Changing tuning????

C

Coach Rich

Feb 23, 2014
96
174
4,897
Columbus
#1
I’ve played in many different bands over the decades. Most played 440 but some tunes half step up or down. Up was much more rare. And as I’m getting older I’m running into more situations where the whole band plays a full step down to accommodate older vocalists.

This new band I just joined changes tuning throughout the gig. It’s a rock cover band. The band leader insists we play using the tuning that the song was recorded in????? So most of the songs we play in 440 but the if we’re playing something by KISS, VH or GnR (for example) we tune down half a step??? Has anyone heard of other bands doing this??? Does this make any sense that I’m missing???

Other than this they seem to have their act together. As a cover band goes, at least in this city, we’re getting the premium gigs at the premium venues. Last weekend I played what I thought was going to be the worst gig of the year in terms of the esteem of the venue. Even after hiring professional sound each guy still walked out making $180.

Regardless, of how this makes no sense to me at all I don’t feel strongly enough to make an issue of it. I try to pick my battles to be things I have strong feelings about. So I’ll either do what I did last gig and tune my backup guitar a half step down and use it or I might just dig out my pitch fork pedal and put that on my pedal board??? But have any of you guys played in bands who do this???
 
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#3
It comes down to what the singer is comfortable with, but I prefer to play in the original tuning. We have a couple songs we tune down to play like the original and a couple we play down to accommodate vocals.
I got tired of tuning during show and don’t like switching basses so now I just use the Poly Capo on the HX One. It sounds just ok in the mix, but hey, I’ve heard nuances like that are lost on 99.1% of the audience, so no biggie.
 
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#5
I wouldnt bother with it, I'd play down on a 5.
The only reason to downtune might be if the gtr had to play open string and I get that.
Not sure what other reason the BL is calling original key positions..and that call is for the gtr anyway.
Ultimately, everyone should be wanting the song to work as well as poss and facilitate that.
If a singer said they sing such a song in such a key..everyone shifts to that key. Thats fine and normal. Not sure what the BL is on about going from 440, 438 etc ..you only want to do that once.
 
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#9
I prefer to play a single bass throughout the whole gig, as I learned in a ballroom band that switching basses brings a lot of issues to the sound engineer and is generally obtrusive to the audience - people want steady lows to make them willing to get up and dance.

I play 4 strings, so I detune the E string when neccessary. My Fender works that way to a C with no need to change strings (.40 nickels) or setup (reasonably low action). If I need to go even lower, I use octaver and play an octave up; in the mainstream styles I play, the deep lows sound beefier this way anyway.

I like the scordatura thing, it forces me to stay perceptive as the frets suddenly acquire different note names. I even tune between songs audibly, using harmonics, because I usually forget the clip on tuner, and because I feel our audience wants to see a musician who is comfortable using his ears.

If I played in a band who does it 20 times a gig, I'd probably buy a 5 string and invested some time in proper learning of the flowing thumb right hand muting technique.
 
#11
If you want to drive your bandleader nuts, insist that you fdo the VanHalen tunes precisely - before Eddie started playing keys (Jump), they didn't tune to standard tuning. It wasn't A 440, it wasn't half a step down, it was whatever Eddie's guitar was tuned to at that moment - he made Michael tune his bass to the same pitch, and away they went.

What your bandleader is insisting on is a bit ridiculous. Get yourself a 5, and be done with it. I play church gigs, where we do pretty much every key - the singer who's singing lead sets the pitch. We did a whole weekend in D flat once (or was it C sharp?) With a 5 tuned standard, everything just works.
 
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#12
I see the word "guitar" in your explanation. Is that what this is about or, is it about a bass? If your BL insist, and this is about a guitar for you, have a backup tuned down. If this is about a bass, a five string is the real answer. To stand on stage during a gig and tune down and back to 440 for the next song is a hassle and time consuming. To swap a guitar or bass back n forth throughout a gig is a PIA. No matter which it is, it makes things more work.
 
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#13
Coach Rich said:
I’ve played in many different bands over the decades. Most played 440 but some tunes half step up or down. Up was much more rare. And as I’m getting older I’m running into more situations where the whole band plays a full step down to accommodate older vocalists.

