Drop D Guitarits

[mikedubbs]

When playing w/ a guitarist that uses Drop D tuning do any bassists feel they get confined to the E(drop D) A strings. When writing my bass parts I've found when he plays the 1 finger power chords I'm either doubling him or having bass lines that run on those 2 strings.....running on the D & G strings seem to cut through too high. Is this just the nature of the music & that tuning???

Advice welcome!

[Slax]

I'm ganna have to agree with you. I feel if I go much higher than a 2nd octave E or F it cuts through the song too much and doesn't sound so great. I'm not a huge fan of Drop D tuning, I feel it musically restrictive but guitarist seem to love it. (but that's probably just due to my inexperience )

Worst case, you can always drop all your strings so you can go lower than they can to stay in the lower registers.

[Saetia]

It's all about how you play it... not the tuning.

IMHO of course.

Technique goes a long way.

Peace

-Benny

[DocBop]

It's all about a coming up with a part the fits musically. A good musical part should work in either octave. You have to think about the arrangement of the song if guitar and ??? are droning away in low power chord mud do you want to just add to the mud? Maybe you need to go up an octave, but try going up the neck instead of across the strings. An octave up the neck on E and A string will have a different timbre than same notes down the neck on D and G strings. You have to experiment and listen.

[jenderfazz]

It's all about the music. In my drop C# metal/hardcore band, I definitely don't stray too high except for certain runs, but that's because there's a lot of shredding and power chords.

In my indie/alternative band, we play one song in drop D, and it doesn't stop me from playing high on the D string even during the heaviest parts. That's simply because my guitarist isn't chugging away and we aren't playing a heavy unison style.

[ChrisBowsman]

It really sucks when people play into a stereotype. Guitarists who play in standard tuning seem to have no problem using most of the strings, and quite a few frets. Unfortunately, give them a note lower than E, and they get stuck below the 5th fret, on the low two strings.

What was even worse was the 7 string/numetal craze. Most of those idiots couldn't justify having 3 strings, let alone 7.

I say you should try to push the guitarist a bit, and make him expand his seemingly limited range. No need to be obnoxious, but look at the band Mudvayne..... WAAAAAY more going on with the bass than guitar.

[Tbirdbassist]

Listen to Tool.

All but 4 of their songs are in Drop D.

[ChrisBowsman]

^ Are the other 4 in drop B?

[El-Bob]

i'm usually in A standard (5-string) or sometimes G-standard. i love tuning down, but i never drop tune.

[Slax]

Originally Posted by ChrisBowsman

It really sucks when people play into a stereotype. Guitarists who play in standard tuning seem to have no problem using most of the strings, and quite a few frets. Unfortunately, give them a note lower than E, and they get stuck below the 5th fret, on the low two strings.

What was even worse was the 7 string/numetal craze. Most of those idiots couldn't justify having 3 strings, let alone 7.

I say you should try to push the guitarist a bit, and make him expand his seemingly limited range. No need to be obnoxious, but look at the band Mudvayne..... WAAAAAY more going on with the bass than guitar.

I'd like to +1 this post.

In my band, my rhythm guitard feels it's only possible to play the stereotype when playing in drop D... (Thus probably my jaded response above... )

[mikedubbs]

Thanks as always for the advice. Drop D doesn't give me issues if the guitar would deviate from that 1 finger power chord. If he was in D and got utilized the whole fretboard I'd care less about the tuning.

[Asa Samuel]

At least your guitarist isn't a Drop C guitarist like mine

[Gasman]

Originally Posted by Tbirdbassist

Listen to Tool.

All but 4 of their songs are in Drop D.

What songs besides Prisonsex?

[RedCoatMonster]

Parabol/Parabola is in BEDG. =]