Tuning Overview: Tesseract's Tuning

This 7-string Guitar tuning, known as "Tesseract's tuning," is a distinctive setup heavily utilized by the progressive metal band Tesseract, notably featured on their album One. It’s meticulously crafted to deliver a massive, expansive, and technically demanding soundscape, blending extreme low-end weight with resonant higher voicings, characteristic of the djent and progressive metal genres.

Verbal Analysis

This tuning immediately evokes the intricate and heavy soundscapes of modern progressive metal. The configuration allows for deep, percussive chugging and a guttural low-end, essential for rhythmically complex riffs. Simultaneously, it provides a canvas for ethereal, shimmering clean passages and expansive atmospheric textures, particularly in the higher registers. Players will find it facilitates a unique balance between aggression and melodic complexity, enabling wide, stretching chords and arpeggios that contribute to a massive, full-band sound. The unique arrangement of the lower strings suggests a focus on unconventional chord voicings and dissonant power chords rather than traditional open shapes, driving its signature heavy sound.

Technical Analysis

The open notes for this 7-string tuning, from the lowest (String 7) to the highest (String 1), are:

• String 7: G#2
• String 6: F2
• String 5: A#3
• String 4: D#4
• String 3: F3
• String 2: A#4
• String 1: D#5

A most striking and unconventional characteristic of this tuning is the relationship between the two lowest strings: String 6 (F2) is tuned below String 7 (G#2). This creates an inverted interval (a minor third down from G# to F), establishing a profoundly deep, resonant, and often dissonant foundation crucial for percussive, low-end riffs. When ordered by pitch, the unique open notes found across the strings are F, G#, A# (which can also be notated as Bb), and D# (which can be notated as Eb).

This specific collection of notes and their arrangement offers distinct harmonic and melodic possibilities:

• Heavy Low-End Foundation: The combination of F2 (String 6), G#2 (String 7), and F3 (String 3) on the lowest strings forms a powerful, dark, and slightly dissonant cluster. This allows for massive, guttural power chords, such as an F5 power chord (F2-G#2-F3), where the G# (Ab) adds a minor 9th-like tension, perfect for driving, rhythmic sections.
• Resonant Upper Register: The upper strings (A#3, D#4, F3, A#4, D#5) feature a more open and sonorous quality, predominantly built around perfect fourths and octaves. This configuration readily allows for open, ringing chords such as a D#5 power chord (D#-A#-D#) or an A#sus4/A#5 chord (A#-D#-F-A#-D#). These voicings provide a bright, expansive contrast to the heavy lower register, facilitating shimmering arpeggios, atmospheric pads, and clean passages that are integral to Tesseract's nuanced sound. The presence of F3 within these higher notes also allows for integration with the lower F-centric tonality.

In essence, this tuning is a powerful tool for modern heavy music, enabling a broad dynamic range from crushing lows to clear, ambient highs, and supporting complex musical structures with its unique harmonic potential.

Open String Notes

Here are the notes for each string in this tuning, from the lowest pitch (String 7) to the highest pitch (String 1):

• String 7 (Lowest): G#2
• String 6: F2
• String 5: A#3
• String 4: D#4
• String 3: F3
• String 2: A#4
• String 1 (Highest): D#5

How to Tune Your Guitar

To achieve "Tesseract's tuning" on your 7-string guitar, follow these specific instructions for each string. These movements describe the change from a presumed standard 7-string tuning (typically B-E-A-D-G-B-E, from lowest to highest string) to the target notes:

• String 7 (G#2): Tune down 3 semitones to G#2.
• String 6 (F2): Tune up 1 semitone to F2.
• String 5 (A#3): Tune up 1 semitone to A#3.
• String 4 (D#4): Tune up 1 semitone to D#4.
• String 3 (F3): Tune down 2 semitones to F3.
• String 2 (A#4): Tune down 1 semitone to A#4.
• String 1 (D#5): Tune down 1 semitone to D#5.

Note: All specified string movements are within typical adjustment ranges, meaning a different string gauge is generally not advised based on these tuning changes alone. Always ensure your guitar's neck relief is properly set and exercise caution when adjusting string tension.