Verbal Analysis

The EGABDE tuning offers a unique and expansive soundscape, moving far away from standard guitar tuning. With its significantly lowered string tensions, particularly on the higher strings, this tuning creates a deep, resonant, and almost ethereal quality. It's ideal for exploration into ambient textures, drone-based music, or creating rich, open voicings that would be impossible in standard tuning. The arrangement of notes, including a readily available E minor triad (E-G-B) across the lower strings, encourages melodic interplay and open chord shapes with surprising sonic depth. The drastic down-tuning suggests a preference for fingerstyle or light strumming to best articulate the notes and prevent excessive string flop, and might require a heavier gauge of strings for optimal performance and intonation, especially on the first four strings.

Technical Analysis

This tuning, EGABDE (E2 G2 A2 B2 D3 E3), for the Guitar presents a non-standard interval structure, fostering an open and somewhat dissonant yet resonant character.

• Open Notes: E2 (low E), G2, A2, B2, D3, E3 (high E).
• Intervals (low to high):
  • E2 to G2: Minor Third (3 semitones)
  • G2 to A2: Major Second (2 semitones)
  • A2 to B2: Major Second (2 semitones)
  • B2 to D3: Minor Third (3 semitones)
  • D3 to E3: Major Second (2 semitones)
• Potential Chords:

  While not a common chord across all open strings, an E minor triad (E-G-B) is readily available by playing strings 6, 5, and 3. The open tuning also presents E, A, D, and G, A, B as sequential notes on various strings, suggesting possibilities for Sus2/Sus4 voicings and modal explorations. The overall openness allows for rich drones and suspended harmonies, with the two E's framing the entire register.

How to Tune

This section describes the specific adjustments needed for each string to achieve the EGABDE tuning from standard E Standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E).

• 6th String (Low E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). The string remains E2.
• 5th String (A): Tune down 2 semitones. The string changes from A2 to G2.
• 4th String (D): Tune down 5 semitones. The string changes from D3 to A2.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 8 semitones. The string changes from G3 to B2.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 9 semitones. The string changes from B3 to D3.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 12 semitones. The string changes from E4 to E3.

Important Note: This tuning involves significant down-tuning for most strings, with movements ranging from 5 to 12 semitones down on the higher strings. When tuning down more than 4 semitones, it is generally advised to consider using a different gauge string, typically heavier, to maintain proper tension, intonation, and playability, and to avoid excessively loose strings.

String 6: E2 - The lowest string remains at its standard E tuning, providing a familiar anchor.

String 5: G2 - Tuned down two semitones from standard A, creating a minor third interval with the low E.

String 4: A2 - Tuned down five semitones from standard D, aligning it as a perfect fourth above the G string.

String 3: B2 - Tuned down eight semitones from standard G, introducing a major second interval with the A string and forming part of an E minor triad with the lower E and G strings.

String 2: D3 - Tuned down nine semitones from standard B, creating a minor third with the B string.

String 1: E3 - Tuned down a full octave (12 semitones) from standard high E, mirroring the lowest E an octave higher and acting as a high drone.