This distinct guitar tuning, famously utilized by Architects in tracks like "Doomsday," offers a powerful and unique sonic landscape ideal for heavy, driving riffs and atmospheric soundscapes. While named "open g#," it forms a sophisticated extended chord rather than a simple G# major triad, providing a rich harmonic foundation.

Verbal Analysis:

The open strings produce a dense, almost cinematic quality, perfectly suited for modern progressive metal and djent. The duplicated G♯ notes on the lowest strings create a massive low-end thud, which can be devastating for palm-muted riffs. The higher strings introduce intriguing extensions that prevent the tuning from sounding overly simple, allowing for complex harmonies to emerge even from open strumming. This tuning encourages creative fretboard exploration, moving beyond conventional chord shapes to discover new voicings.

Technical Analysis:

The open notes are G♯3, G♯3, B2, E3, A♯4, and D♯5 (from low to high). If we consider G♯ as the root, these notes combine to form a G♯maj6/9 chord (G♯, B, D♯, E, A♯).

• The two lowest strings, G♯3 and G♯3, are tuned to unison, creating immense power and depth. This structure is excellent for single-finger power chords across the bottom two strings, or for heavy, percussive riffing.
• The interval from String 5 (G♯) to String 4 (B) is a major third (G♯ to B).
• String 4 (B) to String 3 (E) is a perfect fourth.
• String 3 (E) to String 2 (A♯) is an augmented fourth (or tritone), which can introduce a dissonant edge or a leading tone quality, depending on context. This is a very characteristic interval.
• String 2 (A♯) to String 1 (D♯) is a perfect fourth.

This tuning facilitates playing in G♯ major or related keys, as the root and third are readily available. The E and A♯ notes provide interesting color tones, allowing for sophisticated extended chord voicings. Due to the perfect fourths on strings 4-3 and 2-1, common barre chord shapes can be adapted, and power chords are easily formed across the lower strings. The unison G♯ on the bottom two strings makes two-string octave shapes simple by fretting at the same position.

Open chords or easily reachable chords include:

• G♯maj6/9 (Open): Strumming all strings open produces this rich, extended chord.
• G♯5 (Power Chord): Easily formed on the bottom two strings (G♯3 G♯3), or by muting strings 2 and 3 and hitting 6, 5, and 4 (G♯ G♯ B), which creates a G♯ power chord with an added B (a G♯sus2/4 or G♯add3 depending on context).
• Movable Shapes: Barring all strings at any fret will create a parallel extended chord. For instance, barring at the 1st fret gives you an A-maj6/9 voicing.
• Fourths: The strings 4-3 and 2-1 being perfect fourths means that many familiar two-string shapes can be readily applied, useful for arpeggios or specific melodic intervals.

Guitar Tuning: Architects' Doomsday G# Open Tuning

Open String Notes:

• String 6 (Low E): G♯3
• String 5 (A): G♯3
• String 4 (D): B2
• String 3 (G): E3
• String 2 (B): A♯4
• String 1 (High E): D♯5

How to Tune (from Standard EADGBe):

Please exercise caution when tuning, especially with significant changes in tension. If a string requires more than 4 semitones of movement up or down, considering a different gauge string is often advised to prevent breakage or neck damage.

• String 6 (Low E to G♯3): Tune up 4 semitones. This is a significant tension increase; consider using a heavier gauge string if this tuning is maintained for extended periods.
• String 5 (A to G♯3): Tune down 1 semitone.
• String 4 (D to B2): Tune down 3 semitones.
• String 3 (G to E3): Tune down 3 semitones.
• String 2 (B to A♯4): Tune down 1 semitone.
• String 1 (High E to D♯5): Tune down 1 semitone.