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Post subject: Drop D
Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 4:51 am
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The guitarists in the band I'm in often tune down to drop D and I do the same. At first , I had to get used to the fact that my modes/scales & arpeggios were now offset (2 semi tones) from the first note played on the E string (now a D string).

Whats the big deal, I get a D and a D#, only two extra notes to play! ...am I missing something here or is it just to satisfy the guitarists who can now shred some deeper power chords?

Surely, for a bass player who wants to get lower, an octave stepper pedal would be a better option? ...with this you can get down a complete octave!

any comments?


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Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 8:06 am
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We play hardcore/metal stuff, we tuned down 1 step, so not drop D but all the strings - DGFC. It's purpose I guess to get a lower, deeper sound. In the late '90s we did some C tuning too, but that went away fast. Some bands out there tune to C still, Slayer, Korn...a lot of thrash bands still do this. D is low enough for me. Plus, 34" scale no likey when it's lower than D...LOL...when we did the C tuning, I used the Ibanez basses, since 35" scale is better from Low tuning.

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Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:23 am
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Usually the point of tuning to drop d or lower is for the guitarist to be able to get a deeper chord tones with more fundamentals. So there really isnt much point for bass to be tuned to drop D since you wont be playing any chords. It seems to me that when the bass follows suit the bass just sounds like mud unless you have active pickups, 35" scale and a powerful amp. Jimmy Page always played in weird tunings but JPJ never changed the tuning of his bass cause he was good enough to be able to make it work without changing his tuning.


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Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:37 pm
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My last band did the D tuning as well as a limited amout of C tuning. Myself I perfer to take it down a 1/2 step and be done with it. I did end up getting a really nice Boss TU-2 floor tuner to keep up with the tuning changes in our set. I only took one bass out with me at the time otherwise I would have tuned a 2nd bass to C and switch out as I needed too.


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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 9:22 am
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usually drop d gives you the open low d sound.. and give the guitars easier to play powerchords.. my guitarists go drop d but i dont unless its really necessary


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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 8:25 am
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Thx all -it's as I thought.

An octave dropping stomp box is the best way to get lower on the bass.

Check out the MXR 288:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxQRMoMv_5s


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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 12:55 pm
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I sometimes play with blues guitarists who tune to open G for slide playing. I have a P bass with D'Addario Chrome flats that I will tune to DGCF for that. Having that low D can be really tasty!


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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 2:14 pm
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andy_uk wrote:
Thx all -it's as I thought.

An octave dropping stomp box is the best way to get lower on the bass.

Check out the MXR 288:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxQRMoMv_5s



good one.. octave pedals is one way to get those low notes..

playing with low tunings requires thicker strings so it won't be too sloppy~


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Post subject: drop d
Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:17 pm
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Beats me, we tune down a step on some songs so the singer can do them. but no Drop D. But thats what makes music so great, So many styles so to each his/her own.


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