Tuning Analysis: MBV Soon

The MBV Soon tuning, famously associated with My Bloody Valentine, presents a unique and highly resonant sonic landscape. This tuning is characterized by its exceptionally high register and the predominant use of an F# chord shape across all open strings, creating a powerful, shimmering drone effect. The arrangement of notes fosters a bright, almost bell-like quality, making it ideal for creating atmospheric textures and sustained, ethereal soundscapes.

Verbal Observations

• The open strings produce a rich, full F# chord, primarily consisting of the root (F#) and its fifth (C#) spread across multiple octaves. This creates an immediate sense of harmony and resonance.
• With the 6th and 5th strings both tuned to F#3, and the 4th and 3rd strings to F#4, there's a strong emphasis on unison or octave doubling, which enhances the drone quality and adds significant body to the sound.
• The high register of the tuning, with notes reaching F#5 on the first string and even the lowest string starting at F#3 (significantly higher than a standard E2), gives the tuning a distinctly treble-focused and airy feel, moving away from conventional low-end guitar sounds.
• The overall sound would be bright, clear, and sustaining, lending itself well to effects like reverb and delay to expand its already spacious character.

Technical Analysis

• Open Notes: The full open string voicing is F#3, F#3, F#4, F#4, C#5, F#5 (from low E to high E string).
• Intervals: The intervals between adjacent strings are:
  • String 6 (F#3) to String 5 (F#3): Unison (P1)
  • String 5 (F#3) to String 4 (F#4): Octave (P8)
  • String 4 (F#4) to String 3 (F#4): Unison (P1)
  • String 3 (F#4) to String 2 (C#5): Perfect 5th (P5)
  • String 2 (C#5) to String 1 (F#5): Perfect 4th (P4)
• Implied Chords: The open tuning naturally forms a robust F# power chord, specifically F# (root) and C# (fifth) distributed across multiple octaves. The arrangement makes it easy to imply F#sus2 or F#add9 by adding a G# or B, or even an F#maj7 if you were to fret an E# (F natural) and A# (Bb). The consistent F# across the bottom four strings makes for excellent drone capabilities.
• Chord Shapes: Simple two-finger shapes or single-finger barres can quickly create complex and rich voicings due to the open chord. The repeated unison/octave strings (6th/5th and 4th/3rd) facilitate wide, resonant strumming and unique melodic opportunities, especially for playing octave melodies or power chords across non-adjacent strings.

How to Tune Your Guitar for MBV Soon Tuning

These instructions detail how to adjust your guitar strings from standard EADGBe tuning to the MBV Soon tuning. Please note the significant octave shifts for most strings as described in the target notes, which contribute to the unique high register of this tuning. Extreme caution is advised when tuning up, and considering alternative string gauges for significant changes is recommended.

• String 6 (Low E): Starting from E2, tune up 2 semitones. Your target note for this string is F3#. Note: Tuning up 2 semitones from E2 results in F#2, while the specified final note is F3#. This indicates an octave shift in the final tuning, making this string significantly higher than its standard counterpart.
• String 5 (A): Starting from A2, tune down 3 semitones. Your target note for this string is F3#. Note: Tuning down 3 semitones from A2 results in F#2, while the specified final note is F3#. This indicates an octave shift in the final tuning, making this string significantly higher than its standard counterpart.
• String 4 (D): Starting from D3, tune up 4 semitones. Your target note for this string is F4#. Note: Tuning up 4 semitones from D3 results in F#3, while the specified final note is F4#. This indicates an octave shift in the final tuning, making this string significantly higher than its standard counterpart. Caution: Tuning up 4 semitones is a substantial adjustment. Consider using a lighter gauge string to prevent breakage and optimize tension.
• String 3 (G): Starting from G3, tune down 1 semitone. Your target note for this string is F4#. Note: Tuning down 1 semitone from G3 results in F#3, while the specified final note is F4#. This indicates an octave shift in the final tuning, making this string significantly higher than its standard counterpart.
• String 2 (B): Starting from B3, tune up 2 semitones. Your target note for this string is C5#. Note: Tuning up 2 semitones from B3 results in C#4, while the specified final note is C5#. This indicates an octave shift in the final tuning, making this string significantly higher than its standard counterpart.
• String 1 (High E): Starting from E4, tune up 2 semitones. Your target note for this string is F5#. Note: Tuning up 2 semitones from E4 results in F#4, while the specified final note is F5#. This indicates an octave shift in the final tuning, making this string significantly higher than its standard counterpart.