The "Sonic Wishful Drone" tuning, inspired by Lee Ranaldo's work with Sonic Youth, is a profoundly experimental and unique open tuning for guitar. It leverages unison and octave relationships across multiple strings to create a thick, resonant drone, characteristic of the band's abstract soundscapes.

Verbal Analysis

At its core, this tuning creates a powerful drone, predominantly in E and B. The lowest two strings are tuned to a unison E2, providing an incredibly thick, foundational bass. Further up, the D and G strings are tuned to B2 and B3 respectively, forming an octave. This combination builds a massive, sustained low-end texture. When all open strings are strummed, the tuning resolves to an intriguing Eadd9 chord (E2 E2 B2 B3 E3 F#5). The presence of the F#5 on the highest string adds a bright, slightly dissonant "jangly" quality, contributing to a sense of expansive, open space rather than a conventional harmonic resolution. This makes it ideal for ambient textures, arpeggiated figures that highlight the F# against the E/B drone, or for exploring Sonic Youth's signature noisy, feedback-laden sound.

Due to the resonant open strings, simple fingerings or barres can yield complex harmonic results. Barring across various frets will often produce interesting suspended or major/minor 9th voicings, while single-note melodic lines on the higher strings can interact with the sustained drone beneath in captivating ways. The heavy emphasis on open string resonance encourages a playing style focused on sustained chords, percussive attacks, and textural exploration.

Technical Analysis

• Instrument: Guitar
• Tuning Type: Non-Standard, Open Drone Tuning.
• Open Chord: Eadd9 (E2 E2 B2 B3 E3 F#5).
• Interval Relationships:
  • Strings 6 & 5: Unison (E2).
  • Strings 4 & 3: Octave (B2, B3).
  • String 2: E3 (Octave of E2, two octaves above lowest E).
  • String 1: F#5 (Major 9th relative to the E root).
• Retuning Effort: Significant, with multiple strings requiring substantial changes. Care should be taken during tuning.

This section details the notes for each string in the "Sonic Wishful Drone" tuning and provides instructions on how to achieve it from standard tuning (EADGBe).

Tuning Notes

• String 6 (Low E): E2
• String 5 (A String): E2
• String 4 (D String): B2
• String 3 (G String): B3
• String 2 (B String): E3
• String 1 (High E): F#5

How to Tune

Follow these instructions carefully to tune your guitar from standard EADGBe to "Sonic Wishful Drone":

• String 6 (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Target Note: E2.
• String 5 (A String): Tune down 5 semitones from A2 to E2. Note: Tuning down 5 semitones is a significant change. Consider using a heavier gauge string to maintain optimal tension and tone.
• String 4 (D String): Tune down 3 semitones from D3 to B2. Target Note: B2.
• String 3 (G String): Tune up 4 semitones from G3 to B3. Caution: Tuning up 4 semitones puts considerable tension on the string. If you experience excessive tension or difficulty, a lighter gauge string may be advisable.
• String 2 (B String): Tune down 7 semitones from B3 to E3. Note: Tuning down 7 semitones is a very substantial change. A heavier gauge string is strongly recommended to prevent floppiness and ensure good tone and intonation.
• String 1 (High E): Tune up 2 semitones from E4 to F#5. Target Note: F#5.

Always tune slowly and check your guitar's intonation after any major tuning changes.