Verbal Analysis: Ascendant Chordscape

This tuning, which we've named "Ascendant Chordscape," offers a truly unique and expansive sound palette. With its mixture of standard notes, raised, and significantly octave-shifted strings, it conjures an ethereal and spacious feel. The wide intervals and high registers on the 5th and 1st strings create a shimmering, almost bell-like quality, while the lower strings provide a grounded, resonant base. It's an adventurous tuning, ideal for atmospheric soundscapes, complex arpeggios, and explorations in contemporary or ambient music where unconventional voicings are desired. It definitely leans towards a more experimental approach, rewarding players who enjoy breaking free from traditional guitar voicings.

Technical Analysis

The open strings are tuned to F2, G3#, D3, G3, C4, D5# (low E to high E). This is a highly non-standard tuning with wide and unique intervals:

• The 6th string (F2) establishes a deep, foundational root.
• The 5th string (G3#) is remarkably high, a Major 10th (14 semitones) above the 6th string.
• The 4th string (D3) is a D3, creating an Augmented 5th (9 semitones) descending from the 5th string, but a Major 9th (9 semitones) ascending from the 6th string.
• The 3rd string (G3) forms a Perfect 4th (5 semitones) with the 4th string (D3).
• The 2nd string (C4) continues this pattern, forming another Perfect 4th (5 semitones) above the 3rd string (G3).
• The 1st string (D5#) makes a dramatic leap, a Major 10th (14 semitones) above the 2nd string, resulting in a very high D#5.

The presence of Major 10th intervals (Major 3rd + octave) on strings 6-5 and 2-1, alongside consecutive Perfect 4ths on strings 4-3 and 3-2, creates a distinctive harmonic landscape. This tuning doesn't lend itself to conventional open chords, but the D-G-C block (strings 4, 3, 2) can form a Gsus4 or C major voicing with D in the bass. The tuning is best explored through arpeggios, drones, and melodic lines that leverage its extended range and unique dissonances or consonances. Experimentation with fretboard shapes will reveal its true potential.

How to Tune: Ascendant Chordscape

To achieve the Ascendant Chordscape tuning, start from standard EADGBe tuning and follow these adjustments based on the provided string movements:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune up 1 semitone. The target note for this string is F2.
• 5th String (A): Tune down 1 semitone. The target note for this string is G3#.
• 4th String (D): Keep as is; no change. The target note for this string is D3.
• 3rd String (G): Keep as is; no change. The target note for this string is G3.
• 2nd String (B): Tune up 1 semitone. The target note for this string is C4.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 1 semitone. The target note for this string is D5#.

Note: The string movements provided for strings 5 and 1 indicate a small semitone adjustment relative to standard tuning. However, the specified target notes (G3# and D5#) are an octave higher than what a simple 1-semitone shift from standard A2 and E4 would produce. While the individual semitone changes (±1) do not exceed the typical threshold for recommending a different string gauge, users aiming for the high octave target notes on strings 5 and 1 should be mindful of string tension and consider a lighter gauge if they typically use heavy strings.

6th String: F2

5th String: G3#

4th String: D3

3rd String: G3

2nd String: C4

1st String: D5#