"guestlist subscribers plain face 1" Tuning Analysis

This unique tuning, aptly named "guestlist subscribers plain face 1," offers a delightful and versatile sound, described by its creator as having a "nice jazzy feel with F major and A minor built in." It certainly lives up to this promise, providing a rich sonic palette for exploration.

Verbal Analysis

The open string configuration immediately suggests a sophisticated, full-bodied sound. Strumming all strings open creates a lush chord that leans heavily into jazzy harmonies. Players will find this tuning inspiring for creating intricate chord voicings and melodic lines that sit well within jazz, fusion, or even contemporary folk styles. The presence of F major and A minor triad notes across the open strings makes these keys particularly resonant and easy to navigate, allowing for intuitive songwriting and improvisation.

Technical Analysis

The tuning consists of the notes F2-A2-C3-E3-G3-C4 from low to high.

Upon closer inspection, this open tuning forms a complex and harmonious chord. The notes F-A-C-E-G-C essentially create an F major 7 add 9 chord (F-A-C-E-G) with the high C reinforcing the root's perfect fifth. This rich voicing provides a natural foundation for sophisticated harmony.

Specifically, the tuning contains:

• An F Major Triad (F-A-C) is present and easily accessible.
• An A Minor Triad (A-C-E) is also clearly outlined by the open strings.
• A C Major Triad (C-E-G) is formed by the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd strings.

The tight clustering of notes C-E-G-C across the middle to high strings (C3-E3-G3-C4) makes standard C major chord shapes incredibly resonant, while the low F2 and A2 provide deep, harmonic foundations. This arrangement means that many common chord shapes will need to be re-learned, but the reward is a uniquely voiced open chord and readily available root/fifth/third relationships for various scales and modes. Barre chords across certain frets will likely yield interesting new voicings, especially those incorporating the low F and A.

Tuning Notes & How to Tune

Final Tuning Notes:

• String 6 (Low E): Tuned to F2
• String 5 (A): Tuned to A2
• String 4 (D): Tuned to C3
• String 3 (G): Tuned to E3
• String 2 (B): Tuned to G3
• String 1 (High E): Tuned to C4

How to Tune from Standard E-A-D-G-B-E:

Important Note: When tuning, proceed carefully. Tuning a string significantly up or down (typically more than 4 semitones) can put excessive tension on the string or even cause it to break. For movements exceeding this range, consider using a different string gauge.

• String 6 (Low E): From standard E2, Tune up 1 semitones to reach F2.
• String 5 (A): From standard A2, Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to remain at A2.
• String 4 (D): From standard D3, Tune down 2 semitones to reach C3.
• String 3 (G): From standard G3, Tune down 3 semitones to reach E3.
• String 2 (B): From standard B3, Tune down 4 semitones to reach G3.
• String 1 (High E): From standard E4, Tune down 4 semitones to reach C4.