Verbal & Technical Analysis

The 'F Whole Tone' tuning is crafted to unlock a distinctive sonic landscape on the guitar, aiming to embody the ethereal, often ambiguous, and dream-like qualities of the whole-tone scale. As described in its conception, this tuning intends to present an open whole-tone scale where, with the exception of one interval, all strings are a major third apart. This design should theoretically facilitate melodic playing with minimal stretching and make all 12 notes easily accessible through the use of harmonics, hinting at an intuitive and symmetrical playing experience.

However, a precise examination of the specified open notes reveals a highly unconventional and extreme setup, particularly regarding the octave placement of several strings:

• String 6 (F2) to String 5 (A2): This interval is a Major 3rd (4 semitones), providing a harmonic foundation.
• String 5 (A2) to String 4 (C4#): This is an exceptionally large interval, spanning an Octave and a Major 3rd (16 semitones). This creates a massive pitch leap, making String 4 significantly higher than what is typically found on adjacent guitar strings, leading to a very bright and piercing tone.
• String 4 (C4#) to String 3 (G3): Following the dramatic jump, there is an unusual descending interval of a Perfect 5th (7 semitones down). While the tuning's description indicates an 'exception of C#-G' (often a perfect 4th in a compact whole-tone arrangement), the specified octaves here result in a considerable drop in pitch.
• String 3 (G3) to String 2 (B3): This interval is a Major 3rd (4 semitones), re-establishing a more conventional relationship between these strings.
• String 2 (B3) to String 1 (D5#): Mirroring the earlier extreme jump, this is another massive leap of an Octave and a Major 3rd (16 semitones). This positions the highest string at an exceptionally high register, far above standard guitar tuning.

If the literal octave numbers are followed, this tuning results in an extraordinarily wide dynamic and pitch range, with immediate and drastic shifts between very low and very high registers across adjacent strings. Such a configuration would demand meticulous string gauge selection and potentially specialized instrument setup to manage tension and achieve optimal playability. Traditional open chords, as commonly understood, are not readily available; however, the arrangement of the open notes (F, A, C#, G, B, D#) are all constituent notes of the F whole-tone scale (F-G-A-B-C#-D#-F). This implies that any combination of these open strings or simple fretting patterns will naturally yield augmented harmonies, such as F Augmented (F-A-C#) or G Augmented (G-B-D#). The tuning is thus best suited for exploring the unique sonic properties of whole-tone harmony, melodic improvisation within its scale, and leveraging harmonics as mentioned, for a broad spectrum of sounds.

How to Tune

To achieve the 'F Whole Tone' tuning, carefully adjust each string according to the instructions below. These movements describe the semitone changes from a standard EADGBe tuning. Please pay close attention to string tension; while the specified tuning movements are minor, the *target notes* for String 4 (C4#) and String 1 (D5#) are exceptionally high for a standard guitar and will likely necessitate the use of very light gauge strings or a specialized instrument setup to prevent string breakage and ensure proper intonation.

• String 6 (Low E to F2): Tune up 1 semitone.
• String 5 (A to A2): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 4 (D to C4#): Tune down 1 semitone. (*Note: This movement from D3 would result in C#3. The target C4# represents an additional octave jump not accounted for by this movement.*)
• String 3 (G to G3): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 2 (B to B3): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 1 (High E to D5#): Tune down 1 semitone. (*Note: This movement from E4 would result in D#4. The target D5# represents an additional octave jump not accounted for by this movement.*)

It is critical to highlight the discrepancy between the indicated tuning movements and the target notes' octaves. If the specified 'fret_movements' are applied from a standard tuning (EADGBe), String 4 would result in C#3 and String 1 in D#4. The target notes of C4# and D5# for these strings denote an additional octave higher, implying a much more significant tension adjustment than indicated by the semitone movements. Achieving these precise high octaves will almost certainly require a specialized setup, such as specific string gauges for a very high tension, or a multi-scale/fanned fret instrument, to avoid string breakage and manage extreme tension differences.

The open strings for the 'F Whole Tone' tuning are as follows (from lowest to highest string):

• String 6: F2
• String 5: A2
• String 4: C4#
• String 3: G3
• String 2: B3
• String 1: D5#