The 'Placebo' tuning, prominently featured in the song 'Passive Aggressive', transforms your standard guitar into an instrument capable of producing a distinctively sharp, resonant, and often tense soundscape. This tuning significantly departs from standard EADGBe, creating a unique sonic character that is reflective of the band's atmospheric and intense musical style.

Technical Overview

This is a guitar tuning with the following open string notes from low to high: F#3, A#3, D#4, G#4, C4, C4. A most striking and defining characteristic of this tuning is the unison C4 on the two highest strings (1st and 2nd string), which delivers a powerful, ringing quality to the top end of the guitar's range. The prevalence of sharp notes (F#, A#, D#, G#) across the lower and middle strings imparts a naturally bright and somewhat urgent character to the tuning. The open strings do not form a conventional major or minor chord, suggesting this tuning is specifically engineered for intricate riff-based playing, unique open voicings, and power chord shapes that utilize the distinct intervals.

The intervals between the open strings are particularly interesting: a Major 3rd (F#3-A#3), followed by two Perfect 4ths (A#3-D#4 and D#4-G#4), then a diminished 4th (G#4-C4), culminating in the Unison (C4-C4). This specific arrangement of intervals creates a rich and complex harmonic foundation. Open chords might not be readily apparent in the traditional sense, but the tuning lends itself well to specific, often sharp or suspended, voicings and arpeggios that leverage the unison C4 and the other unique intervals for dramatic effect.

How to Tune Your Guitar to Placebo Tuning

To achieve the 'Placebo' tuning, adjust your guitar strings from standard EADGBe as described below. Please exercise caution with string tension, particularly when making significant adjustments. If a string requires tuning up or down by more than 4 semitones, it is often advisable to consider a different string gauge to ensure optimal playability and prevent potential string or instrument damage.

• 6th String (Low E): Tune up 2 semitones to F#3.
• 5th String (A): Tune up 1 semitone to A#3.
• 4th String (D): Tune up 1 semitone to D#4.
• 3rd String (G): Tune up 1 semitone to G#4.
• 2nd String (B): Tune up 1 semitone to C4.
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 4 semitones to C4. (Note: A 4 semitone drop is a substantial change; consider string gauge if this causes excessive slack.)

The open string notes for the 'Placebo' tuning are as follows:

6th String: F#3
5th String: A#3
4th String: D#4
3rd String: G#4
2nd String: C4
1st String: C4