Description

This unique tuning, described by its creator as an "etherial ting" and "pretty damn sexy", truly lives up to its name. The open strings immediately evoke a spacious, resonant, and somewhat mysterious soundscape, perfect for ambient, blues, folk, or experimental genres. It's designed to provide a rich, droning foundation with intriguing harmonic possibilities.

Verbal Analysis

The most striking feature of the Etherial E Drone is the double low E strings (E2-E2), creating an incredibly deep and resonant bass foundation. This acts as a powerful drone, allowing other notes to shimmer above it. The presence of D3 (a minor seventh relative to E) and A3 (a perfect fourth relative to E) adds a bluesy, suspended quality, avoiding a standard major or minor feel. It's an open, airy tuning that begs for arpeggiated fingerstyle, allowing the individual notes to ring out and blend. Strummed openly, it produces a rich, ambiguous chord that leans towards an E suspended 4th with a minor 7th, hinting at both resolution and perpetual motion.

This tuning excels in situations where you want a full, almost orchestral sound from open strings without complex fingerings. Slide guitar would sound phenomenal, allowing smooth glides between the resonant intervals. The relative simplicity of the upper strings (D-E-A-E) over the low E drone provides a canvas for melodic exploration and modal playing.

Technical Analysis

• Open Notes: E2 - E2 - D3 - E3 - A3 - E4 (from lowest string to highest string)
• Intervals from the Low E (6th String):
  • 6th String (E2): Root
  • 5th String (E2): Unison / Octave (creating a strong drone effect)
  • 4th String (D3): Minor 7th
  • 3rd String (E3): Octave
  • 2nd String (A3): Perfect 4th
  • 1st String (E4): Octave
• Chordal Implications: The open tuning naturally forms an E suspended 4th with a minor 7th (E-A-D-E), lacking a major or minor third. This makes it harmonically ambiguous and versatile, offering a modal, bluesy flavor.
• Easy Chord Shapes & Voicings:
  • Open Strum: Produces a powerful, drone-like E suspended chord with a minor 7th.
  • Power Chords: Barring the 6th and 5th strings at any fret will always yield a perfect octave, creating a thick, resonant base for power chords. For example, barring at the 2nd fret on these two strings gives F#2-F#2.
  • Drone Chords: The consistent E's across multiple octaves (E2, E2, E3, E4) enable easy maintenance of a rich drone while fretting only a few upper strings. Experiment with simple two or three-finger shapes.
  • Melodic Play: The open strings provide excellent anchor points for melodic lines, especially on the D and A strings. The E3-A3-E4 interval sequence (Root-4th-Root within the upper register) is very open and pleasing for arpeggios.

Open String Notes

Starting from the lowest string (6th) to the highest (1st):

• 6th String: E2
• 5th String: E2
• 4th String: D3
• 3rd String: E3
• 2nd String: A3
• 1st String: E4

How to Tune

To achieve the Etherial E Drone tuning, follow these instructions for each string:

• 6th String (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). It should remain at E2.
• 5th String (A String): Tune down 5 semitones. The target note is E2. Please be advised: tuning down 5 semitones is a significant change from standard tuning. If you plan to keep this tuning for an extended period, or if your string feels too loose, consider using a heavier gauge string for the 5th string to maintain optimal tension and tone.
• 4th String (D String): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). It should remain at D3.
• 3rd String (G String): Tune down 3 semitones. The target note is E3.
• 2nd String (B String): Tune down 2 semitones. The target note is A3.
• 1st String (High E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). It should remain at E4.