Tuning Analysis: F-A Dissonant Drone

Verbal Analysis

The "F-A Dissonant Drone" tuning, derived from a Sonic Youth tuning (EG#EG#EG#) but shifted up a half-step, is an intriguing and highly resonant setup designed for expansive, droning soundscapes and intentionally dissonant noise chords. Its core characteristic is the strong presence of F and A across multiple octaves, creating a thick, sustained sonic bed. This tuning invites a textural approach to playing, where individual notes often blur into a rich, complex harmony, favoring atmosphere and sonic exploration over traditional melodic or harmonic progressions. It's particularly well-suited for experimental music, ambient textures, and creating a wall of sound, aligning with its original description as a "drone tuning, primary used for dissonant noise chords."

Technical Analysis

This tuning presents an open chord of F2-A2-F3-A3-F3-A3. Analyzing the intervals reveals a distinctive pattern:

• String 6 (F2) to String 5 (A2): A Major 3rd interval.
• String 5 (A2) to String 4 (F3): A Minor 6th interval, effectively an F an octave above the previous F.
• String 4 (F3) to String 3 (A3): Another Major 3rd interval.
• String 3 (A3) to String 2 (F3): A Minor 6th interval, again an F but an octave below the previous A.
• String 2 (F3) to String 1 (A3): The final Major 3rd interval.

The repeated F-A pattern across different octaves (F2, A2, F3, A3, F3, A3) creates a potent, almost overwhelming, F major triad (minus the 5th) that acts as a strong drone. The unison F3 notes on strings 4 and 2, and the octaves of F and A throughout, lend themselves to an incredibly full, ringing quality when strummed open.

Open Chords and Possibilities:

• The open tuning itself forms a rich F Major (no 5th) or Fsus2 sound due to the F-A intervals and the absence of a C. This makes it a perfect base for drone compositions.
• Movable Shapes: Barring across any fret will yield a transposed version of the open F-A structure. For instance, barring at the 1st fret gives you G-B-G-B-G-B, a G Major (no 5th) sound. This allows for easy creation of powerful, thick major-sounding chords up and down the neck.
• Dissonant Voicings: The specific placement of F3 on strings 4 and 2, and A3 on strings 3 and 1, creates close voicings in the higher register. By selectively muting or fretting individual strings, players can easily introduce minor 2nds or other dissonances, leaning into the "noise chords" aspect described in the original tuning's intent. The proximity of the F3 and A3 notes encourages experimentation with cluster chords and tight intervallic relationships for a more abrasive sound.
• Octave and Unison Play: The repeated Fs and As across octaves allow for powerful unison bends, octave slides, and ringing harmonics, emphasizing the drone quality.

Overall, the F-A Dissonant Drone is not for the faint of heart, but for those seeking a highly resonant, texturally rich, and sonically adventurous tuning capable of producing intense, droning harmonies and abrasive noise.

Tuning Notes

The target notes for each string in this tuning are as follows:

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

How to Tune

To achieve the F-A Dissonant Drone tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these steps. Please be mindful of string tension when making significant changes:

• String 6 (Low E to F2): Tune up 1 semitones.
• String 5 (A to A2): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 4 (D to F3): Tune up 3 semitones.
• String 3 (G to A3): Tune up 2 semitones.
• String 2 (B to F3): Tune down 6 semitones. (Note: Significant tension change, consider string gauge.)
• String 1 (High E to A3): Tune down 7 semitones. (Note: Significant tension change, consider string gauge.)

Important String Gauge Advisory: When tuning strings by more than 4 semitones up or down, it is generally recommended to use a different gauge string optimized for the new tension. Tuning significantly up can increase the risk of string breakage, while tuning significantly down may result in a floppy or dull tone with inadequate sustain. Strings 2 and 1 in this tuning involve significant downtuning, which may benefit from a heavier gauge to maintain playability and tone.