Non standard tunings

[SteveXFR]

Are non standard tunings common outside of hard Rock and metal? I'm constantly changing tunings anywhere between drop A and E standard for metal covers but if I try anything like soul, pop or reggae it is almost always in E standard tuning. 

[thodrik]

Blues and folk music have a lot of non-standard and open tunings on guitar which can be replicated on bass (or you could just get a five string bass and transcribe).
 

Albert Collins played in F standard (a half step up) at times. 
 

Edited August 22, 2023 by thodrik

[Waddo Soqable]

I've sometimes messed with different tunings, (rather than just down or drop tuning) but this would be for inventing stuff myself rather than being in a "genre" as such.. 

Interesting to experiment with and create ideas you wouldn't otherwise have. 

[Graham]

58 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

Are non standard tunings common outside of hard Rock and metal? I'm constantly changing tunings anywhere between drop A and E standard for metal covers but if I try anything like soul, pop or reggae it is almost always in E standard tuning. 

So many metal songs I've never learned as I can't be fecked with messing about with tunings, even on a five string

[SteveXFR]

14 minutes ago, Graham said:

So many metal songs I've never learned as I can't be fecked with messing about with tunings, even on a five string

 

I know what you mean. I've not bothered with much in C because my 4 string won't go that low and my 5 won't go that high.

 

[Grahambythesea]

Never had the need to go non-standard tuning.

[Graham]

12 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

 

I know what you mean. I've not bothered with much in C because my 4 string won't go that low and my 5 won't go that high.

 

I like Carcass because they tuned to B, so it's easy on a five string

 

But most metal seems to be in C or C# tuning, which is just a pain.

 

Or modern stuff which is super down tuned to low F#/drop E where the bass is almost pointless

[Owen]

I play with someone who uses non standard tunings - but sadly, not in a good way.

[SteveXFR]

3 minutes ago, Graham said:

I like Carcass because they tuned to B, so it's easy on a five string

 

But most metal seems to be in C or C# tuning, which is just a pain.

 

Or modern stuff which is super down tuned to low F#/drop E where the bass is almost pointless

 

Unfortunately it's often near impossible to play stuff originally in C on a 5 string tuned to B because you're playing off that open low string so much.

[Doctor J]

A lot of blues utilises different tunings, often open D and open G. Joni Mitchell used "Nashville" tuning a fair bit too on her guitar-based stuff. I quite like dropped A in standard tuning, ie AADGBE, it's fun to mess around in.

[BreadBin]

I'll happily play a 5-string in C standard tuning. It's a good workout.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

1 hour ago, SteveXFR said:

 

Unfortunately it's often near impossible to play stuff originally in C on a 5 string tuned to B because you're playing off that open low string so much.

A good friend of mine used to play in a metal band who tuned to C standard. He simply tuned up each string a semitone sounded great!

Personally I would have told the rest of ths band to just tune to B standard and have done with it.

[tauzero]

3 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

 

Unfortunately it's often near impossible to play stuff originally in C on a 5 string tuned to B because you're playing off that open low string so much.

 

Put a capo on the first fret?

 

We're playing Whole Lotta Rosie in the original key which I find quite tricky to get my fingers to work for, so just put a capo on the 4th fret (5-string) and play a string up which makes the fingering just like the original.

[casapete]

I have a lot of respect for players who can use different tunings. I can’t even get my head around 

5 string basses, so guess it’s ‘old dog / new tricks’ syndrome for me. 

 

[BigRedX]

I use a non-standard tuning on my Bass VIs (EADGCE) because we do a lot of songs in Am and C and being able to have a drone C string is far more useful than a B.

 

I have one guitar permanently tuned to drop D with an appropriately heavier string for the D, but I count it as standard tuning but making some chords and riffs easier to play. In the past when I have played with guitarists who used drop D, I stuck with standard tuning on the bass.

 

When I was playing Dad Rock covers then band did quite a lot of songs that would have been recorded with the guitars tuned a semi-tone down but we always played them a semi-tone higher to avoid having to retune or to take multiple guitars to gigs. Out of interest I found several of the Thin Lizzy songs easier to play at their original pitch but in conventional tuning, then I did a semi-tone higher.

Edited August 23, 2023 by BigRedX

[Rodders]

Eb and Drop D is all I've ever used bearing in mind the heaviest stuff I've played is Classic Rock live.

I'm happy to play anything but not had the opportunity to play in a Metal band so far.

 

I did stumble upon a set of Pyramid strings 140-55 I think and they even do a 145 single string so might give those a go on a 5 that I have..

[woodyratm]

My guitarist is in C, but uses the helix drop at times.

 

i’m G# D# G# C# F# (and B if playing the 6). 

[Graham]

I've just thought, back when I was in a Melod-death band, the guitarists were in drop B, but I just played in B standard as I'm not a fan of drop tunings.

 

Made for some awkward fingerings (and who hasn't in their youth?) But I preferred that to the intervals shifting and messing with my head