Tuning Question

[Monkey Steve]

Possibly a slightly odd/niche one.

In my last band (and a few prior to that) guitars were de-tuned by a couple of frets - E became D, A became G, low B became A, etc. We stuck to identifying notes/chords by their place on the fretboard, so what we called an "E" was in fact a "D", but we all knew what we were playing.

My latest lot de-tune four frets, so E becomes a C, which is the lowest note that the guitarists play. Rather than doing that I tune my 5 string up one fret, so the low B becomes a C, the E is now an F, etc. Much nicer to play than having the strings flap around and means i don't need to change for a much heavier gauge (the guitars are basically strung with the bottom six strings of a seven string set).

Works fine, but there is an odd element of confusion because what they refer to a, say, an "E" is a low "B" on my bass (and is actually a C).

It never occurred to me that this might be an issue, and most of the time it's fine, but i get those odd moments where i can see the guitarist playing something or he tells me a note/chord and my brain has real trouble transposing that a string down. My cunning plan seems to be causing me a few, admittedly very minor, issues.

Just me, or anybody else had to struggle through this?

[Naetharu]

[quote name='Monkey Steve' timestamp='1488801932' post='3251824']
Possibly a slightly odd/niche one.

In my last band (and a few prior to that) guitars were de-tuned by a couple of frets - E became D, A became G, low B became A, etc. We stuck to identifying notes/chords by their place on the fretboard, so what we called an "E" was in fact a "D", but we all knew what we were playing.

My latest lot de-tune four frets, so E becomes a C, which is the lowest note that the guitarists play. Rather than doing that I tune my 5 string up one fret, so the low B becomes a C, the E is now an F, etc. Much nicer to play than having the strings flap around and means i don't need to change for a much heavier gauge (the guitars are basically strung with the bottom six strings of a seven string set).

Works fine, but there is an odd element of confusion because what they refer to a, say, an "E" is a low "B" on my bass (and is actually a C).

It never occurred to me that this might be an issue, and most of the time it's fine, but i get those odd moments where i can see the guitarist playing something or he tells me a note/chord and my brain has real trouble transposing that a string down. My cunning plan seems to be causing me a few, admittedly very minor, issues.

Just me, or anybody else had to struggle through this?
[/quote]

We also play in a mixture of D standard and drop C (low C with D-standard on the other strings). To be honest we've just learnt to name the notes correctly. It takes a bit of getting used to but in the end it's the quickest way to communicate accurately and clearly.

[toneknob]

Yep, agree - you should refer to the actual pitches you're playing rather than what chord it looks like.

[Monkey Steve]

yeah, sounds sensible...not sure the rest of them are going to go for it. The previous bass player played a four string, so it wasn't an issue for them, and they don't seem to be feeling my pain. Don't think I'm going to win this one, so I'd probably best get used to it

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='Monkey Steve' timestamp='1488812168' post='3251962']
yeah, sounds sensible...not sure the rest of them are going to go for it. The previous bass player played a four string, so it wasn't an issue for them, and they don't seem to be feeling my pain. Don't think I'm going to win this one, so I'd probably best get used to it
[/quote]

Capo?




[I'll get my coat]

[James Nada]

How about thinking of your bass as a four string (tuned EADG) with an extra high C string, rather than the thickest string being the extra one?
That would work for me.

[Monkey Steve]

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1488828466' post='3252172']
Capo?




[I'll get my coat]
[/quote]

actually that has been discussed! the issue being that old stuff is in C, but new stuff has been written in standard (E) tuning. When challenged about how I would cope with this I suggested just putting a capo on at the first fret for the de-tuned stuff. In practice, it doesn't save a huge amount of time compared to just tuning back down a fret - they change guitars and spend just as long checking the tuning on those.

[Monkey Steve]

[quote name='James Nada' timestamp='1488833875' post='3252264']
How about thinking of your bass as a four string (tuned EADG) with an extra high C string, rather than the thickest string being the extra one?
That would work for me.
[/quote]

This is sort of where i am...I'm just not very good at it yet!

[The Jaywalker]

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Edited November 28, 2017 by The Jaywalker

[Monkey Steve]

[quote name='The Jaywalker' timestamp='1488898485' post='3252752']
Could always consider not detuning? If the band don't have a problem with you tuning the 5er up then not detuning shouldnt be an issue. Just ask them to communicate in either what the actual pitch is (so no hassle for you); or according to what the equivalent would be in standard tuning and you only have one transposition to do.
If drop/open tuning stuff is written out it's generally written out as if it's concert/normal pitch, with the tuning specified at the start, so in drop D, for example, you'd be reading and playing G at E string 3rd fret but sounding an F; exactly like what you described with the first band.
[/quote]

I think I'll file that under "it sounds good in theory but my head will hurt even more!"

In fact there's a practical issue in that there's a lot of stuff riffed on an open string while hitting accents and fiddlier stuff much further up the fretboard. If my open string is different to their open sting than it'll make my life a whole lot more difficult.

I have, however, floated the idea of them de-tuning to a B, and possibly switching to seven strings. I don't think the second half of that will work, certainly not with one of the guitarists who has never played a seven string. Still gives me the "one string down" transposition issue, but solves needing to re-tune or swap basses