Why is standard tuning too standard?

[Burgess]

[Burgess]

Among blues bands, the primary reason for tuning to Eb is to discourage the club-owner from sitting in on harp.

 

Do you ever have the band modulate on a harp player? That's always fun.

[CTBthefourth]

 

Iommi is still the best as far as down tuned stuff goes. I love the whole heavier string BS you hear sometimes. This guy was down to C standard back then with extremly light strings.

 

 

I use heavier strings in drop tunings to keep the tension consistent with standard tuned guitars. It also keeps me from having to adjust the intonation too much if I go from 10's in E standard and then switch to 11's in D standard.

How is that BS?

[csm]

Do you ever have the band modulate on a harp player? That's always fun.

 

Wouldn't work on Buffalo Bill. He's got harps in every key (including sharps and flats) in his bandolier, so he'd just pull out another one and be back on the money within 4 bars ...

 

But then he's a PROPER GROWNUP harp player.

[Zozobra]

Tune your guitar to what you want. Hell, in the scheme of its history the 6th string was a wacky addition that was no doubt frowned upon at the time.

[RUExp?]

 

Iommi tuned to C# standard.....a step and a half down. not two whole steps down. And if we're bringing up Iommi, I think he sounds best on the first album and paranoid, which were recorded in standard E.

 

 

I agree.

[RJpilot]

our standard tuning is Eb.. much easier on our singer.. drop D for some songs,

 

You mean Drop Db.

 

I go back and forth with tuning down a 1/2 step to accommodate my singing but its just so much easier to learn 90% of the songs out there if you tune to standard. ...And I play in a cover band so learning new songs quickly is nice to be able to do(unless I'm learning an Eb tuned song ala SRV, VH etc).

[cuffdc]

You can tune a guitar?

[Bedlum Bednarik]

I use heavier strings in drop tunings to keep the tension consistent with standard tuned guitars. It also keeps me from having to adjust the intonation too much if I go from 10's in E standard and then switch to 11's in D standard. How is that BS?

Because you hear it all the time, "if your going lower you need heaver strings."The dude up a little was right, Iommi was in C# standard, but he got that great sound on say the 4th album, with lighter strings.With a normal set I go down to C and still get that vibe.Now any lower and string tention is an issue.And Im not saying that you cant use 14s to tune to F standard if you want.Its just its been pushed into peoples heads so much that on here ive seen people looking for that Iommi sound and people are like ,get heavy strings, I tried to tell them diffrent only to fall on deaf ears

[Bedlum Bednarik]

 

I agree.

To each his own. I love all the 70s albums but listen to that opening riff .The first two set them apart, this one set them on another planet.

 

[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]

[211dave112]

 

Sometime's your singer's range just isn't high enough and you have to downtune.

 

 

absolutely!!

 

when i write new songs for the band i have to tune down to Eb cos it the only way that works for me. Then in the band setting we use standard because our singer has a higher voice, my voice is quite low, like joy division or interpol.

[Dash4814]

My LP sounds good in standard tuning, but it roars in Eb

[RUExp?]

 

 

 

That song can be played in standard tuning.

[Help!I'maRock!]

 

here you have this wonderful instrument that can accomodate all these unique tunings. try taking advantage of it. you might be surprised.

 

 

+1

 

i have a bass that's in E. then a baritone in B and i use drop A a lot. my 12 string is tuned to D and i capo at the 2nd if i want E. the dano convertible in my avatar is in open G (for the moment), and my tele is in Eb.

 

different tunings breed creativity. they also make you re-examine the fretboard and learn how scales and chords are built. as you re-tune, the patterns change for better or worse. sometimes the same pattern yields a cool result. sometimes its crap. just remember to get it down on tape.

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Among blues bands, the primary reason for tuning to Eb is to discourage the club-owner from sitting in on harp.

 

 

 

 

[Zozobra]

 

That song can be played in standard tuning.

 

 

And heres tom with the weather.

[cuffdc]

I always thought funky tunings were done to keep people from figuring your {censored} out. Of course a good musician (i.e. not me) probably could figure it out anyway...

[nuke_diver]

I always thought funky tunings were done to keep people from figuring your {censored} out. Of course a good musician (i.e. not me) probably could figure it out anyway...

 

That's why I can't figure stuff out

[NeverTheMachine]

I always thought it was for specific reasons, such as easier for a singer, or players like SRV who used heavy gaged strings wanted to tune down for a little relief and I'm sure Hendrix knew what he was doing when he did it. I do think it sounds fuller on some of my songs, but I try to stay away from it so I don't have to take more than one guitar to a practice.

[mikey4402]

Anything lower the Eb i dont like.

 

Drop D

D-A-D-G-B-D

most open tunings are usefull if your playing slide.

 

But i agree with the OP on what i think hes trying to say. I think its dumb for people who use alternite or drop tunings just because. Although i guess i have a little bias. I dont really like the 'heavy' black metal etc genra where these tunings are usally used. But its probley because of the low tunings in the first place.

[Help!I'maRock!]

 

I always thought it was for specific reasons, such as easier for a singer, or players like SRV who used heavy gaged strings wanted to tune down for a little relief and I'm sure Hendrix knew what he was doing when he did it. I do think it sounds fuller on some of my songs, but I try to stay away from it so I don't have to take more than one guitar to a practice.

 

 

if tension relief were an issue, then they wouldn't be using those heavy strings to begin with.

[Bedlum Bednarik]

That song can be played in standard tuning.

Yeah but it wouldnt have sounded nearly as cool.Its that C# along with Iommis control of the slack strings.Actually its the low tension in the strings that has more to do with Iommis sound than the fact that its dropped

[Caleb B]

In my experience anything drop C or lower is usually accompanied by a screaming vocalist, not a singing one. I don't know if it would sound right no matter how bottomed out you got standard tuning to have a screaming vocalist with it. And I don't mean yelling, I'm talking screaming like in my first page videos. I haven't heard someone do this, so again I don't know how that would sound. There's no doubt that a lot of bands drop tune to follow the crowd, but hey welcome to the music industry. You do what gets you paid man. Most of the people here just like to jam with there buddies or local bands, not looking to impress the world.

 

 

My friend who uses down tunings likes the sustain and the fact that it extends the guitar's scale. I guess anything to get it closer to a piano so more classical and wider ranges can be reached. There are times I feel like I want to resolve a melody lower or walk down a step lower hear and there but not enough to change tunings yet.

 

 

That is a good point. Some bands incorporate really classical stuff into their drop tunings. Like so:

 

[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]

 

It starts at about 37 seconds, once again not a good quality video, but oh well.

 

EDIT: This is drop B.

[Roy Brooks]

When playing in bands and for at least 99% of all the playing I do I am in standard tuning.

[J-E-M]

 

That song can be played in standard tuning.

 

You need that low C# for the doom vibe.