Drop D tuning

[Ross Brown]

I am checking out a band locally. I have a question... If a band tells me they play a song in drop D tuning..... Is this something I really need to know?

 

Isn't that the guitard's business?

 

[please excuse my ignorance.... but I rather ask and be perceived ignorant than remain so...]

 

 

[Richard W]

I'd say that depends on the context. If you're there as an audience member just out to hear some good music, I'd say no, you don't need to know. If you're there as a fellow musician talking to the band about performing, then I'd say, sure, that might be interesting to know. As a musician, I'm usually interested in how other players approach a song. Anyway, it seems unlikely to me that any non-player would even know what "drop D" tuning means.

[Ross Brown]

as a bass player.... do I need to know....?

[Ross Brown]

playing with them....

[TimR]

Yes and No.

 

If you are watching the guitarists fingers it'll get confusing. If they're playing a lot of tunes in Eb you'll might be in trouble if you don't have a 5 sting or drop tune yourself.

[EddiePlaysBass]

One band I played with for a short while had some Velvet Revolver and related tunes in the set, and they played it in drop D. I played a 5'er back then too, so I just thought out the bass line and played it on the 5. Makes for a completely different finger pattern, obviously, but that was about it.

 

But yes, you would need to know, I think. Like Tim said, depends if you are watching the guitarists for finger patterns or chord shapes. I try to avoid that these days, same as most guitarists I play with seem to avoid "looking" at what I am playing (long live 5 strings :grin:)

[jeremy c]

Yes, you need to know if you are playing with them. If you play in regular tuning, all the chord names the tell you will be off a step. Songs with low D's in them will not work on your bass in standard tuning. You will either have to tune down just the E string (and then learn how to play your bass with it tuned D A D G), tune down the whole bass, or get a five string.

[Ross Brown]

Thanks

[Griffinator]

One band I played with for a short while had some Velvet Revolver and related tunes in the set, and they played it in drop D. I played a 5'er back then too, so I just thought out the bass line and played it on the 5. Makes for a completely different finger pattern, obviously, but that was about it.

 

I tip my hat to you. I tried like hell to play that riff in standard on my 5, but finally capitulated and detuned for it.

[Cthulhu Fhtagn]

There's stuff I use the 5 string for.

There's stuff I drop tune for.

 

Depends how much running up and down the neck I have to do.

[Seamy ALB]

Some riffs are just easier played by dropping the E to D. Alot of Grunge music was played this way, sometimes tuned down a half step from concert pitch. When I bought my 6 string one of the prime reasons was to avoid having to Detune for certain songs and to allow me to use the Scale shapes I was familiar with to write lines that would compliment a lower riff.

 

When we cover songs with low notes I mostly just work out a different fingering for them now without retuning but some songs just suit the feel of that big wobbly detuned E. Check out Dam That River by Alice in Chains or Outshined by Soundgarden Ross for some quality Drop D groove.

[Wally Malone]

Or get a Kubicki X-Factor!

 

Wally

 

Yes, you need to know if you are playing with them. If you play in regular tuning, all the chord names the tell you will be off a step. Songs with low D's in them will not work on your bass in standard tuning. You will either have to tune down just the E string (and then learn how to play your bass with it tuned D A D G), tune down the whole bass, or get a five string.

[Bottom End]

IF you are used to playing patterns, or getting your key from the guitard Drop-D can mess you up. Once I learned the fret board and then to play Drop-D, it actually opened up a lot of ideas for fills, etc.

[Ross Brown]

Played an audition last night with (as you guessed) a band that had a bunch of tunes in drop D tuning. I did ok. I had no set list going in. I did not change my tuning since that would have been dumb so late in the game. I played by ear since most of the time since they either just started playing or they said here are the chords, and just played them... did not name them. Great group of guys with tons of talent doing some creatively cool things with songs. I think I'll get asked back. Not sure.

 

I definately need to spend some time learning about this tuning and how to approach the songs. I do think I could do more with them than I did.

[Bottom End]

Ross, I was surprised at how easily I could transition to Drop-D. It helped that I was practicing/playing several times a week, but it only took a few weeks to get comfortable with it, ie, not looking at the fretboard the whole song. I was playing in a worship group, and there were so many songs in D that I was glad to have three octaves to choose from when playing.

 

The hardest thing to get used to was walking basslines; on the E (now D) string, the root note is where the 2 would be, and usually now a pinky-fretted note, so a little memory memory rewiring is needed.

 

If you're going to do a lot of walking basslines, you might consider tuning all four strings down a step. This facilitates playing Hendrix and SRV songs, among others who played a half step down. I'll admit it seems "wrong" to tune this way, but until I get the money, and desire, to buy a 5-string, it's the next best thing.

 

I Hipshot D-tuner is a relatively inexpensive option, and they seem to be worth the investment, though tuning up and down becomes second nature after a while.

 

Sonically, having the low D is a nice option.

 

Give it a try, you'll find it is not too hard to get used to.

 

 

[sonofabill]

Angry Eyes by Loggins and Messina is the first song I was faced with this challenge with. That low D is so badass in that song too.....

[jeremy c]

A Hipshot D-tuner is a relatively inexpensive option, and they seem to be worth the investment, though tuning up and down becomes second nature after a while.

I've got one of those. It's a surprisingly useful gadget.

[Mark Schmieder]

Get a five string if they do it a lot; most four string basses will start sounding flabby if you down-tune them.

