How is Music Written for Alternate Tunings?

[BuffaloBob4343]

I have a question that is puzzling me a bit. I have the Bass White Pages book with the bass lines for a ton of songs.

I recently noticed that the songs for which the bass is tuned down a half-step (e.g. Eb, Ab, Db and Gb) do not reflect this tuning in the actual written music.

With reference to a specific example, for the song "WOULD" by Alice in Chains, the music is written in the key of A major and the music starts out with that great bass line that, as written, starts between E and F# and then up to a G#. The tabs beneath denote this as "open", second and fourth frets on the "E" string.

But if the bass is detuned a half step on each string, to play the music as written, these notes would now be found at the first and third and fifth frets instead. So, is the music written to be played as if the bass is not detuned, such that you play the bass as if you are playing a song in A major, even the detuning has essentially changed the key?

I would have assumed that the written music would have been written to reflect exactly what is being played, not what you would play as if you weren't detuned. But I guess it may be easier to just detune the strings but still play the music as if it wasn't.

Is that the case?

Thanks

[Matthew Bryson]

I can't really answer your question, but I can tell you that when I my guitar player and I play a something that is detuned (like AIC songs) we still call the fat string an E (even though it's really E flat) and we still call the 3rd fret a G. We just tune the same and become transposing instruments when detuned. Otherwise, I'd go bonkers trying to figure out what note I'm playing rather than knowing all of the notes on my neck

Originally Posted by BuffaloBob4343

I recently noticed that the songs for which the bass is tuned down a half-step (e.g. Eb, Ab, Db and Gb) do not reflect this tuning in the actual written music.

Does it indicate somewhere (anywhere) that the bass should be detuned?

If so, it make sense to me. No different than the way music is written for any transposing instrument.

[BuffaloBob4343]

Originally Posted by Matthew Bryson

Does it indicate somewhere (anywhere) that the bass should be detuned?

If so, it make sense to me. No different than the way music is written for any transposing instrument.

Yes, it certainly does. So you are saying the music is written in the key of A major, and you are essentially transposing the music to a different key by detuning the strings. Thus, you play the music the same way, and the transposition takes place as a result of the detuning.

Cool. That's kind of what I assumed, but I wanted to be sure.

So if the song is written in A major, and you detune the strings one half step, the song is being transposed to the key of Ab, but you're letting the tuning transpose the key so you don't have to think about it when playing.

And I guess you do it this way because although you want to write the song in Ab, but it's easier to play by writing it in A and letting the strings transpose to Ab, at least insofar as a guitar is concerned.

I think I understand now. Most of my music theory training was originally while playing trombone, and I don't recall ever detuning my trombone.

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

When a piece is supposed to be played on a stringed instrument tuned other than standard, it should be indicated at the beginning of the sheet music:



In this example, the strings are tuned one whole tone higher. So you start the piece playing a C but you really hear a D. That practice of altering tunings on stringed instruments is called scordatura.

[fcleff]

Exactly (scordatura). We are basically trained to play music using STANDARD notation. This keeps everything equal across the board so that you can play in 440 tuning with everyone else. If you are the only instrument in a different tuning then the other parts will be written in a different key. For instance: certain string concerti (the Dragonetti Concerto for Double Bass in A major) will have the strings, etc. written in A. The solo bass, however, will be written in G major but tuned a whole step higher.

Make sense?

[Zebra]

The problem you're having is an issue with TAB notation, I believe. It's a sort of bastard notation of music. Tabs will tell you an interpretation of exactly how (like, exactly where on the neck) to play the notes. It's not there to tell you timing, what the actual notes are, or anything else. If the tab does not state "play in so-and-so tuning" at the top, then play it in standard. You just have to assume that what it gives is all correct.
With standard notation you get the actual notes, not fingerings. You get all the info including timing, and key and such. Trying to derive any of these things from a tab is just rediculous.

[BuffaloBob4343]

Originally Posted by fcleff

Exactly (scordatura). We are basically trained to play music using STANDARD notation. This keeps everything equal across the board so that you can play in 440 tuning with everyone else. If you are the only instrument in a different tuning then the other parts will be written in a different key. For instance: certain string concerti (the Dragonetti Concerto for Double Bass in A major) will have the strings, etc. written in A. The solo bass, however, will be written in G major but tuned a whole step higher.

Make sense?

It does, indeed!! Thanks!