This new band I just joined changes tuning throughout the gig. It’s a rock cover band. The band leader insists we play using the tuning that the song was recorded in????? So most of the songs we play in 440 but the if we’re playing something by KISS, VH or GnR (for example) we tune down half a step??? Has anyone heard of other bands doing this??? Does this make any sense that I’m missing???

Other than this they seem to have their act together. As a cover band goes, at least in this city, we’re getting the premium gigs at the premium venues. Last weekend I played what I thought was going to be the worst gig of the year in terms of the esteem of the venue. Even after hiring professional sound each guy still walked out making $180.

Regardless, of how this makes no sense to me at all I don’t feel strongly enough to make an issue of it. I try to pick my battles to be things I have strong feelings about. So I’ll either do what I did last gig and tune my backup guitar a half step down and use it or I might just dig out my pitch fork pedal and put that on my pedal board??? But have any of you guys played in bands who do this???
Click to expand...

It's quite common to change the key of a song to accommodate a singer's comfortable range (which has nothing to do with the A = 440 Hz, don't mix those, that's irrelevant here).

Now, whether you change your tuning or not depends entirely on you: can you reach the required notes as you are? If the answer is yes, carry on. I only change tuning if I have a good reason for that, which is one (or both) of: 1) I need to change the tuning so that I note I want is available when previously wasn't (like a low D, if a higher D just doesn't sound right), or 2) if it makes fingering easier or I want to use an open string that is not EADG. I'm assuming 4-strings.

Often, using a 5-string bass makes makes life easier.

Nobody asks a sax player to retune (or use a different range sax), just that they produce the desired notes. How you get there it's up to you.
 
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#15
As a "house band" bassist playing upright on open mic stages, it absolutely drove me crazy when someone stepped up playing a semi-tone down. Sometimes the person wouldn't even tell us. Of course, it does improve your on-the-fly transposing skills.
 
#16
BobKay said:
As a "house band" bassist playing upright on open mic stages, it absolutely drove me crazy when someone stepped up playing a semi-tone down. Sometimes the person wouldn't even tell us. Of course, it does improve your on-the-fly transposing skills.
Click to expand...

I played in a 3 piece years ago. At one point, the guitarist was experimenting with E flat tuning, but....he didn't tell me. We were on a very wide stage - I could really hear him well, he couldn't hear me well. We played the first tune - the whole time, I was thinking "something is off", but not being able to hear well, I doubled down and made sure I played the "right" notes. At the end of the tune, although there was a good crowd, there was "polite" applause. The guitarist changed guitars. The rest of the set felt much better. I didn't know until we were done what exactly had happened.
 
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#18
Coach Rich said:
I’ve played in many different bands over the decades. Most played 440 but some tunes half step up or down. Up was much more rare. And as I’m getting older I’m running into more situations where the whole band plays a full step down to accommodate older vocalists.

This new band I just joined changes tuning throughout the gig. It’s a rock cover band. The band leader insists we play using the tuning that the song was recorded in????? So most of the songs we play in 440 but the if we’re playing something by KISS, VH or GnR (for example) we tune down half a step??? Has anyone heard of other bands doing this??? Does this make any sense that I’m missing???

Other than this they seem to have their act together. As a cover band goes, at least in this city, we’re getting the premium gigs at the premium venues. Last weekend I played what I thought was going to be the worst gig of the year in terms of the esteem of the venue. Even after hiring professional sound each guy still walked out making $180.

Regardless, of how this makes no sense to me at all I don’t feel strongly enough to make an issue of it. I try to pick my battles to be things I have strong feelings about. So I’ll either do what I did last gig and tune my backup guitar a half step down and use it or I might just dig out my pitch fork pedal and put that on my pedal board??? But have any of you guys played in bands who do this???
Click to expand...

I would likel y do one of two things, buy a second bass with the extra money on these gigs. OR detent the bass to the key of your lowest song and use a capo when needed.
 
#19
Depending on the song/repertoire, there may be times when us folks absolutely need a flatted standard tuning.
If you can pull it off on a Fiver, cool, more power to ya', if not, just give the pitch drop pedal a shot,
and bring the tuned flat back-up bass anyway, in case the pedal disappoints.
 
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