Alternate tuning madness

Nephilymbass

Nephilymbass

Feb 7, 2011
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#1
So I just wanted to share something We have a lot of fun with. I enjoy playing in a different tuning than our guitar players. and figured I'd share some combinations of different tunings on different instruments we like to use.

Our most common combo
Bass beadg
Lead guitar (bf#beg#c#)
Singer on guitar (standard eadgbe)

The fake 12 string
Same tunings for bass and lead guitar. But singers guitar is tuned to (dgdgbb) so the e and a strings are dropped a full step and the high E is dropped a 4th to be in unison with the b like a 12 string.

We also use on two songs
Bass beadg
lead Guitar c#f#beg#c#

And the newest were having fun with

Bass aeadg
Lead guitar aadgbe (lowest strings an octave apart so it's like a 7 string in drop A without the low E)
Singer on guitar (standard eadgbe)

I've really enjoyed this band because everyone does their own thing but it all fits together. Every other rock or metal band I've played in had guitar players that just about demanded I'd use the same tuning as them. I honestly think by using different tunings there's a lot less doubling of parts and more harmony and music in general happening.
 
#4
lz4005 said:
If you aren't tuned the same you have to learn the names of them. That seems to be a problem for a lot of people.
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aren't we supposed to have our ears developped and so discover what the guitar player is playing and thus come up with our own thing ? No need to know the name of the notes to come up with a cool line to play again the guitar line
 
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#5
Clef_de_fa said:
I never understood the need to match the guitar tuning, notes are notes
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Ditto. I've been told that my tuning is "weird" and "strange". I've even been accused of "not really playing the bass" because I choose to tune in fifths (FCGDA). My response is always the same: if I'm holding down the bottom, what does it matter what my open strings are?
 
#6
c_maj said:
Ditto. I've been told that my tuning is "weird" and "strange". I've even been accused of "not really playing the bass" because I choose to tune in fifths (FCGDA). My response is always the same: if I'm holding down the bottom, what does it matter what my open strings are?
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Just like a cello with an extra string, now thinking about it, I wonder why the DB is the only member of the strings familly to be tuned in fourth instead of fifth like the rest ...
 
#7
Clef_de_fa said:
Just like a cello with an extra string, now thinking about it, I wonder why the DB is the only member of the strings familly to be tuned in fourth instead of fifth like the rest ...
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Yep. I played the cello for a number of years at my church, when suddenly we needed a bassist. I was asked to take over. Because I had no adjustment time, it was easier for me to just re-tune a bass in 5ths rather than re-learning note placement on the neck.

I believe the reason DBs are tuned in 4ths is due to spacing... the deeper the note, the larger interval spacing it takes up... something like that. There are a couple of 5ths tuned threads around here and it has been explained in much more in depth.
 
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