Overview of the F A C G C F Open Tuning

The F A C G C F tuning is a distinctive open tuning for the guitar, immediately striking with its rich, resonant quality. While the original description mentioned "toying around," this tuning offers a surprisingly cohesive and inspiring canvas for musical exploration. It’s particularly well-suited for a variety of styles where a full, sustained sound is desired, such as fingerstyle, drone music, or slide guitar.

Technical Analysis

When strummed open, all six strings sound the notes F2-A2-C3-G3-C4-F4. This combination forms an F major chord with an added G, specifically an Fadd9 (F-A-C-G-C-F). The presence of multiple Fs and Cs, along with the A, firmly establishes an F major harmonic foundation.

The intervals between the open strings, from lowest to highest, are:

• 6th to 5th string (F2 to A2): Major 3rd
• 5th to 4th string (A2 to C3): Minor 3rd
• 4th to 3rd string (C3 to G3): Perfect 5th
• 3rd to 2nd string (G3 to C4): Perfect 4th
• 2nd to 1st string (C4 to F4): Perfect 4th

The two consecutive perfect 4ths on the upper three strings (G-C-F) create a familiar interval structure that can make certain movable chord shapes intuitive, similar to parts of standard tuning. This section allows for easy arpeggiation and melodical lines within the F major scale, or modes built around F.

Chordal Possibilities

Beyond the open Fadd9 chord, this tuning opens up several interesting harmonic avenues:

• Open F Major Triad: By only playing strings 6, 5, 4 (F-A-C) or 4, 2, 1 (C-C-F), you can achieve a clear F major sound.
• Drone & Pedal Tones: The multiple F and C notes across the strings make it excellent for drone-based music, allowing for melodies and harmonies to be played over a sustained F or C.
• Movable Chord Shapes: Simple one-finger barres can yield interesting results. For example, barring all strings at the first fret would give you Gb-Bb-Db-Ab-Db-Gb, an Gbsus4. Barring at the fifth fret would yield A-C#-E-B-E-A, an Aadd9 chord.
• Sus Chords: The G on the 3rd string naturally leads to sus2 or sus4 voicings when combined with F or C harmonies.

How to Tune Your Guitar to F A C G C F

This tuning requires specific adjustments from standard E A D G B E tuning. Please proceed with care, especially with significant string tension changes. The standard pitch for A4 is 440 Hz.

• 6th String (Low E): Tune up 1 semitone from E2 to F2.
• 5th String (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Remains A2.
• 4th String (D): Tune down 2 semitones from D3 to C3.
• 3rd String (G): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones). Remains G3.
• 2nd String (B): Tune up 1 semitone from B3 to C4.
• 1st String (High E): Tune up 1 semitone from E4 to F4.

Important Note on String Gauge: Most of the string movements here are minor. However, generally tuning a string up or down by more than 4 semitones (e.g., -5 or +5) can put undue stress on your guitar or strings, and a different gauge string is often advised. For this specific tuning, the changes are within a safe range, but always be mindful of your instrument's limits.

The notes for the F A C G C F tuning, from the lowest (6th) string to the highest (1st) string, are as follows:

• 6th String: F2
• 5th String: A2
• 4th String: C3
• 3rd String: G3
• 2nd String: C4
• 1st String: F4