Members KATMAN Posted January 26, 2007 Members Posted January 26, 2007 I turn 49 tomorrow and I was wondering if any of you all do this.For all my own vocals,I tune my guitars down a half step.That way I don't have to play in F# to match my vocals. That,I'm really impresed how better the guitar feels. I done this several years ago after hearing how my favorite player does this. Now I do for me,I just don't like straing my voice to get up high as it once did.Is it me or have does anybody else do this?
Members kwakatak Posted January 26, 2007 Members Posted January 26, 2007 Well, I'm not older (37) but for many songs I find that that 1/2 makes it easier to hit certain notes higher up. "More Than Words" by Extreme is such an example. OTOH, sometimes I prefer to capo at the 2nd or 3rd fret where the notes are generally in a more consistent (not as wide) range. In this case, Jame's Taylor's "Fire and Rain" is a prime example. It just depends on the song I'm trying to play/sing, really.
Members Freeman Keller Posted January 26, 2007 Members Posted January 26, 2007 Always.... and I don't sing. btw - happy birthday. I'll be 62 in a few weeks
Members KATMAN Posted January 26, 2007 Author Members Posted January 26, 2007 Just a thought. A old preacher I know had a songbook that he used for the guys on a alcohol treatment center he ran. The keys were in C,F and such.Rather than switch keys,I tune lower!
Members Stackabones Posted January 26, 2007 Members Posted January 26, 2007 I turn 49 tomorrow and I was wondering if any of you all do this.For all my own vocals,I tune my guitars down a half step.That way I don't have to play in F# to match my vocals. That,I'm really impresed how better the guitar feels. I done this several years ago after hearing how my favorite player does this. Now I do for me,I just don't like straing my voice to get up high as it once did.Is it me or have does anybody else do this? Some songs or voices or whatever sound better in certain keys, and some of those aren't the friendliest of guitar keys--such as F# major and many of the flat keys. Tune down, use a capo, or use tons of cramp-inducing barres. Whatever gets the song sounding right.
Members redpoint Posted January 26, 2007 Members Posted January 26, 2007 I've read an interview where Edge (from U2) talks about how they'd tune down half a step to give Bono a bit more headroom in his vocals.So, yes, it happens
Members pgcorky Posted January 26, 2007 Members Posted January 26, 2007 Happy Birthday tomorrow! I'm turning 49 today, and find that - despite a lovely voice and superb range - that it helps quite a bit to move down that half step. Live long, sing, and play!
Members bransonb Posted January 26, 2007 Members Posted January 26, 2007 I prefer both the tone and feel of the guitar down a half step. The bass is even better and I enjoy the response and comfort of the strings with the tension reduced. I find I can't always sing down a half step, though, so I go through stages with this. I'm in standard tuning these days but I'm sure I'll be spending a fair amount of playing time this year down a half step again.
Members Queequeg Posted January 26, 2007 Members Posted January 26, 2007 I'll be 3 in 54 weeks. no wait; that's not right. I'll be 54 in 3 weeks. I know better than to ever sing. I play instrumentals, in standard tuning. well, I perhaps I should say standard pitch, as I tune the darn things all over the place.
Members Hudman Posted January 26, 2007 Members Posted January 26, 2007 Tuning down a half step is common. Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eddie VanHalen did when they were young guys.
Members babablowfish Posted January 26, 2007 Members Posted January 26, 2007 I have all my guitars tuned down a full note and then I almost always use a capo. It allows me to avoid playing way down at the nut where my tendinitis ofter flares up, it reduces the tension on the neck, it brings the strings lower to the neck and best of all it confuses the hell out of anyone who wants to join in and jam. P.S. I am 57
Members KATMAN Posted January 26, 2007 Author Members Posted January 26, 2007 Tuning down a half step is common. Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eddie VanHalen did when they were young guys. That's true,but they also play(ed) electric 99.9% of the time.
