Verbal Analysis:

The "Be Gone Beast Tuning" for Guitar, popularized by Laura Marling in her "Be Gone Beast Medley," is a profoundly unique and evocative tuning that steps far outside the conventions of standard guitar setups. It crafts a rich, almost mystical soundscape, ideal for intricate fingerpicking and resonant open string work. The tuning possesses a haunting, yearning quality, largely due to its non-standard intervals and the prominent use of G# and C# notes across several strings, creating a sustained, drone-like texture. The low F bass note provides an unexpected foundation, giving the overall harmony a sense of depth and ambiguity, perfect for storytelling and atmospheric compositions.

Technical Analysis:

This specific guitar tuning sets the open strings to F2, G#3, G#3, C#4, G#4, C#5. This configuration is not a traditional major or minor triad, but rather a complex, open voicing:

• The 6th string (F2) establishes a deep, often dissonant, bass note for the overall harmony.
• The 5th and 4th strings are both tuned to G#3, creating a powerful unison that adds significant resonance and body to the sound.
• The 3rd string (C#4) forms a perfect fourth interval with the G#s below it.
• The 2nd string (G#4) completes a perfect fifth with the C# on the 3rd string, and is an octave higher than the G#s on the 5th and 4th strings.
• The 1st string (C#5) mirrors the C#4 on the 3rd string, establishing another perfect fourth interval from the 2nd string, and an octave above the 3rd string.

The notes present in the open tuning are F, G#, and C#. Enharmonically, this can be viewed as F, Ab, and Db. This combination creates an ambiguous harmony, often suggestive of a minor or suspended quality, but with an altered fifth (Db instead of C for an F minor chord, or C instead of C# for an F major chord). This ambiguity is a key characteristic of its unique sound.

Chordal Possibilities:

• Open G#sus4 Drone: By muting the low F string, the open 5th through 1st strings create a strong G#sus4-like chord (G#, C#, G#, C#), perfect for sustained, ringing textures.
• F-based Harmonies: The F2 bass string allows for the exploration of F-centric chords, often with a dark or suspended quality due to the G# and C# intervals. Fingerings that utilize the open F with variations on the higher strings will yield unique voicings.
• Melodic and Arpeggiated Potential: The consistent G# and C# intervals across multiple octaves make this tuning highly suitable for arpeggiated patterns and melodic lines that emphasize its droning and resonant characteristics.
• Easy Access to Power Chords: Moving a single finger across the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st strings (C#4, G#4, C#5) will easily create root-fifth-root (power chord) shapes due to the P4-P5-P4 structure of these strings.

How to Tune (from Standard EADGBe)

• 6th String (Low E): Tune up 1 semitone to F2.
• 5th String (A): Tune down 1 semitone to G#3.
• 4th String (D): Tune down 6 semitones to G#3. Note: Tuning down 6 semitones is a significant change; consider using a heavier gauge string for optimal tone and tension.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 6 semitones to C#4. Note: Tuning down 6 semitones is a significant change; consider using a heavier gauge string for optimal tone and tension.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 3 semitones to G#4.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 3 semitones to C#5.