Noob on bass needs to know some versitale strings

[RobTheVegan]

Hello, i just started playing bass about 3 weeks ago. i listen to a lot of metal music, and most of their tuning is F-C-G-C. well, i need to know some strings that could tune that low without bing floppy and stuff. also, i need to get a tuner that can tune to those notes, as mine can just tune to standard

[stflbn]

Personally, and in my honest opinion (IMHO) I'd suggest you learn to play in normal tuning first EADG before venturing out into other tunings. Learn your basics and some theory, scales, etc.

If you don't I feel that you'll get so caught up in a specific tuning that later when you realize that you need to do 'real' songs in 'real' tuning you'll be lost and kicking yourself.

[0--+LoveBass]

when you are tuned that low strings arn't your biggest issue the scale of the bass does. The distance from bridge to nut. I also second the opinion that you should stay in standard tunning

[RobTheVegan]

ya, i am leaning my scales, and all that stuff
im also leaning some songs in standard tuning
but there are some good metal songs for begginging bassists. (Behind Me Lies Another Fallen Soilder by As I Lay Dying for example)
and a little down the road im gonna need to upgrade strings (stock strings are always going to be bad, just like stock heads on a drum are), so im thinking in the next 3 months, ill need to upgrade, and im going to need to get some strings that can tune that low

[msiner]

The often recommended tuner is the Korg CA-30, but any tuner labeled as being "chromatic" will do. I am not even sure that a normal string set can do F-C-G-C, but I have never tried.

[JustOpenYourMind]

I think that you mean C-G-C-F, C being the lowest string. that tuning is often called Drop-C,

To maintain tension, you need strings with a bigger gauge than what is going to come on your bass, at least a .110 E string, preferably a .115,

Having string this big put on your bass, will require the nut to be filed as it probably is too narrow to accomodate the new strings.

Hope this helps

[HogieWan]

Get a light 5 string set and use the thickest 4.

I'd suggest Elixir strings for a newbie. They cost significantly more but they last longer than 3 sets of non-coated strings

[jasper383]

Originally Posted by stflbn

Personally, and in my honest opinion (IMHO) I'd suggest you learn to play in normal tuning first EADG before venturing out into other tunings. Learn your basics and some theory, scales, etc.

If you don't I feel that you'll get so caught up in a specific tuning that later when you realize that you need to do 'real' songs in 'real' tuning you'll be lost and kicking yourself.

I would second this.

[msiner]

I will say that staying with standard tuning as much as possible would be beneficial. An interesting exercise for you would be to take the tabs, I am assuming you just have tabs, for the metal songs in the other tuning and rewriting them so you can play in standard tuning. This will get you very familiar with the notes on the fingerboard in relation to your tuning and it will give you an appreciation for when and why tuning down is necessary or not( I have a feeling that some bands just pick a tuning and then write all of their songs in that tuning without stepping back to ask if it is necessary ).