Let's talk drop-tunings

[TravisW]

I've been doing a half step down for years, simply because it makes singing more convenient for my vocal range. When I'm writing, I like to throw the occasional drop C# in there, just to break things up a bit. I don't do a ton of one finger barre chords, but sometimes they're kind of fun to throw in.

 

[drew_drummer]

It's all about the music. The tunings used are pretty irrelevant anyway. Why are guitarists so obsessed about this stuff? You can't change tunings on a piano (okay you can, but it's a pain in the ass and why bother?!)

 

[paladin shredder]

drop tunings for pussies, get a banjo.

 

[STINNETT]

It's all about the music. The tunings used are pretty irrelevant anyway. Why are guitarists so obsessed about this stuff? You can't change tunings on a piano (okay you can, but it's a pain in the ass and why bother?!)

Precisely because you can change the tunings.

You have a vastly larger range on a piano. Let's say you could only have around 4 octaves on your piano instead of 7+, which range would you want them all in? You'd have a lot of pianists talking about it too.

 

[halcyonwayband@aol.com]

Dude, you play guitar for a prog band, you're supposed to be a theory nerd!!

LOLZ, I fail at theory. Theory + my brain = oil + water. No idea why...studied it several times/different ways and I pick up a little here & there but never master it.

 

[Ronixis]

I started playing in drop-D because it was quicker to tune back and forth with E-standard. After awhile, I've realised the potential of the tuning more and more. I think many would agree that in metal music, the lowest note on the lowest string dominates allmost all guitarists. Most of the songs played in D-tuning are in the key of D also. When you are in drop-D, you now have two open strings with that "dominating" root note. This introduces a lot of opportunities to come up with riffs with a lot of open string action, which is ...atleast in my opinion... a great way to write interesting and fresh metal riffs. ...and of course all of the other open strings have these interesting intervals and natural harmonics (when compared to standard tuning) which can make your writing sound different and new.

And of course you can play these super epic-sounding chords like D5: 00023x and Dmaj7/G: 5576xx

 

[shred101]

The problem is that most guitarists just look at drop D because they can do powerchords with less effort. I love using interval based riffs with 6ths/7ths/etc... The music sounds like it somehow has more "content" than with 5ths.

 

[drew_drummer]

The problem is that most guitarists just look at drop D because they can do powerchords with less effort. I love using interval based riffs with 6ths/7ths/etc... The music sounds like it somehow has more "content" than with 5ths.

Yeah but they're just shitty musicians. Not the tunings fault! Plenty of shit music in E-standard too, that just rips of Hendrix left right and centre.

 

[shred101]

Yup. Never said it was the tunings fault, Im saying that if people put more effort into "using the tuning" then thry would sound better. I've got a guitar permanently setup in drop D because I think its cool how it makes interval-based riffs more accessible using unusual chords.

 

[Nuno Filipe]

Open C is also a cool tuning but too fucked to do guitar solos. I think Devin Townsend has a album in that tuning.

 

[shred101]

oh yeah, you mean CGCGCE or something... lol thats a bit too beyond for me man... I like to be able to look at my fretboard and see my scales where I expect them to be haha

 

[Executioner213]

Devin Townsend plays almost exclusively in that tuning.

C - G - C - G - C - E

His 7 string is G - C - G - C - G - C - E.

And yes...it's kinda fucked up.

 

[muckypup1]

Devin Townsend plays almost exclusively in that tuning.

C - G - C - G - C - E

His 7 string is G - C - G - C - G - C - E.

And yes...it's kinda fucked up.

I like tuning my 7 string down to drop G, but that tuning is just plain crazy

 

[John_C]

Open c is surprisingly intuitive and really leads me to new places in my playing whenever i mess around tuning to it. Mostly I just end up sounding like a bluesy Devin though