This highly specialized 8-string guitar tuning, named "G Standard 7 on 8 with high E", offers a unique sonic landscape. While it references the foundational low range of a G Standard 7-string tuning, it introduces significant intervallic shifts and extends the upper range with a bright high E string. This creates a versatile tuning suitable for heavy music, progressive styles, or experimental soundscapes that demand extended range and unconventional voicings.

Technical Analysis: Open String Voicings and Intervals

The open strings are tuned as follows, from the lowest (8th) to the highest (1st):

• String 8: G1 (The lowest note, providing a deep, resonant foundation for heavy riffs and extended range compositions.)
• String 7: C2 (A perfect 4th above G1, continuing a common low-end interval pattern, suitable for power chords and bass lines.)
• String 6: F2 (A perfect 4th above C2, completing a series of perfect 4ths in the low register, akin to a standard 6-string Drop F tuning's lower strings.)
• String 5: A#3 (A compound augmented 4th (tritone plus an octave) above F2. This represents a very significant 18-semitone jump in pitch, creating a highly unconventional and wide interval within the tuning. This string will sound notably higher than the one below it, demanding careful string gauge selection and adjustment for optimal playability.)
• String 4: D#4 (A perfect 4th above A#3, maintaining a familiar guitar interval and providing a bright, clear tone.)
• String 3: G3 (A major 6th *below* D#4. This is another highly unusual and dramatic drop in pitch for an adjacent string, making the 3rd string significantly lower than the 4th and 5th. This inverted string order allows for specific drone effects, large interval jumps, or unique chord voicings impossible in standard linear tunings.)
• String 2: C4 (A perfect 4th above G3, providing a bright, clear C note.)
• String 1: E4 (A major 3rd above C4, completing a C Major triad with the G3 from string 3, and providing a familiar high E string commonly used for lead work and bright voicings.)

The overall tonal center of this tuning leans heavily into G and C. The C Major triad (G3-C4-E4) is readily available on the upper three strings, offering bright, open C major chords. The lower strings (G1-C2-F2) provide a deep, resonant base often found in heavier music genres. The extreme upward jump between strings 6 and 5, and the dramatic downward drop between strings 4 and 3, are the most distinctive features. These large intervallic shifts will significantly impact playability, requiring players to adapt their chord shapes and scale patterns, but also opening up new harmonic possibilities, such as wide arpeggios, dissonant clusters with open strings, or polytonal voicings.

Potential Chords and Voicings:

• C Major: The top three strings (G3-C4-E4) instantly form a C Major triad, ideal for bright, open-string C major chords.
• G Power Chords and Low Riffs: The foundational G1 on string 8, combined with C2 and F2 on strings 7 and 6, creates a massive low-end for G-based power chords, heavy riffs, and extended-range breakdowns.
• Suspended/Modal Voicings: The G1-C2-F2 sequence in the low register creates a sense of suspension or can be used to build modal voicings around C or G.
• Unique Arpeggios: The non-linear tuning, particularly the D#4-G3 drop, allows for dramatic, wide arpeggios that span large intervallic distances with minimal left-hand movement across specific string sets. This can create a unique, almost harp-like quality.
• Dissonant Clusters: The presence of notes like A#3 and D#4, combined with the other open strings, can easily be leveraged for modern, metallic, or experimental dissonant chord clusters and voicings.

How to Tune:

To achieve the "G Standard 7 on 8 with high E" tuning, adjust each string as follows:

• String 8 (G1): Tune up 1 semitones.
• String 7 (C2): Tune up 1 semitones.
• String 6 (F2): Tune up 1 semitones.
• String 5 (A#3): Tune up 1 semitones.
• String 4 (D#4): Tune up 1 semitones.
• String 3 (G3): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).
• String 2 (C4): Tune up 1 semitones.
• String 1 (E4): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones).

Note: All specified string movements involve tuning up by only 1 semitone or keeping the string as is. This typically does not require a change in string gauge, as the adjustments are minimal. However, always ensure your guitar's truss rod and intonation are checked after any tuning adjustments for optimal playability and to prevent potential neck tension issues.

String 8: G1

String 7: C2

String 6: F2

String 5: A#3

String 4: D#4

String 3: G3

String 2: C4

String 1: E4