GADFCA Guitar Tuner

GADFCA Mearcstapa - Guitar tuning, chords & scales

Description - Mearcstapa

Created by Robin Pecknold for the song "Mearcstapa" on the album "Crack-Up"

The "Mearcstapa" tuning was crafted by Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes for the song of the same name, featured on their acclaimed album "Crack-Up." This tuning leans into an open and resonant sound, perfect for the band's signature intricate folk arrangements and evocative melodies.

Verbal Analysis

When strummed open, the "Mearcstapa" tuning produces a rich, somewhat melancholic, and deeply resonant sound. The open notes G2-A2-D3-F3-C4-A3 create a complex harmony that doesn't immediately resolve to a simple major or minor chord, contributing to its ethereal quality. The presence of G, D, C, and F hints at a Gsus4 chord with an added minor seventh, making it a G7sus4. The A note further expands this into a G7sus4(add9), giving it a sophisticated, almost jazz-like, yet distinctly folky texture.

A fascinating aspect is how the notes stack. The top three strings (F3-C4-A3) form an F major triad (F-A-C rearranged), while the bottom three (G2-A2-D3) suggest a Gsus2. This creates a compelling interplay of tonalities across the strings, offering both familiar harmonic anchors and expansive sonic possibilities. This tuning is highly conducive to arpeggiated patterns and fingerpicking, allowing individual notes to ring out and blend into its expansive harmonic landscape. Chords that might be readily accessible or form naturally could involve simple barre shapes or single-finger additions, building on the inherent open voice. For instance, a full barre across the second fret would yield a beautiful open A minor sound. The overall feel is one of contemplative beauty, well-suited for a band known for its intricate sonic tapestries.

Technical Analysis

The "Mearcstapa" tuning sets the strings to the following pitches from low to high:

String 6: G2
String 5: A2
String 4: D3
String 3: F3
String 2: C4
String 1: A3

Examining the intervals between adjacent strings:

String 6 (G2) to String 5 (A2): Major 2nd (2 semitones)
String 5 (A2) to String 4 (D3): Perfect 4th (5 semitones)
String 4 (D3) to String 3 (F3): Minor 3rd (3 semitones)
String 3 (F3) to String 2 (C4): Perfect 4th (5 semitones)
String 2 (C4) to String 1 (A3): Minor 3rd (3 semitones down)

The significant drop on the 1st string (E4 to A3) creates a unique sonic landscape, where the highest string is lower than the second highest. This allows for interesting voice leading and drone possibilities, as well as unique melodic lines that can weave between the lower and higher register strings in unexpected ways. The overall tuning doesn't conform to a standard open chord, but rather creates a rich, ambiguous sonic bed.

How to Tune

To achieve the "Mearcstapa" tuning from standard EADGBe tuning (E2-A2-D3-G3-B3-E4):

String 6 (Low E): Tune from E2 to G2. This requires you to Tune up 3 semitones. Take care when tuning up, as significant tension changes can affect your instrument.
String 5 (A): Tune from A2 to A2. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
String 4 (D): Tune from D3 to D3. Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
String 3 (G): Tune from G3 to F3. This requires you to Tune down 2 semitones.
String 2 (B): Tune from B3 to C4. This requires you to Tune up 1 semitones.
String 1 (High E): Tune from E4 to A3. This requires you to Tune down 7 semitones. This is a very significant drop in pitch. For optimal tone and to prevent string floppiness, it is highly recommended to consider using a heavier gauge string for the 1st string when using this tuning, as movements exceeding 4 semitones (up or down) generally warrant a different string gauge.