, inviting improvisation and exploration.

Technical Analysis:

The tuning configuration from low to high is: E2 B2 G3 E3 E4 E4. Let's break down the intervals:

• Strings 6, 5, 4, 3 (E2 B2 G3 E3): These strings form an E minor chord (E-G-B) with an octave E on the 3rd string. Specifically, E (root) - B (perfect 5th) - G (minor 3rd) - E (root). This provides a very strong and full E minor voicing when played open.
• Strings 2, 1 (E4 E4): Both high strings are tuned to E4, creating a perfect unison. This 'drone' effect is what gives the tuning its name and much of its character. It adds significant brightness, sustain, and harmonic richness, particularly effective when playing melodies or slides across these strings.

Open Chords and Possibilities:

Immediately, playing all six strings open yields a rich E minor chord. This open foundation allows for easy exploration of E minor tonality. Due to the droning high E strings, many melodic ideas in the key of E minor will sound incredibly full and resonant. Simple one-finger barres can easily create other minor chords or suspended voicings:

• A minor (5th fret): Barre at the 5th fret (A-E-C-A-E-E) creates an A minor chord, though the high E drone will naturally give it an Amadd11 or Am(maj7) feel depending on the full voicing.
• B minor (7th fret): Barre at the 7th fret (B-F#-D-B-E-E) creates a B minor chord with the high E drone adding a Bm7(add11) flavor.

The open E's also make it very forgiving for slide guitar, as you can easily slide into various notes against the constant E drone. This tuning encourages a melodic approach, letting the open strings ring out to create textures and atmosphere, especially for pieces in E minor or related modes.

Tuning Configuration and 'How to Tune' Guide

Below is a detailed breakdown of the 'Open E Drone' tuning, showing the target note for each string and the necessary adjustments from standard EADGBe tuning.

Tuning Notes:

• String 6 (Low E): E2
• String 5 (A): B2
• String 4 (D): G3
• String 3 (G): E3
• String 2 (B): E4
• String 1 (High E): E4

How to Tune:

Please proceed with caution when tuning your guitar, especially when tuning strings up significantly. If a string needs to be tuned up more than 4 semitones (a major third), it is highly recommended to consider using a different string gauge to avoid undue tension or potential breakage. Conversely, tuning down too much might make strings too loose for optimal playability.

• String 6 (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from standard E2.
• String 5 (A): Tune up 2 semitones from A2 to B2.
• String 4 (D): Tune up 5 semitones from D3 to G3. (Caution: This is a significant jump. Consider a heavier gauge string if your current D string feels too tight or is prone to breaking.)
• String 3 (G): Tune down 3 semitones from G3 to E3.
• String 2 (B): Tune up 5 semitones from B3 to E4. (Caution: This is a significant jump. Consider a heavier gauge string if your current B string feels too tight or is prone to breaking.)
• String 1 (High E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from standard E4.