How to Tune to Open Slayer (CF#CF#CF#)
'Open Slayer' (C-F#-C-F#-C-F#) is the tuning Kurt Ballou of Converge used extensively on the 2001 album Jane Doe. Stacking a repeating tritone/fifth (C to F# to C) across all six strings creates a dark, dissonant open drone where one finger can slam huge, menacing chords — Ballou describes it as a heavier play on Sonic Youth's CFCFCF tuning.
| String | Note | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| String 6 | C2 | 65.41 Hz |
| String 5 | F#2 | 92.50 Hz |
| String 4 | C3 | 130.81 Hz |
| String 3 | F#3 | 185.00 Hz |
| String 2 | C4 | 261.63 Hz |
| String 1 | F#4 | 369.99 Hz |
Fun Fact
Kurt Ballou calls it 'Open Slayer' as a nod to Sonic Youth's CFCFCF tuning, dropped and reshaped for extreme metal. Some players tune the same shape a half step up to C#-G-C#-G-C#-G.
String Tension & Setup Tips
Recommended Gauge:The low C and the alternating tritone spread relax tension well below standard, so use heavier gauges (a thick low string around .056-.060) to keep the low C and F# tight for palm-muted riffing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I tune to Open Slayer (CF#CF#CF#)?
From standard tuning (EADGBE), retune each string low to high: 6th E→C, 5th A→F#, 4th D→C, 3rd G→F#, 2nd B→C, 1st E→F#. Match each string to its exact Hz using the interactive tuner above.
What is 'Open Slayer' tuning for?
It is a drone/open tuning for dark, dissonant metal, used by Converge's Kurt Ballou on Jane Doe. Because every string is part of the same repeating C/F# tritone stack, huge chords and dissonant riffs can be moved with a single barre.
Is Open Slayer C-F#-C-F#-C-F# or C#-G-C#-G-C#-G?
The tuning Kurt Ballou coined as 'Open Slayer' is C-F#-C-F#-C-F#. The same interval shape is sometimes played a half step higher as C#-G-C#-G-C#-G, but the original Converge tuning is the lower C-F# version.