The "Oh Dear Father - RVR" tuning, as used in Reese Van Riper's song, sets your guitar strings to F-G#-C-F-C-F. This creates a deeply resonant and somewhat melancholic soundscape, perfectly suiting its musical context.

Technical Analysis

This tuning is an open F minor chord. The notes, from low E to high e in standard notation, are:

• 6th String (Low E): F2 - The root, providing a strong foundation.
• 5th String (A): G3# - Enharmonically Ab3, which is the minor third of F. This note defines the minor quality of the tuning.
• 4th String (D): C3 - The perfect fifth of F, adding harmonic stability.
• 3rd String (G): F3 - An octave above the low F, reinforcing the root.
• 2nd String (B): C4 - An octave above the C3, providing another perfect fifth.
• 1st String (High e): F4 - Another octave of the root, creating a full, rich top end.

When strummed open, all strings combine to form a full F minor chord (F - Ab - C). The repeated Fs and Cs across different octaves contribute to a massive, symphonic feel, while the G# (Ab) provides the characteristic minor tonality. This arrangement means the tuning is essentially a stacked F minor triad.

Verbal Analysis & Open Chords

Verbally, this tuning offers a dark, emotive, and somewhat introspective quality, largely due to its minor open chord structure. It's ideal for pieces requiring a somber or dramatic mood, providing a powerful, full-bodied resonance when strummed open. This makes it excellent for accompaniment, drone-like effects, or percussive strumming that needs to convey depth.

The consistent minor chord structure makes many chords easily accessible. A simple full barre across any fret will immediately yield a minor chord in that key (e.g., barring at the 1st fret gives F# minor, 3rd fret gives G minor, etc.). This offers great versatility for playing in various minor keys with minimal finger movement. Additionally, partial chords involving the lower or higher strings can create interesting voicings and textures within the F minor framework. The open, ringing quality of the repeated Fs and Cs can also be leveraged for melodic exploration or ambient soundscapes, allowing for rich harmonic sustain.

Here are the target notes for each string in the "Oh Dear Father - RVR" tuning:

6th String (Low E): F2

5th String (A): G3#

4th String (D): C3

3rd String (G): F3

2nd String (B): C4

1st String (High e): F4

How to Tune

To achieve the "Oh Dear Father - RVR" tuning, start from standard E-A-D-G-B-e tuning and adjust each string as follows:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune up 1 semitone from E2 to F2.
• 5th String (A): Tune down 1 semitone from A2 to G#2. (Note: While the target note specified in the tuning is G3#, the string movement provided indicates tuning down 1 semitone from standard A2, which results in G#2. Please verify the intended octave for this string.)
• 4th String (D): Tune down 2 semitones from D3 to C3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 2 semitones from G3 to F3.
• 2nd String (B): Tune up 1 semitone from B3 to C4.
• 1st String (High e): Tune up 1 semitone from E4 to F4.

All string movements are within a safe range (less than +/- 4 semitones) for standard string gauges. However, always exercise caution when tuning up strings, checking string tension and intonation to prevent damage.