Jump to content

When you play half step down notes change,, how do you play half step down?


privatejoe

Recommended Posts

  • Members

Do you have to relearn guitar to play half step down? I mean how do guitarists play standard and half step down back and forth? YES I'm a noob. Can someone enlighten me on this topic? I mean isn't it confusing the fact whole fretboard changes when you play down tuning? facepalm.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Quote Originally Posted by privatejoe

View Post

Do you have to relearn guitar to play half step down? I mean how do guitarists play standard and half step down back and forth? YES I'm a noob. Can someone enlighten me on this topic? I mean isn't it confusing the fact whole fretboard changes when you play down tuning? facepalm.gif

 

I think I get what you're saying.


Take a player like myself for example. I'm a "fair at best" IMHO guitar player, with little musical theory background. I don't sight read music notation (although I have worked on it before) but manly rely on tab. So for me, it's about the position not the note. If someone were a sight reader that mentally translated the musical notation to the actual notes, then I could see where that could be a bit of a conundrum and all notes would have to be played one step higher on the neck. I think for a lot of drop tuning players, they simply play the guitar. I occasionally will grab a baritone and try out a few songs (usually surf style) doing the same thing. Just using the same positions and then the tone is 5 steps down.


idn_smilie.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Quote Originally Posted by privatejoe

View Post

Do you have to relearn guitar to play half step down? I mean how do guitarists play standard and half step down back and forth? YES I'm a noob. Can someone enlighten me on this topic? I mean isn't it confusing the fact whole fretboard changes when you play down tuning? facepalm.gif

 

I think I get what you're saying.


Take a player like myself for example. I'm a "fair at best" IMHO guitar player, with little musical theory background. I don't sight read music notation (although I have worked on it before) but manly rely on tab. So for me, it's about the position not the note. If someone were a sight reader that mentally translated the musical notation to the actual notes, then I could see where that could be a bit of a conundrum and all notes would have to be played one step higher on the neck. I think for a lot of drop tuning players, they simply play the guitar. I occasionally will grab a baritone and try out a few songs (usually surf style) doing the same thing. Just using the same positions and then the tone is 5 steps down.


idn_smilie.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Quote Originally Posted by privatejoe

View Post

but if you change tuning... How do you play with other people? It's half step flatten.

 

Most of the time the entire band / all the people jamming tune the same, so you don't really think about it. You just play as if tuned normally, it just sounds half a step lower.


It's often done to accommodate the singer, lower tunings than a half-note are mostly used for a "heavier" sound.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Quote Originally Posted by privatejoe

View Post

but if you change tuning... How do you play with other people? It's half step flatten.

 

Most of the time the entire band / all the people jamming tune the same, so you don't really think about it. You just play as if tuned normally, it just sounds half a step lower.


It's often done to accommodate the singer, lower tunings than a half-note are mostly used for a "heavier" sound.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Quote Originally Posted by privatejoe

View Post

but if you change tuning... How do you play with other people? It's half step flatten.

 

Think of it as the opposite of putting on a capo. I'd just translate the key for those accompanying my playing. (for example, if you had a keyboard player)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Quote Originally Posted by privatejoe

View Post

but if you change tuning... How do you play with other people? It's half step flatten.

 

Think of it as the opposite of putting on a capo. I'd just translate the key for those accompanying my playing. (for example, if you had a keyboard player)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Don't think about notes. Think more about fingering patterns and positions.


If you're in the right key and you know the fingering pattern for the scale you want then you don't really care about what the notes are, unless of course you're tying to read a chart.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Don't think about notes. Think more about fingering patterns and positions.


If you're in the right key and you know the fingering pattern for the scale you want then you don't really care about what the notes are, unless of course you're tying to read a chart.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

That's why you buy a second guitar. I keep one of my Les Pauls tuned to E flat--several of the songs that our band plays are intended for that tuning setup. I can always slap a capo on the 1st fret for standard tuning, but with big frets, the strings will sound sharp. That's where having a second guitar comes in handy.


By the way, the Spider Capo lets you adjust the downward force on each string individually, so you can retain accurate intonation when using a capo.


spidercapo.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

That's why you buy a second guitar. I keep one of my Les Pauls tuned to E flat--several of the songs that our band plays are intended for that tuning setup. I can always slap a capo on the 1st fret for standard tuning, but with big frets, the strings will sound sharp. That's where having a second guitar comes in handy.


By the way, the Spider Capo lets you adjust the downward force on each string individually, so you can retain accurate intonation when using a capo.


spidercapo.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Whether tuning up or down, using a capo, or changing keys with whatever method, it's a matter of transposing for a different key. I play in a praise and worship context and it's exciting when you learn a complicated rhythm or lead part that relies on open strings, then somebody changes the key at the last minute rendering the time expended on getting the part into muscle memory.....useless. But adapting to those situations is all part of growing as a guitar player. But to allow musicians to do their best, IMO it should be left only for emergency situations (example: last minute vocalist change with a different singing range or something similar).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Whether tuning up or down, using a capo, or changing keys with whatever method, it's a matter of transposing for a different key. I play in a praise and worship context and it's exciting when you learn a complicated rhythm or lead part that relies on open strings, then somebody changes the key at the last minute rendering the time expended on getting the part into muscle memory.....useless. But adapting to those situations is all part of growing as a guitar player. But to allow musicians to do their best, IMO it should be left only for emergency situations (example: last minute vocalist change with a different singing range or something similar).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Quote Originally Posted by privatejoe

View Post

but if you change tuning... How do you play with other people? It's half step flatten.

 

play one fret higher


i had booked a guitarist fill in for me for a couple of weeks so he brought his guitar to one of our gigs - he was a big hendrix fan and always tuned his guitar 1/2 step down - if the song was in A he would simply play it in Bb on his guitar and there were no issues at all - once you learn the instrument it's easy to play in any key

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Quote Originally Posted by privatejoe

View Post

but if you change tuning... How do you play with other people? It's half step flatten.

 

play one fret higher


i had booked a guitarist fill in for me for a couple of weeks so he brought his guitar to one of our gigs - he was a big hendrix fan and always tuned his guitar 1/2 step down - if the song was in A he would simply play it in Bb on his guitar and there were no issues at all - once you learn the instrument it's easy to play in any key

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...