Tuning Analysis: Open F# Minor Drone

This unique guitar tuning, which we've named "Open F# Minor Drone", creates a rich and resonant soundscape primarily built around the F# minor chord. Its design emphasizes the root (F#) and the minor third (A), repeating these notes across various octaves of the fretboard. This makes it an excellent choice for creating deep, melancholic drones, arpeggiated figures, and powerful rhythmic accompaniment.

Verbal Analysis

When strummed open, your guitar will beautifully ring out an F# minor chord, albeit one without its perfect fifth (C#). This absence contributes to a slightly open, haunting, and less 'resolved' feel, encouraging melodic exploration. The consistent presence of F# and A across the strings makes it highly conducive to fingerpicking patterns that highlight these intervals, creating a sense of constant underlying harmony. It's particularly well-suited for genres like folk, ambient, blues, and even certain types of heavy rock where a dark, resonant minor tonality is desired. Sliding power chords or full barres will instantly transform into new minor chords, making it easy to transpose. For instance, barring all strings at the 2nd fret yields a G# minor, and at the 5th fret, a B minor, offering a straightforward approach to harmonic movement.

Technical Analysis

The tuning notes are F#3 A2 F#4 A3 F#4 A3, from low E to high E string. This arrangement results in a striking pattern of intervals:

• 6th String (F#3) to 5th String (A2): Major 6th up (9 semitones).
• 5th String (A2) to 4th String (F#4): Octave and a Major 6th up (21 semitones).
• 4th String (F#4) to 3rd String (A3): Major 6th down (9 semitones).
• 3rd String (A3) to 2nd String (F#4): Major 6th up (9 semitones).
• 2nd String (F#4) to 1st String (A3): Major 6th down (9 semitones).

This unique sequence of Major 6th intervals, punctuated by a large octave jump between the 5th and 4th strings, creates a wide harmonic spread of F# and A across the neck. The open strings themselves form an F# minor chord (F# - A - F# - A - F# - A). Because of this open chord, simple fretboard movements can yield interesting results:

• Open Chord: F# minor (F# A F# A F# A).
• Barre Chords: A single finger barring across all strings will produce a minor chord at any fret (e.g., 1st fret = G minor, 2nd fret = G# minor).
• Two-Finger Shapes: Experimenting with two fingers on adjacent pairs of F# and A notes (e.g., 6th and 5th, 4th and 3rd, 2nd and 1st strings) can quickly create suspended or extended minor voicings.

How to Tune

Please approach this tuning carefully, especially for strings requiring significant changes. Standard E Standard tuning is assumed as the starting point:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune up 2 semitones to F#3.
• 5th String (A): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to A2.
• 4th String (D): Tune up 4 semitones to F#4. Please exercise caution; tuning up 4 semitones can put extra tension on the string.
• 3rd String (G): Tune up 2 semitones to A3.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 5 semitones to F#4. For changes exceeding 4 semitones down or up, a different gauge string is generally advised to ensure optimal tension and playability.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 7 semitones to A3. For changes exceeding 4 semitones down or up, a different gauge string is generally advised to ensure optimal tension and playability.

6th String: F#3

5th String: A2

4th String: F#4

3rd String: A3

2nd String: F#4

1st String: A3