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted January 26, 2007 Members Posted January 26, 2007 Did used to keep one of my earlier 12-strings tuned to "C" (2 steps down) but that was primarily because the POS would've probably exploded tuned to "concert" E...boy, it would really confuse my bassists, tho... I just keep all of mine tuned to Standard, Open G, Open D, DADGAD or like that...I'm too lazy to bother figuring out what key I'm really in, otherwise! And I'm only a youthful half-century, too...maybe I'll change my mind when I'm an old fart like the rest of y'all...
Members Tony Burns Posted January 26, 2007 Members Posted January 26, 2007 Happy Birthday , i turn 52 in a week and and a half - so i know where your coming from - When i was in my early college days i use to play out a lot and i always tuned my guitar down for my voice - so i think thats actually normal for some folks , I have a new trick which makes it easy for me, i tune it down and capo on the second fret - which helps with the bar chords and makes the neck faster - but now i keep it in full pitch --it does thou turn a 14 fretter into a 12 fretter- besides being easier to play it also takes alot of tension off the neck and bridge -( I only do this on one of my instruments - the rest are normal ---)
Members recordingtrack1 Posted January 27, 2007 Members Posted January 27, 2007 Let's just say, I'm heading for 50. I don't, I tune my guitars to standard pitch. I just tough it out or I find a new key to do a song in. RT1:)
Members Hamhand Posted January 27, 2007 Members Posted January 27, 2007 I don't know how yet. I'm sure it's simple, but so am I. I can't find the key of 'croak & squeek', can you guys? I'll be 53 this year, learning guitar like I'm 14 and checking out the soft stuff of the feminine persuasion for the first time again.
Members KATMAN Posted January 27, 2007 Author Members Posted January 27, 2007 A lot of the songs I do are in the key of G,so by tuning it down a half step,I'm really playing it in F#.Also,when I first started playing,I would listen to a song on the radio,went home to play it and find that I was a half or a whole step off.Now I reduced that to half.
Members AK47 Posted January 27, 2007 Members Posted January 27, 2007 I tune my guitars to standard or open tunings. Anything else would confuse me as I changed instruments.
Members riffmeister Posted January 27, 2007 Members Posted January 27, 2007 I've done this (tune down 1/2 step) but it has nothing to do with my age! .
Members Antalicus Posted January 27, 2007 Members Posted January 27, 2007 I tune half step down... prefer it, feels better. Im only 23
Members Oldskool Texas Posted January 27, 2007 Members Posted January 27, 2007 47 on Sunday! I keep my guitar in standard 440, but use the capo and choose other chord voicings and inversions to compensate for my lack of Robert Plant genetics.
Members KATMAN Posted January 27, 2007 Author Members Posted January 27, 2007 And happy birthday for all those who had one today and Sunday as well.I just feel playing a half step down gives me a better feel also. The only guitar that's tuned standard is my MIM Strat. That's my main church electric,for my acoustics I'll generally add a capo on the first fret to play along with those who play in standard tuning. I guess I could feel be and say they must tune their's a half step down,but it's easier and nicer this way.
Members Cripes Posted January 27, 2007 Members Posted January 27, 2007 Let's just say, I'm heading for 50. I don't, I tune my guitars to standard pitch. I just tough it out or I find a new key to do a song in.RT1:) Same here. I tough it out. Don't have the old range but what I do is manageable. Better to choose a key that matches the vocal range anyway. Otherwise the tail is wagging the dog - and an old grumpy dog in my case. Besides, if you have any intention at all of playing with others it's better to be at standard and then adjust the key from there.
Members DeepEnd Posted January 27, 2007 Members Posted January 27, 2007 54 in May. I must have an odd vocal range. I often find myself playing in C with the capo behind the third fret so that I'm (on original stuff, anyway) playing in Eb. Much of the rest of the time in D with no capo, drop D, etc. I only tune my 12-string to anything other than standard (D).
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