This is the unique and evocative tuning famously used by Kaki King in her song "Doing the Wrong Thing." It presents a highly unconventional arrangement of pitches across the guitar, departing significantly from standard tunings to create a distinctive sonic landscape that challenges traditional harmonic approaches.

Technical Analysis:

• Instrument: Guitar
• Tuning Name: EGDF#BF# (indicating the open notes from 6th to 1st string).
• Original Context: Developed for the song "Doing the Wrong Thing" by Kaki King, renowned for her innovative and percussive fingerstyle techniques.
• Open String Pitches:
  • 6th String: E2 (Low E)
  • 5th String: G2
  • 4th String: D3
  • 3rd String: F#4 (Notably, this string is pitched an octave and a major third higher than the 4th string D3, and critically, it is pitched higher than the 2nd string's B3. This creates a striking, non-monotonic pitch progression.)
  • 2nd String: B3
  • 1st String: F#5 (A very high pitch for the top string, a full perfect twelfth above the 2nd string's B3, adding brilliance and resonance.)
• Interval Relationships: This tuning features several non-standard intervals, most notably the descending interval from the 3rd string (F#4) to the 2nd string (B3), which is a diminished fifth downwards. This creates a unique voicing that defies typical ascending guitar string pitch progression. The extreme high F#5 on the first string adds a shimmering, bright quality, contrasting with the deep E2 and G2. The doubled F# notes (F#4 and F#5) establish a prominent drone and harmonic center.

Harmonic and Chording Observations:

The open strings E-G-D-F#-B-F# do not form a single conventional chord, but they hint at several rich harmonic possibilities:

• B minor (Bm): An open B minor chord (B-D-F#) is strongly implied and easily accessible. The notes D3 (4th string), F#4 (3rd string), B3 (2nd string), and F#5 (1st string) together form a rich B minor voicing with a strong emphasis on the F# root/fifth.
• E minor 7 (Em7) or G Major 7 (Gmaj7) fragments: The lower strings (E-G-D) provide a root, minor third, and perfect fifth, laying a foundation that can easily integrate with the B3 to form elements of Em7 (E-G-B-D) or Gmaj7 (G-B-D-F#) with simple fingerings.
• Unique Voicings and Drones: The non-monotonic pitch progression (F#4 higher than B3) encourages unconventional fingerings and voicings, allowing for rich, open drone-like sounds and intricate arpeggios that are characteristic of Kaki King's style. The doubled F# notes (F#4 and F#5) create a strong, resonant drone that can serve as a powerful harmonic anchor. This tuning is ideal for fingerstyle playing, enabling dense harmonic clusters and wide intervallic leaps not typically found in standard tuning, demanding a fresh approach to the fretboard and opening up new melodic and harmonic possibilities.

Open String Notes:

• 6th String: E2
• 5th String: G2
• 4th String: D3
• 3rd String: F#4
• 2nd String: B3
• 1st String: F#5

How to Tune:

To achieve the EGDF#BF# tuning from standard E Standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E), follow these precise steps:

• 6th String (E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). It remains E2.
• 5th String (A): Tune down 2 semitones to G2.
• 4th String (D): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). It remains D3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 1 semitone to F#4.
• 2nd String (B): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). It remains B3.
• 1st String (E): Tune up 2 semitones to F#5.

All string movements are within a safe range for standard guitar strings.