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WillieThePimp 
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 02 2005
Location: Bryan, Texas
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 Topic: Drop Tuning
Posted: January 21 2006 at 21:35 |
Which do you prefer when playing heavy material? Half step down, Drop D, A, etc? What is your preference.
Being a bass player I really do not enjoy tuning down lower than D.
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You can't possibly hear the last movement of Beethoven's Seventh and go slow. ~Oscar Levant, explaining his way out of a speeding ticket
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stonebeard
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Joined: May 27 2005
Location: NE Indiana
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Points: 28057
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Posted: January 21 2006 at 22:57 |
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No low tuning at all.
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WillieThePimp
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 02 2005
Location: Bryan, Texas
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Points: 421
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Posted: January 22 2006 at 00:49 |
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Haha, I am pretty much the same way, except for dropping down to D in
some instances. I am usually coaxed into doing it because many of the
local groups that i've played with tune their guitars to D.
I think that standard tuning can be just as heavy without having to tune down. Bands like Opeth
have composed most of their songs (albeit their latest album), in
standard tuning and are not any less heavier for doing so. This and the
fact that every instrument is contributing to their heaviness and they
do not have to rely on tuning down their guitars to achieve it.
So this thread really should have been do you think it is necessary to
tune guitars down in order to achieve a certain heaviness, or can it be
down with standard tuning?
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You can't possibly hear the last movement of Beethoven's Seventh and go slow. ~Oscar Levant, explaining his way out of a speeding ticket
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MikeEnRegalia
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Joined: April 22 2005
Location: Sweden
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Points: 21112
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Posted: January 22 2006 at 04:40 |
I play in standard tuning only. If I had a 7 string guitar, I would probably play it in "drop-A" - tuning ... that would be really cool.
I really like the sound of downtuned guitars, but I wouldn't want to mess with the tuning - I like to know where notes are on the fretboard, no need to make it any more complicated.
Having said that, maybe a massively downtuned baritone guitar would be nice ... but I figure that that would be a bass. 
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MikeEnRegalia
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Posted: January 22 2006 at 04:44 |
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In response to WillieThePimp: I think that playing massively downtuned guitars can make sense ... but it becomes difficult to write guitar riffs which don't conflict with the bass lines. Of course you can also downtune the bass, but then you get the problem that you reach frequencies which are barely audible, and damage speakers - IF the hifi system can amplify them at all.
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JayDee
Forum Senior Member
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Joined: September 07 2005
Location: Elysian Fields
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Posted: January 22 2006 at 09:20 |
Standard EADGBE tuning!
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stan the man
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 24 2006
Location: United States
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Points: 504
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Posted: January 26 2006 at 17:52 |
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i like standard also the standerd tuning. Occasionally i do drop to D to play some slide. it has a really cool sound playing chords with drop D with a slide.
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true as a lobster in a pteredaktyl's underpants.
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sbrushfan
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 07 2005
Location: United States
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Points: 1177
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Posted: January 26 2006 at 18:17 |
Standard tuning all the way, though I find I like some drop-tuned stuff, and the songs I write are tuned down one-half step.
That said, though, I don't see the point in C# F B E G# C#, or C G C F A D or stuff like that. Doing that just muddies up the sound, IMO. Which is why I don't like a lot of modern pop and LOATHED "grunge" like Nirvana or Pearl Jam.
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Some world views are spacious, and some are merely spaced...
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Sammus_the_hutt
Forum Newbie
Joined: January 25 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 24
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Posted: January 26 2006 at 21:08 |
i was all aginst drop tuning, and origionaly considered it the easy way out (a single finger for powerchords? get outa here!) but, of late have come to accept this is not so. i am now not bothered. I thought, hey! if it sounds good, whats the problem?
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Goodnight, Tonight, Im burning star 4
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goose
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 20 2004
Location: United Kingdom
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Points: 4097
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Posted: January 27 2006 at 00:11 |
I don't mind tuning down (apart from it being irritating going from piece to piece), but actual drop tuning upsets the whole relationship of fourths between strings, and I don't think well enough to work properly using it 
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conjunktionman
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Joined: January 20 2006
Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: January 27 2006 at 05:15 |
I use drop D in all our music. I just like that lower couple of notes on the bass.
