Godspeed You! Black Emperor: Black Emperor Drone Tuning Analysis

Verbal Analysis

This Guitar tuning, inspired by Godspeed You! Black Emperor's "F? A? ?" album, is designed for an atmospheric, experimental, and often melancholic soundscape. The original album is described as a collage of instrumental pieces, spoken word monologues, and field recordings, and this tuning perfectly reflects that ethos. It's not built for traditional chord strumming, but rather for crafting deep, resonant drones, expansive textures, and intricate melodic lines. The interplay of minor thirds and fifths with a striking dissonant element creates a haunting and evocative sonic canvas, ideal for post-rock, ambient, or cinematic compositions. Expect rich, sustained tones and a sense of profound gravity.

Technical Analysis

The open strings of this tuning are set as F#3 A#3 C#4 F3 A#4 C#5, from the lowest (6th) to the highest (1st) string. This configuration presents a unique harmonic landscape:

• The bottom three strings (F#3, A#3, C#4) establish a clear F# minor triad, providing a dark, foundational harmony.
• The 3rd string, tuned to F3, introduces a significant and deliberate dissonance. Relative to the F# root, this F note acts as a diminished 7th. More strikingly, it creates a minor second interval with the 6th string's F# and a tritone with the 5th string's A#. This unexpected drop pulls the overall harmony away from a simple minor chord into something far more complex and unsettling, a hallmark of experimental music.
• The higher strings (A#4, C#5) echo the minor third and perfect fifth of the F# minor chord, reinforcing the core tonality in higher octaves. This repetition across non-adjacent strings is key to producing the rich, droning textures often associated with this band.

While not immediately conducive to conventional open chords, the tuning offers unique harmonic possibilities that encourage exploration:

• An F# minor triad is readily available on strings 6, 5, and 4 (F# A# C#). Strumming these three strings together yields a full, dark minor chord.
• The repeated A# and C# on strings 5, 2, and 4, 1 respectively, facilitate ringing, sustained drone effects, particularly when the dissonant F3 on the 3rd string is either avoided or used specifically for tension and release.
• Chords built off the lowest F# will inherently have a strong minor quality with an added, dark tension from the F3. Experimentation with two or three-string voicings, focusing on the interplay of the dissonant F with the surrounding F# minor elements, will yield the most interesting results. Partial chords like a high A#sus2 (A# C# A#) on strings 5, 4, 2 could also emerge.

How to Tune (from Standard EADGBe)

To achieve the Black Emperor Drone tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these precise adjustments for each string:

• String 6 (Low E): Tune up 2 semitones to F#3.
• String 5 (A): Tune up 1 semitone to A#3.
• String 4 (D): Tune down 1 semitone to C#4.
• String 3 (G): Tune down 2 semitones to F3.
• String 2 (B): Tune down 1 semitone to A#4.
• String 1 (High E): Tune down 3 semitones to C#5.

Important Note: All string movements for this tuning are within a reasonable range (no more than 3 semitones up or down) for standard light or medium gauge guitar strings. Therefore, a change in string gauge is not strictly necessary. However, careful tuning is always recommended to ensure string stability and prevent premature wear or breakage.