Standard vrs. Flat

Who here tunes down half a step? I do cos its common for the rock bands I like. Also string bending is faster n easier. What do you guys think?

I think it's quite annoying when bands do that. Cause when you go to learn their songs, or you're trying to figure a riff out, all of a sudden it's like 'dammit they down tuned!"

Megadeth used to tune down to Eb a lot.

I don't tune down a 1/2 step, because my voice isn't very low at all. If I want to sing it just doesn't work out if my guitar is tuned down 1/2 step. It also angers me when bands do it, becuase of my darned laziness *shakes fist.* I don't mind whipping out the capo though, much easier.

Oh come on tune in whatever way you feel like. you are free to do whatever feels right, man.
As long as your band has no problem with it, though

Does that mean I can walk around naked?

Originally posted by iiholly
Does that mean I can walk around naked?

yes - you are free to do whatever you want as long as you are prepared to take the consequences.

Speaking of being naked.. In Sweden you can be caught for that and being forced to spend some months in prison. I recomend a bodysock or at least a pair of shorts..

Anyway, I think tuning down all the strings ½ step can be pretty cool but for me it's hell to figure it out when I try to play such songs.

Originally posted by Axl_Rose
Who here tunes down half a step? I do cos its common for the rock bands I like. Also string bending is faster n easier. What do you guys think?

What do you mean by bending is faster and easier? Elaborate on this one :confused:

i think he meant that when you tune down your guitar by [insert number] steps the string tension is lower, thus making it easier to bend them and allows you to do wider bends. however - i dunno what he means by "faster"

.. "hey bender!" -- "Hey fender!"

that reminds me that - not long ago - i tried a yamaha guitar that was manufactured with a longer scale. it was tuned down one half step per default. the sound was very powerfull. more powerfull as if you just tone down a regular guitar of course. that was pretty cool. so you can say this was almost halfway between regular and baritone guitar.

Faster.... cos... how can strings that have less tension not be faster to bend :) Loadsa bands tune down though, Guns n Roses, Skynyrd, Metallica (on sum tours).

Hendrix did too.

Its quite common really, a lot of shredders do it too - Paul Gilbert, Greg Howe, Joe Stump, Yngwie, etc. In fact Paul Gilbert tunes down a whole step.

On my six string guitars I tune down either a half step or a whole step, for the string tension and just because it allows me to get a little more rumbling kind of sound. My 7 string is also tuned down a half step.

eddie van halen tuned down alot too. sometimes full steps, and sometimes half steps, to flat.

I see, theres more physics behind it, good explaination :)

I'm always changeing from standard to 1/2 step down to 1 whole step down. mostly depends on the mood I'm in and what kind of song I'm playing or what song I'm trying to learn or jam with. right now I'm in standard, but who knows, I'm liable to be a whole step down tomorrow...who knows.....

I usually tune drop D because I find it easier for melodic purposes. For example, something like-

------------------|(double time here)
d-----5-------5---|-----2h3-------3p2-------7-10p9-
A---2---2---3---3-|---3-----3---2-----3---5--------
D-2-------3-------|-0---------0---------0----------

d-----9-----2/3---|
A---9---7/5-----3-|
D-0---------------|

parts of that would be a lot harder for me to reach in standard tuning, like the 2.9.9 It wouldn't be a problem for some gutiarists, but my hands have been changing a lot recently (I went from about 104lbs to 125 in a month) so I gotta cheat a bit.

No, that's not copyrighted, but it is part of something I'm writing so if any of you suddenly becoming famous and I hear it playing it on the radio I'm gonna be pissed and I don't mean the British pissed.

Edit- might wanna copy that to a monospace font, I don't remember how to change it in here.

[Edited by Hammurabi on 11-11-2003 at 10:52 PM]

.012's in standard tuning.

::flexes muscles::

Don't you play bass as well?

i think dropping into a different tuning just makes everything better, for one you don't sound as generic like everyone else. secondly your ear picks up newer patterns and fingering arrangements that you would never have discovered in the first place. and thirdly you just become well rounded overall. but thats just my opinion.

i don't really drop in just half step.
normally it will be in drop D or half step drop D, which is my fav.
i think the raveonettes drop there's all the way down to B or something.. crazyness