This tuning, often associated with artists like The Tallest Man on Earth, is a rich and resonant open F Major tuning. It transforms the standard guitar into a powerful chordal instrument, allowing for full, ringing harmonies with minimal effort. The F-A-C-F-A-F sequence provides a bright, folky, and sometimes melancholic sound, perfect for fingerpicking arpeggios or strumming wide, open chords. Its drone-like quality on the low F and high F, coupled with the open A and C notes, creates a sympathetic resonance that truly sings.

Technical Analysis

This is a true Open F Major tuning. When strummed open, all six strings form an F Major chord (F-A-C). The notes are:

• String 6 (Low E): F2 (Root)
• String 5 (A): A2 (Major Third)
• String 4 (D): C3 (Perfect Fifth)
• String 3 (G): F3 (Octave Root)
• String 2 (B): A3 (Octave Major Third)
• String 1 (High E): F4 (Double Octave Root)

The repetition of the F-A-C triad across different octaves provides a full, harmonically complete sound. This arrangement makes it incredibly easy to play F Major and related chords simply by barring across frets. Sliding a single finger bar up the neck will give you all major chords, a common technique in open tunings. Minor chords or dominant chords can be easily achieved with slight finger modifications from a barred position.

How to Tune

To achieve the 'facfaf' tuning, you will adjust your strings from standard E Standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-e) as follows:

• String 6 (Low E): Tune up 1 semitones to F2.
• String 5 (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) at A2.
• String 4 (D): Tune down 2 semitones to C3.
• String 3 (G): Tune down 2 semitones to F3.
• String 2 (B): Tune down 2 semitones to A3.
• String 1 (High E): Tune up 1 semitones to F4.

Important Note: While the string movements for this tuning are relatively small, generally tuning up 3 or 4 semitones or down more than 4 semitones from standard pitch may put excessive tension or looseness on your strings, respectively. For such extreme changes, a different gauge string set is often advised to maintain playability and avoid potential damage to your instrument or strings. Always tune slowly and carefully.

String 6 (Low E String): F2
String 5 (A String): A2
String 4 (D String): C3
String 3 (G String): F3
String 2 (B String): A3
String 1 (High E String): F4