 

Unfortunately this is now the norm (at least in my immediate area). I try to educate these bassists (most of them quite young) -- and the guitarists as well -- that they are better off with a seven-string guitar or five-string bass vs. down-tuning an instrument that was carefully designed to perform best at a certain taughtness and tension.

 

Every band I hear (this is mostly in the metal genre, which is about all there is in the SF Bay Area east of the Oakland Hills), sounds AWFUL due to down-tuning. There is no tonal focus, and it messes with the harmonics and overall intonation.

[Richard W]

I've often wondered if Paul McCartney down tuned his four string--pretty sure he ever played a 5--because on some tunes it just seems to me he is going a little lower. Does anyone know if he did that or not? Or am I just mis-hearing things.

 

[Tenstrum]

I don't see what the big deal is about playing in Drop D. It's just another tool to use. Or not.

 

Mark:

 

You would really hate the way I currently have my 5 string tuned -

Low to high: Bb Db Ab Db Gb

 

It sounds nice and tight.

[Griffinator]

Get a five string if they do it a lot; most four string basses will start sounding flabby if you down-tune them.

 

Unfortunately this is now the norm (at least in my immediate area). I try to educate these bassists (most of them quite young) -- and the guitarists as well -- that they are better off with a seven-string guitar or five-string bass vs. down-tuning an instrument that was carefully designed to perform best at a certain taughtness and tension.

 

Every band I hear (this is mostly in the metal genre, which is about all there is in the SF Bay Area east of the Oakland Hills), sounds AWFUL due to down-tuning. There is no tonal focus, and it messes with the harmonics and overall intonation.

 

Which would be why I carry two axes, one specifically set up for drop-D (extra beefy bridge springs, slight truss rod tweak for action) and one set up for standard.

[hippie wood]

Every band I hear (this is mostly in the metal genre, which is about all there is in the SF Bay Area east of the Oakland Hills), sounds AWFUL due to down-tuning. There is no tonal focus, and it messes with the harmonics and overall intonation.

 

Guess you have never heard of Muse or Pearl Jam or Tool or Nirvana. That's a pretty stupid statement and it doesn't sound like you really know what you're talking about in practice, just talking bout your personal experience.

[_Sweet Willie_]

Interesting. Pino Palladino sounds pretty good to me, and he down-tunes on 4-string P basses. I think he may often have a down-tuned, 34" scale 4-string P or J with him on gigs and sessions. Didn't Hendrix and Vaughan regularly down-tune their Fenders a half-step? (Admittedly, it's only a half-step...)

 

Also, I'm not sure I'd attribute a band sounding awful to down-tuning. In some cases perhaps it's a contributing feature, but I'm guessing that in most cases there are likely other factors coming into play regarding musicianship, tonal ranges emphasized across all instruments, etc. that are more salient.

 

Peace.

--s-uu

 

[jeremy c]

Stevie Ray Vaughan was always tuned to Eb. I've never heard anyone complain about his sound.

 

McCartney played a 5 string when he became a solo act. Such a thing did not exist during the heyday of the Beatles. I don't hear any really low notes on Beatles records; usually it seems to me that the parts are higher than people normally play nowadays.

[J. Dan]

Or get a Kubicki X-Factor!

 

Wally

 

This!

 

I love these basses. Our current bass player has 2. I've been eyeing one for myself. They play and sound great, and have a pretty novel approach to the drop D situation.

 

Kubicki Ex-Factor

 

They're a little pricey new, but you can find used ones occasionally in the $900-$1300 range, and Phil Kubicki really stands behind his stuff. I've spoken directly with him a few times when doing a repair on my friend's bass.

 

[Bottom End]

It seems to me that the Brit bassists often seem to play using 7th fret E versus the open E, and thereby have whole octave do go down to, but I'm probably incorrect.

[jeremy c]

Listen carefully to Daytripper. The bass part in unison with the guitar part, not octaves. That means he might have been starting on the seventh fret E or maybe even the 12th fret E.

[b5pilot]

I'm not sure I'd attribute a band sounding awful to down-tuning. In some cases perhaps it's a contributing feature, but I'm guessing that in most cases there are likely other factors coming into play regarding musicianship, tonal ranges emphasized across all instruments, etc. that are more salient.

 

I would agree. I thought down tuning a half step or whatever actually fattens up the sound. Stevie Ray's sound always sounded full to me but he had great tone. If your tone is mudd it'll sound like mud no matter the tuning.

 

 

[Bobby LowTones]

(Snip...) McCartney played a 5 string when he became a solo act. Such a thing did not exist during the heyday of the Beatles. I don't hear any really low notes on Beatles records; usually it seems to me that the parts are higher than people normally play nowadays.

Listen carefully to Daytripper. The bass part in unison with the guitar part, not octaves. That means he might have been starting on the seventh fret E or maybe even the 12th fret E.

Quite correct, nothing below E. And yes, Paul likes to play high, especially starting with Sgt. Pepper period when it was pretty much decided then that they'll never play live again. You can hear him play all over the neck, many times playing different patterns when phrases ask to repeat the same pattern again. BTW, I play in a "Beatles only" band, 3 or 4 songs per night with a Hofner Icon-B (for the show), all other songs with a 5er - but rarely go down below E.

[groover]

Before I got my MMSR5 I used my 4 string Precision as my main bass for worship band. There were many songs where I wanted to hit a low D so I eventually switched to DADG tuning and played it that way for everything. Took a little getting used to but it made me rethink some of the bass lines I was playing. I didn't realize that one of the guitar players on the team was looking at me to figure out what he should be playing instead of the chart. I think this caused us both to grow a little bit in our abilities. It's never a bad thing to try something different.