When learning anything, I use standard tuning and transpose it later.
Playin a six string bass with the lower B is great fun too. I dont own one personally but get use of it.
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www.spacejunk.org
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sbrushfan
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Joined: November 07 2005
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Points: 1177
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Posted: January 27 2006 at 15:02 |
 conjunktionman wrote:
I use drop D in all our music. I just like that lower couple of notes on the bass.
When learning anything, I use standard tuning and transpose it later.
Playin a six string bass with the lower B is great fun too. I dont own one personally but get use of it.
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I know that in Drop-D (DADGBE) tuning, it becomes easier to play power-chords. Is there a way to play drop-d power chords in regular tuning (EADGBE)?
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Some world views are spacious, and some are merely spaced...
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goose
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 20 2004
Location: United Kingdom
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Points: 4097
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Posted: January 28 2006 at 10:52 |
Playing Drop D power chords in standard tuning? That doesn't mean anything! 
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MikeEnRegalia
Special Collaborator
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Joined: April 22 2005
Location: Sweden
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Posted: January 28 2006 at 11:15 |
sbrushfan wrote:
conjunktionman wrote:
I use drop D in all our music. I just like that lower couple of notes on the bass.
When learning anything, I use standard tuning and transpose it later.
Playin a six string bass with the lower B is great fun too. I dont own one personally but get use of it.
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I know that in Drop-D (DADGBE) tuning, it becomes easier to play power-chords. Is there a way to play drop-d power chords in regular tuning (EADGBE)?
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sure:
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-7-
-7-
-7-
becomes
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-7-
-7-
-5-
where's the problem?
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sbrushfan
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 07 2005
Location: United States
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Points: 1177
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Posted: January 28 2006 at 15:35 |
I'm asking because I know nothing about guitar...though I'm wanting one.
I guess I worded the question wrong: I MEANT...is there any way to play in standard tuning and still give your power chords the drop-d feel?
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Some world views are spacious, and some are merely spaced...
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Moatilliatta
Prog Reviewer
Joined: December 01 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 3083
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Posted: January 29 2006 at 01:44 |
stonebeard wrote:
No low tuning at all. |
Agreed, I prefer standard tuning. I occasionally like to tune down to standard Eb or D.
I would never use it for my own music, but I would like to try one of those 8-string guitars Meshuggah uses.
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www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
 
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Oxygen Waster
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 24 2005
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 296
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Posted: January 29 2006 at 02:12 |
WillieThePimp wrote:
Which do you prefer when playing heavy material? Half step down, Drop D, A, etc? What is your preference.
Being a bass player I really do not enjoy tuning down lower than D.
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I like to play in CGCF so yes i love low tuning also.Thats the the tuning the Bassist from Mudvayne uses.
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darren
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 31 2005
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 452
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Posted: January 31 2006 at 12:21 |
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For a twelve string, I prefer the strings tuned down a
tone to ease the tension on the neck.
I like playing alternate tunings once in a while. It
seems to stimulate creativity.
I like DADGAD, Open G and Open D.
Drop D and Double Drop D are great if you're playing
Neil Young songs.
There's a tuning, I forget exactly what it is but it's
something like EEEEBE. Steven Stills uses it for
"Suite Judy Blue Eyes". It's interesting because of all
the droning sounds you get.
Maybe if I just stuck to standard tuning I'd be a better
player.
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"they locked up a man who wanted to rule the world.
the fools
they locked up the wrong man."
- Leonard Cohen
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Lindsay Lohan
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 25 2005
Location: Norway
Status: Offline
Points: 3254
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Posted: February 02 2006 at 06:28 |
AADGBE...is the only way to tune yer guitiar 
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Eetu Pellonpaa
Special Collaborator
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Joined: June 17 2005
Location: Finland
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Points: 4828
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Posted: February 02 2006 at 09:11 |
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I drop tuned my 4-string bass to D many years ago and got hooked to it! It's easier to play chords and lower D is a nice option to have when playing stuff from E or A.
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Drop Tuning
