playing lead over Drop D tunings?

[bluez4u]

This may be remedial to some but I thought I'd ask since I couldnt find anything. I always played classic rock, standard tuning ect.. Last night someone referred to a band that needed some leadwork on a few things they are recording. I told them no problem. Then when I was talking to the bass player, they are all in drop d and tuned flat. I kinda scratched my head and said OK I'll look into it. Having always played in standard tuning, are there any surprises here, I haven't toyed around with it yet but thought I'd ask.

Thanks

[simeon]

it doesn't make any difference what tuning they use, but it does make a difference if they are tuned flat. just find out how flat they are!

just use your ears and everything will be fine

sim

[soc_monki]

if they are dropped D tuned flat...i would guess they are probably in C# or C possibly...so be prepared to tune down! LOL

otherwise...if you take the standard guitar, go to dropped D, and want to play a solo (lets say if you usually play in Em, like with a lot of Metal stuff, then youll be playing in Dm). just move all the scale shapes down 2 frets.

right now im learning all my minor/major scales, started with Am, going good with Em, working on Dm...and gonna keep going from there till i learn all of them (b and #'s too) so i can do whatever i want with major and minor. then work on the other modes i suppose.

its really not all that hard once you step back, look at it, and realize "hey, all these shapes are the same, you just move them up or down..." you just gotta play through them to get used to the different positions youre in.

most importantly though, use your ears. theyre the most important part of the chain!

[simeon]

Originally posted by soc_monki if they are dropped D tuned flat...i would guess they are probably in C# or C possibly...so be prepared to tune down! LOL

 

 

no - there's no need to retune or tune down...just play in C or C#!

[soc_monki]

Originally posted by simeon no - there's no need to retune or tune down...just play in C or C#!

 

 

if i play a solo on a song, i generally like to be in the same tuning because i feel more comfortable that way...

 

then again, most of the time im playing the whole song, rhythm and lead, and kind of have to be in the same tuning.

 

but again, it all comes down to what you feel comfortable with. you can just play in standard tuning over it, or you can tune to them...whatever you feel like.

[bluez4u]

Thanks for all the handy tips!!, I guess they drop d and tune flat. I was trying to get out of tuning down and restringing and setting up my guitar for that (i currently use 9's). I'm going to meet with them wed and hack thru it. If it seems like a pretty good gig and I stay with them, I'll just tune like them. They do it for the heavyness, but I was origionally hoping that my MKiv with the Flex cabs would take care of that. It Eats bass players alive.
Thanks KJR

[bardsley]

If you're playing lead you can get away without tuning to drop D, as long as there aren't specific riffs that you need to play along with. With 9s I would try to avoid tuning down too much, unless you like that sound of a string going out of tune with itself as it wobbles around (which is something I do actually like - Neil Young uses this effect beautifully in his song "Bandit").
If you're comfortable soling in any key, then the detuned thing shouldn't matter. Just use your ears and figure out what key they're in. It shouldn't take too long.