Playing in Eb - to detune or not to detune, that is the question

[stefBclef]

Evening all

I play a 4 string bass, and the current song my band is learning is gonna be played in Eb due to the singer's comfort zone. The lowest note in the line is a C (although that is just a passing note and the lowest crucial note is a D).

The song was recorded in F, and I picked out the line from this recording (in this version I skipped the above mentioned passing note and so the lowest note of the line was an E).

Anyway, at last weeks rehearsal we decided to change the key to Eb and so I just moved position so I used the Eb on the A string, and went from there. The line sounded ok here up the neck, but obviously there was part of me that would like to get a fatter, lower sound (song is reggae).

So I made a mental note to see if detuning would be a realistic option in this song.

I have never played with alternate tunings on my bass or guitar, im not sure why I have just never fancied straying from the norm.

What would I do to detune? Just drop the E string a whole step, or detune all four strings?

Is this what you would do? I have seen Scott Devine's post about and octaver but I am not really keen to get a pedal involved for this.

Thanks all
Stef

[Oopsdabassist]

Couple of Thin Lizzy songs we do I just detune my 'E' string half a step, takes seconds, usually covered by singer waffling between songs, a lot quicker and easier than retuning whole bass, or swapping for a 2nd one.

[stefBclef]

[quote name='Oopsdabassist' timestamp='1340041884' post='1698172']
Couple of Thin Lizzy songs we do I just detune my 'E' string half a step, takes seconds, usually covered by singer waffling between songs, a lot quicker and easier than retuning whole bass, or swapping for a 2nd one.
[/quote]

And you just get used to the new patterns I suppose? I will delve in and try that thanks!

[Oopsdabassist]

Yup if you do it at the start, you just learn the song once


Just remember to retune back to standard after lol!

Edited June 18, 2012 by Oopsdabassist

[Heathy]

I have used a Hipshot D-tuner for the past 20+ years. But the answer really depends on the song, the line you're playing, and what everyone else is doing.

[stefBclef]

[quote name='Heathy' timestamp='1340047557' post='1698324']
I have used a Hipshot D-tuner for the past 20+ years. But the answer really depends on the song, the line you're playing, and what everyone else is doing.
[/quote]

Yep I guess that was the answer I had in my head all along...just gotta suck it and see what sounds right in the situation. Ta

[KiOgon]

Hipshot D-tuner definitely for the win, it doesn't take long to get used to playing with your E being D, a flick & you're back.

[EssentialTension]

Hipshot D-tuner, I use mine rarely but there are odd occasions when it's useful.

[dannybuoy]

If like me you find you hardly use the G string, you could always string up BEAD using the bottom 4 strings from a 5-string set. That way you won't have to re-learn too much as your E, A and D strings are still there, but now you have some extra low notes to play with.

[Higgie]

I have D-Tuners on all my 4 strings. I find them invaluable as a lot of the gigs I do require a lot of chopping and changing between drop D and standard tunings. So easy to use you can literally flip it up and down just for one note in one song

[MuckedUpFunkies]

My new band ([url="http://www.jimmyroetrio.co.uk/music.html"]http://www.jimmyroetrio.co.uk[/url])plays in Eb standard however I find it exceptionally annoying to continuously detune and retune during a set even with a pedal or Dtuner so I've taken to playing the whole set in the lowest turning required. As long as your comfortable transposing the other songs in your set you wont find it an issue and it saves time fiddling in which you could probably throw an extra song in by the end of the set. One thing worth thinking about though is your string tension because dropping between tunings IMHO can lead to buzz and a lack of attack to the sound if your dropping to say D when your only using a 105 or 115 on the would be Low D string.