alot of you guys tune to E flat?

[Rilander]

trying out for a band. they sent me a couple mp3's. was trying to figure it out then i realized they were tuned to Eb. is it pretty common to do this?

[anarkink]

Yes. To make it easier for the singer.

[Ric5]

I used to play with 3 basses. A Rickenbacker 4001 tuned EADG, a p-bass tuned to E flat and a jazz bass tuned DGCF. Then I got a 5 string bass and BEADG does what the other 3 basses did and more.

[Exploiter8]

Never did. We never had singers that didn't also play a guitar or bass. We always knew our instruments were setup for standard tuning and we kept it that way.

X8

[TheMutt]

I play a few songs a week in Eb. I used to have to tune down and then back up again all the time. Eventually, I also got tired of it and got a 5'er. No changing basses, no changing the tuning, no learning different positions, no messing with detuners. Haven't looked back.

[agreatheight]

I've played in about 10 bands and more than half played in a detuned. I prefer Eb myself and I have never minded tuning my basses as needed.

[geezerjpj]

Tuning to Eb is fairly common. My last band did it. It adds just a little more heft, I'd say subtly. I like it.

I think Hendrix did it(SRV did too; go figure), Van Halen did it too. One of my favorite bands the Jesus Lizard did it at one point as well.

[klokker]

We have a couple of songs tuned to Eb. I just have one of my basses tuned that way, and use it on those songs.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Exploiter8

Never did. We never had singers that didn't also play a guitar or bass. We always knew our instruments were setup for standard tuning and we kept it that way.

nothing wrong with standard tuning (i use it all the time), but your instruments don't care what pitch they're tuned to, and they can be set up to use whatever tuning you want. having said that, i've had to do it a few times and i hate it

[morebass!]

we're in E flat all the time now. It confuses the hell out of harp players who come up to jam.

[Exploiter8]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

nothing wrong with standard tuning (i use it all the time), but your instruments don't care what pitch they're tuned to, and they can be set up to use whatever tuning you want. having said that, i've had to do it a few times and i hate it

I hear you! I'm going back to the '80's when we played out regularly. We were in our 20's and only had one GOOD guitar each, setup for standard tuning, and that's what we played out. Nowadays we still get together and make noise! We have more GOOD guitars, too, but we (our voices!) gave up trying to sound "just like the record" a long time ago! The only tuning that might help us now is Autotune or whatever for the vocals!

X8

[DeluxeRed]

Eb tuning was adopted by blues players using long-scale guitars (e.g., Strats) and heavy strings (e.g, 11's). If you're Jimi or SRV, power to you. If you're Slash, it ain't gonna help you be any better, and is just an affectation, trying to be something you're not.

If 1/2-step makes a difference to your singer--presuming your singer can even hear a 1/2-step difference--then you need a better singer.

[Muaguana]

One of my bands is always in Eb. I used to tune down my 4-string until I got my 5, and now I just keep it in standard tuning. A plus is that it allowed to be more reliant on my ears when jamming rather than my eyes (by following the guitarist's left hand position.)

[shadow_FIX]

This is *part* of the reason I got a 5 string. I wanted the 5 string before I played music that called for nonstandard tunings of 4 string guitar/bass, and it took one tune up/down of my bass to realize "Screw the tunings, I'm playing in standard unless I absolutely HAVE to tune down." Like if a band wanted to play in Bb (In Flames likes to do this) I would likely take the whole thing down a 1/2 step. Another example of HAVING to tune down comes about when a pattern is based on alternating between the root note, which can sometimes be common in drop-tuned music IME. I could either strain myself to play it all in a closed position or just tune down and make my job easier.

On a side note, it actually took me some time to get used to drop tunings. This is one of those instances where perfect pitch actually gets in the way! When I would play a G and it sounded like an F, I was like *** this isn't right at all. Same goes for the "transpose" key on electric pianos. A teacher in high school wanted me to play piano on some things for a few vocalists, and I got music in 1 key and was told to play in another and use this confounded key. Tried it once, said forget it. It was one of those rare instances that I just had to say, "I can't do that."

[snapple]

My band plays mostly in drop C, but I have a 5 banger tuned to standard, and have a jazz and a yamaha bbsomething-or-another both in Eb. It's not just about the singer's vocal range, a lot of music sounds great when played in the lower range and I think most rock/metal/punk music that's coming out now is at least in Eb. And honestly, setting up a bass for a different tuning isn't that big of a deal. I don't even bother with a setup if it's only a half step down.

[Atticus]

I've been playing in Eb a lot lately and I prefer the slightly deeper sound. It works well for the hard rock and proto-metal that I play.

Drop tunings just confuse me. I've heard good songs played in drop D, but it just feels weird when I have to consciously think about adjusting for the gap between strings.

[Spraeg]

Alot of early '90s hard rock stuff (Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, etc...) is in Eb or D- it gives a little more range, and allows the guitars to be a bit "chunkier" sounding, which is the same reason many metal bands play detuned, often as low as B or A for alot of the more "extreme" metal (Death Metal, et al.)

[Stinsok]

Originally Posted by anarkink

Yes. To make it easier for the singer.

We do it. It's no biggie.

[MOTORHEADBANGER]

I play in E flat all the time. Alot of rock in the seventies and eighties was played in E flat (KISS, Van Halen, Quiet Riot, MOTORHEAD, just to name a few).

[Beginner Bass]

Worked for Thin Lizzy. That said, I play a 5-string.