DGCF Tuning?

[Paul4703]

Hi,

I've been looking at making playing the bass easier and came upon the DGCF tuning system. This seems to help with a number of problems.

1. If you play as normal using E as the lowest note, you are always fretting notes and do not need to mute open strings to get the correct note length.

3. The strings are looser and easier to press down.

4. You do not need to memorise open string patterns for scales and chords.

However, this isn't the regular tuning for the bass, so there must be some drawbacks. But what are they?

Paul.

[jollygiantchris]

1. playing correct note length is something that comes with time/feel it has nothing to do with whether a note is fretted or open except that an open note will usually sustain longer

3. yes this is why tony iommi began playing in it after he cut his fingertips off

4. ABSOLUTELY YOU DO!

It is "regular" tuning its D standard not E standard. Its still standard tuning because it is tuned in 4ths. Plenty of bands play in D C and even B standard tuning its not abnormal whatsoever. As far as drawbacks there aren't any that I can think of except you no longer have an open string low E.

And what happened to # 2?!

[lindseyp]

That's what I was thinking, what happened to #2?
Anyway, I tune my main MTD Artist 5-string bass down a whole step, from B down to A-D-G-C-F across the board. Often we sang without a keyboard player so this tuning allowed me to cover all the lower notes of the keyboard.*

*"But there's only two notes below the B on a piano" you say; in our style of music those two notes count for turnarounds!

[Paul4703]

Hi,

To go into it a bit further.

1. If you are always fretting a note, then the note length is determined by when you release your finger. If you are playing an open string then it must be muted at the right time to get the correct note length. Personally, I find muting a bit difficult.

4. Again with DGCF tuning, if you fret E as the lowest note then all your subsequent scale and chord patterns involve fretting. In this system, you never play a note that is not fretted, so you never need to learn any open string patterns.

2? One of life's mysteries, I'm afraid.

[wetzelman1]

u shouldn't be trying to make the instrument easier. Just push yourself a little bit to learn it in whatever correct tuning you decide. Your tuning should be determined by how you play and how you want it to sound. I'm in a proggy metal band and we tune drop c standard to make it sound heavy and dirty. People trash on drop tunings, but there are certain things, especially in metal, that make them necessary.

[Ric5]

I can't imagine why DGCF isn't the standard tuning for the 4 string bass. I played DGCF and loved it, until I needed a low D flat and a low C and then a low B. So now I play BEADG. That works 99% of the time. But sometimes I need a low B flat and for that I detune.

[Ric5]

If you tune DGCF then you may want to use heavier strings. Have the low string .105 or .110 or even .115.