Adjusting....

[charic]

You guys got any tips to adjusting to drop d tuning? Im joining a band and they play in drop D and im not really used to working out runs and the such tuned like this.

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='charic' post='48489' date='Aug 21 2007, 07:34 PM']You guys got any tips to adjusting to drop d tuning? Im joining a band and they play in drop D and im not really used to working out runs and the such tuned like this.[/quote]

Are you detuning 4 strings to D G C F or just lowering the E to D?

Can't give you any tips, just wondering

However, I normally detune (E - D) for 3 songs during the night and it's just a case of familiarise and practice, especially working on the octave jumps (same fret across strings... if that makes sense). I have the knack of detune/retune off pretty slick, just remember to give your string a tug/lift at the 12th fret as you finish/fine tune.

Oh and if you do go down this route make sure you retune [b]straight after[/b] you finish the song. Nothing worse than starting a song and realising you haven't tuned then you have the dilemma of; am I switched on enough to get through this song transposing everything I'm about to play on the E string up/down 2 frets [u]OR[/u] can I tune mid song! Great fun... not.

[ped]

I pretty much always play my fretted 4 in D Flat just because it is super funky down there. No real tips from me either other than just imagine everything having shifted up two frets on the D string! Not very helpful eh.

[charic]

Its just drop D, im considering dropping the rest so i still have the same Patterns as i used to.

For clarification it means im currently tuned DADG. Considering moving to DGCF. Are there any potential problems with this? Truss related etc? (Im still scared of touching my truss!)

[ped]

I don't even have a truss rod so I am of even less help than I origionally thought! You will have to loosen yer' truss rod a touch for DGCF yeah as the tension will be quite a bit lower - unless you plan to use beefier strings, in which case you might want to adjust the action a touch to cater for the fatter strings.

[ARGH]

The best way to learn how to cope with drop tunings,is to just play.

I use 110-50 tuned to standard E,so dropping isnt a supertough problem for me (Ive dropped C for a tune or two onstage) But in the past Ive bought a 5 string set and tuned upward to D (ditching the G string) so we are talking 130-60. it was tonally a bit to bassy for me at the time,but given hindsight I would do that again.

Any drastic change to a Bass,such as heavier/lighter sets of strings,and/or tuning changes,might call for an adjustment in setup of your whole instrument,not just a trussrod tweak.

[charic]

Ok i think i might decide on DGCF tuning, what adjustments should be made? Im still using the same string gauge... 110-50. Im still totally clueless on the truss and not sure what should be done???

[metalmaniac]

You could change your string guage... thereby avoiding moving the truss

[WalMan]

Get a [url="http://www.hipshotproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_list&c=6"]Hipshot D-Tuner[/url] then you can flick down to D when you need it & back up again and broadly keep all the patterns you are used to.

I picked up one for my Wal years back and find it really useful.

Takes a bit of getting used to, remembering that with it flicked down you need to adjust fretting on the E string +2 frets (assuming you have set the drop to D) but good for watching confusion reign on the face of anyone watching you who does not know about them when you get so that you can flick down & back up surreptitiously with your thumb

Mind you if all you are doing is dropping EADG to DGCF all your usual patterns are still there anyway.

If you are doing that you might want to investigate using a heavier set of strings to stop them flapping, but 45-105 works fine for me with the Hipshot