changing from standard to drop d tuning

[BrandonBass]

ive been gettin into heavier stuff and some songs require me to go into drop d...i hav a problem that when i go to drop d the note position change and sometimes i keep hitting the wrong notes

when u change tuning do u tell urself 'ok, this is drop d/standard' whatever? doesnt it liek confuse u

[VanillaO]

Stay in drop fo ra while. Play a few songs. Go back up to standard. Do the same. Back to drop. Repeat.

My band plays a bunch of songs in both (we're a half step down to begin with though) and I was fine iwth it after 1 whole practice (at first I was like *** cuz they never told me they were changing and I was working things out with the drummer but I caught on.. or just stayed dropped and played everything 2 over :P)

[Jeff Martinez]

Yay!!! Alternate tuning... One of my favorite topics.

What worked for me, was to always visualize that the low-D notes are on the exact same fret as standard D. I know this seems pretty basic, but it helps to keep that in mind. For example, if you're going to be playing a song in D-minor, play the D-minor scale a few times using the octave:

------------------------------
--0--2--3--5--7--8--10--12---
------------------------------
--0--2--3--5--7--8--10--12---


Your brain will quickly adapt to the new tuning by associating the notes this way.

[BrandonBass]

cool tip, i never taught of that

[studentaccount1]

Then you can tune the G up to A

[Jeff Martinez]

Originally Posted by studentaccount1

Then you can tune the G up to A

+1

I've been using D-A-D-A as my main tuning for 13 years. It's my favorite tuning. My 5-string has the B tuned down to A as well.