why do bands down tune?

[KenShiRo]

i am standing to get the hang of having different scales and modes yesterday, found a really nice guide and its making sense now, and i was wondering, if u can play a minor scale in any key, whats the point in down tuning, i mean bodom down tune 1 step, like 1 note lower is really gunna make all that difference, instead of using D minor they could use E minor instead (i'm guessing its E minor)

only thing i can really think of is making it easier for janne if they use more white keys on a keyboard

 

[Taliesin]

Ive heard they're writing their songs so that Janne mostly uses black keys as he doesnt like washing his hands..

 

[Lord Hasselhoff]

I think bands are trying to expand and reach new dimensions with stuff like that.

 

[-Gavin-]

Bands tune down to hit lower frequences.

D tuning (Tuning to D full, DCGFAD), is a way to get 2 new chord tones to play with while retaining enough highrange on the guitar.


Just remember. A 24 fret guitar tuned in D has the exact same higher range as a 22fret tuned in E. But has 2 extra low tones.


I havce 3 guitars. Warlock stays in E, KV in Eb and RR in D. I use every tuning regularly when i write.



And about the mode thing. Learn the full key. i.e in Em Every single E F# G A B C D on the fretboard in the different modes of Aeolian (Minor), Locrian, Ionian (Major), Dorian, Phyrigian, Lydian, Mixolydian in order to be able to fly across the board.

 

[TheSeldomlaid]

I tried playing Amon Amarth in E instead of B, and it doesn't sound as...heavy, if you understand

 

[Lord Hasselhoff]

If you can't be heavy without down-tuning, there's something wrong. With my guitar (I only have one) I frequently switch between tunings D, Drop-C, and E std. which is my preferred tuning.

 

[Justinschut]

And about the mode thing. Learn the full key. i.e in Em Every single E F# G A B C D on the fretboard in the different modes of Aeolian (Minor), Locrian, Ionian (Major), Dorian, Phyrigian, Lydian, Mixolydian in order to be able to fly across the board.

I got to get the hang of that... I wanna fly across the board, but all I play in at the moment is E Dorian (which is about all I know) and some pentatonic

 

[DeathPact]

Yea geesh once you get used to playing in e and go to d tuning its soo much heavier and then when you tune to drop c its even more heavy, im staying with d though as I believe its just right in retaining a good high end and giving you nice heavy sound.

Another question alexi uses 11-50 as i saw in that dr strings thing but I still find it realy hard to tremelo pick the top d string so fast as in thrashed lost and outstrung intro when its so loose!! its almost scientifically impossible to pick so fast when the string starts lagging because its so loose, im using 11-49 gauge, im gona trying d'addrio 12-52 now as soon as my strings run out, hope thats better tension with d tuning. some bands even tune 2 steps down!! wtf you need like a .060 gauge to help tension or what?

 

[EagleFlyFree]

cuz they like, totally sell out dood!

 

[fat bastard]

1) tuning down adds thickness and heavyness to riffs
2) tuning down can facilitate the vocalists range creating the illusion of being able to sing higher etc. mostly it just helps the singer match melodies with the music with less of a struggle. a lot of older vocalists change keys for songs that they cant quite sing as well anymore to match what there voice is capable of now. elton john does it( just an example, no need to bash)

 

[The Soulforged]

i never really understood all those scales i should take a music class or something

 

[KenShiRo]

just use the internet, understanding music theory is important if u want come up with your own material, i slowly keep learning new things, u need to play in a scale, not hit random notes else it sounds crap, also when u finish a whole riff or section of music it helps to end on the root note (makes u feel like a section has endded), i've only just begun to find out where root notes are, oh one last thing, music doesn't have to be complex to be good but try not to be too repetative, only way u get away with being stupidly repetative with the same riff is to bring new instruments in and out of the track and maybe change the rythem and percussion every now and then

 

[Naragul]

I think the best way to learn about music theory is to actually take a class. Obviously you can do it yourself if your THAT self-sufficient but it will probably twice as long unless you have amazing natural ability.

The tuning I use the most is Eb, simply to pay homage to my 80's metal heroes (W.A.S.P, Warlock, Malmsteen etc)

 

[Abrasive-X]

the answer is simple O: it's because they suck

so much easier to do bendings in D

 

[BodomiC]

^ I hope you were sarcastic there

anyway why do they do it? they wanna be more tr00... damn lower sound they get more tr00 they become... something like that

 

[Yetti]

u need to play in a scale, not hit random notes else it sounds crap

you can still use notes outside of whatever scale you are using as long as they don't clash with the other notes you're using. i think alexi talked about it in one of his GW columns, for reference. or maybe one of the other lessons...i think it was alexi though.

 

[Tut Ankh Amon]

meshuggah downtunes an 8-string so they can melt your inner organs with the low frequencies

 

[The Leper]

Guys, Gavin is the closest person right to what tuning down actually does. Basically just look at what gavin said, and add that it gives a heavier sound. Also, some guitar players enjoy tuning down to make the stringers looser so they can move more easily, i can shred a little easier in D then i can in E. Its just preference is all, i like D tuning better, but not always. I keep my Ibanez rg220 in e and shecter in d and sometimes e if im learning dream theater or a classical piece that needs a guitar with good action for me to practice on.

 

[Naragul]

...i can shred a little easier in D then i can in E. Its just preference is all...

I completely agree. I myself find it harder to shred in a lower tuning than Eb, but I do fucking love the crushing heavyness of chugging/thrashy riffs while tuned in C# or B.
I've also found that down-tuning makes it easier to adapt to "shapes". For example, when using any tuning a minor scale/arpeggio from the 12th fret is stupidly easy to learn, play and memorize. In my opinion, of course.

 

[Silver Incubus]

The lower you tune, the thicker the strings to make up the tension.
I play in D and use 11 -52. The other guitarist in my band has a 7 string with an extran high string. His lowest string is like 56 or somthing, but tuned to d. It makes tremelo picking way easier as the string moves less. So less string motion means less pick motion which means faster playing.

Gavins right, once you learn on version of a scale with all modes, you can just play anywhere, and know where to go with more ease. Plus the fact that to change key, you just shift posistion. All the patterns will be the same if you know where the notes are.

Oh, and if people always played in scales and whatnot, you would never get cool death metal. For me, music is applied theory to (essentially) chromatic patterns, using references from real scales and/or altered sclaes with diminished, augmented, etc.

for example take the note G the first harmony is A#/Bb which is a minor 3rd from G, then you have the major 3rd which is B/Cb then B#/C is the perfect 4th, and C#/Db is your diminished 5th and D is your perfect fifth. But in E minor, there is no A#/Bb but if one person is plays G 4 times and the other player plays D C B A# it will still harmonize and sound good to the ear although you have obviously went outside of E minor. So my point is, as long as the notes you are playing, fit within a context that harmonizes with what the other people are playing, it can belong to whatever scale you want, as long as you make it flow. It works best between scales with 1 or 2 note differences, but with different versions of scales (such as harmonic minor, melodic minor) you can just go crazy with ideas for harmonies.