FlatEric Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Tip of the day! Never wander off the set list, when you have tuned to Drop D, for the number you have just done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Panic and a lot of quick thinking. . . . . . . even that didn't really rescue me! Anyone else confess to this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 how long does it take to tune one string? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatEric Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 [quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1406530465' post='2512077'] how long does it take to tune one string? [/quote] . . . . . . after you have started the next number. . . . . .??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 What is this drop tuning to access a low D you speak of? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebassman Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1406530744' post='2512081'] What is this drop tuning to access a low D you speak of? [/quote] No idea, I just bought a 5 string instead, sorted. Cheers Thebassman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Had something like that on Saturday, was a bit odd: hadn't drop-tuned it all nigt, checked my tuning during the break, first song back in I look panicked at the guitarist that he's changed the key and have to transpose up two frets. Move to the A string and realise that it's in-tune in the normal position - tuner on, somehow I'm in drop D :s I can only assume I had a mental blank when tuning during the break and put it in D rather than E, despite have no recollection of doing so, and it making no rational sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudpup Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Thats exactly why all my basses have Hipshot DeTuners on them now :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MoJo Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 [quote name='thebassman' timestamp='1406531591' post='2512086'] No idea, I just bought a 5 string instead, sorted. Cheers Thebassman [/quote] I've got a five string too. Try playing Velvet Revolver's Slither on a five string Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 I've never understood the need to retune to match what the guitarist is doing. I use a 5-string tuned as normal and even when we had a guitarist who played exclusively in drop D I kept my standard tuning. It makes the interplay between what the guitar and bass are doing far more interesting is they aren't simply aping each other. With my guitarist's hat on I only ever use drop D to make playing chord patterns with 6ths and 7ths in them easier - less finger stretching for smaller hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomDuff Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Also try not to tune to D# when the rest of the band are in D, it sounds awful - oops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 [quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1406536024' post='2512122'] I've got a five string too. Try playing Velvet Revolver's Slither on a five string [/quote] I'm sure it can be done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MoJo Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1406550949' post='2512312'] I'm sure it can be done [/quote] I'm sure it can but it's an awful lot easier on a 4 string in drop D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixiechick23 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 I'm not massive on drop D tuning but a lot of the songs I like to play are. Can never be arsed tuning then re-tuning so I just tend to keep one bass in standard and one in drop d. Not sure how fiddly it would be to keep swapping during live gigs though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julietgreen Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 (edited) I have to keep one bass in drop bl**dy C for QOTSA, 'no one knows', innit. I try to adapt the drop Ds if I can (mountains,for example), but others just need it, like the aforementioned Slither. Have also been caught out when not paying attention. Foot pedal tuner has been a life saver. Edited July 28, 2014 by julietgreen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Personally I still haven't come across an E-string that would still feel right dropped to D without being too stiff when tuned to E. If I really have to use drop D I'd have another bass with an appropriately heavier string for the low D. (This is what I do with my guitars where I use a 52 for E and a 56 for drop D.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geddys nose Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 I forget to re tune the E all the time and then throw daggers at the guitarist thinking its him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 I don't get why this is a problem. If you know what notes you're playing and where they are on the fingerboard in whatever tuning you are using(drop D isn't much different than standard) , then there shouldn't really be a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerley Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 All depends what you are playing and whether the loss of an open E would make it more difficult to play I suppose. More my lack of prowess than anything... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allighatt0r Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 I can (and do) tune from Drop D to E in the space of two bars. We do a Drop D song (White Trash Millionaire by Black Stone Cherry) and on the final beat, the drummer goes immediately into the drum intro of Cochise by Audioslave (which would be a bugger without the open E string), and I join back in with him after 2 bars. Gotta hand it to the TC Polytune, it's a great little pedal. I use it in it's strobe mode for individual strings and it's properly quick and accurate. Can manage tuning the bass down half a step on all strings in the space of 30 seconds as well, which we do for Sweet Child, then back up again afterwards. Poor old truss rod on my bass gets a good workout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmachine2112 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Hipshot d-tuner-sorted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2004gdavi Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Went on YouTube and looked at 100 best bass lines. It's a sequence of loads of well known licks. The guy doing it manually drops to D and back again without breaking in play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1406554072' post='2512353'] Personally I still haven't come across an E-string that would still feel right dropped to D without being too stiff when tuned to E. If I really have to use drop D I'd have another bass with an appropriately heavier string for the low D. (This is what I do with my guitars where I use a 52 for E and a 56 for drop D.) [/quote] I will play devils advocate and go against my own earlier post and say that in some cases, mainly the ones discussed in this thread part of the point is the timbre of the flappy E string, your idea of the bass playing as it should when tuned to D by the use of a different gauge string would defeat the object of the whole sound some people are going for, these songs were and are still being written on a detuned E string rather than a state of the art bass strung specially for two numbers at a gig requiring multiple basses to be taken too, would you 4 string pioneers agree with that? I have never found a song requiring the need to drop my E on a five string yet and the times it is easier on five far out weigh the reverse, I am not pointing the finger at anyone here as I think most of you look like you understand but some people cant get there head around the notes that are far away when in drop D will not be so far when playing a 5 with correct positional fingering because we still have the E where it should be so the original notes fall to hand, where anyone tries to think of really tricky songs to catch us out they forget we can go across as you would on a B strung 4 string or up as you would on an standard tuned 4 string. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 [quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1406536024' post='2512122'] I've got a five string too. Try playing Velvet Revolver's Slither on a five string [/quote] Out of curiosity I just did, I found the tab and transposed all the showboating from the open D to 10th fret on the detuned D string across the BEA strings of a fiver and its just the minor 3rd to major 3rd that pulls you out of position a fraction Doddy would sight read it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MoJo Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Kudos to you Sir. I couldn't play it on a 5. Piece of cake on a four Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 There are many other songs I cant play with 4 or 5 strings though, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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