Playing along with a guitar tuned in open D

Nerotic · #1 02-01-2009, 09:26 AM

At last nights band pratice our guitard wanted to play one of our songs i open D on his guitar, so i rearranged my piece on my 6 string to fit the lower tuning.
We played the song quite a number of times, but all we got was mud, from my point of view anyways. It seemed no matter what I did or how I arranged it, it sounded horrible.

Our drummer couldn't hear the difference, but the guitard was all over himself about how well it sounded! I'm not that able on a guitar, so I can't tell if he were playing wrong notes.

So my question is; is it really nessecary for me to tune my bass down, when I have the low B or should the answer be found elsewhere?

Nino Valenti · #2 02-01-2009, 09:32 AM

Dead By Choice plays in OPen D and I use a 5 in standard tuning. No problems.

namraj · #3 02-01-2009, 09:41 AM

corse not just know your fret board

Nerotic · #4 02-01-2009, 09:49 AM

So when I hear mud when we're playing, it must be the guitar?

'Cause we didn't have problems on any of the other songs we played in standard tuning.

Jeff Martinez · #5 02-01-2009, 09:56 AM

It's been my experience that many guitards go overboard with bar chords when in drop-D. They seem to forget any technique they may have and just strum away. This leads to a muddy sound. A skilled guitard can make drop-D sound crystal clear.

As for your playing, standard tuning should get you anything you need. I used to drop my B to A because A works well with D, harmonically.

Saetia · #6 02-01-2009, 09:59 AM

Could it just be that your guitarist has a hard time playing cleanly in this tuning? Is your guitarist as comfortable in this tuning as he is in say standard tuning?

I highly doubt it has anything to do with the tuning as I've played in tons of different tunings from standard, new standard as well as many forms of open tuning and not found any one to be more prone to mud than another.

I think it might possibly be that he just needs to EQ to the new tuning or learn to play more cleanly in that tuning.

-Benny

(Edit: Jeff Martinez got to my first point first

)

Nerotic · #7 02-01-2009, 10:09 AM

Well, this is the first time we've experimented with different tunings in my current band, so you may be right that it's just a matter of getting used to.

The guys just kept telling me to tune down as well, but I kept telling them, that's why I have more than 4 strings! But they wouldn't listen.

At least I'm not the problem..

Thanks guys, you've answered my question!

Nerotic · #8 02-01-2009, 10:11 AM

[quote=Jeff Martinez;6911519]It's been my experience that many guitards go overboard with bar chords when in drop-D. QUOTE]

Excuse my lack of knowledge, but what are bar chords on guitar?

ysand · #9 02-01-2009, 10:52 AM

Tell your guitard to cut some bass from his EQ. I'm prety sure that's the problem. And try not to be sloppy with those notes when playing both D at the same time.
D is D whether it's an open string or fretted note on your B string. You know it, make him learn it too.

portmanteau · #10 02-04-2009, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Excuse my lack of knowledge, but what are bar chords on guitar?

He probably meant barre chords, which are chords played with just one finger laid across the strings on a fretboard.

If the lowest string of a guitar is tuned down to D, and the first two or first three strings are played as a barre chord, then it's a power chord.

Arpeggiator · #11 02-04-2009, 05:26 PM

you shouldn't need to change tuning, i dont. In one of my bands the guitarists play in drop C (CGCFAD) and i have no real problems with writing interesting lines whilst staying in standard (5 string) at first they wanted me to down tune but when i explained that i could hit lower notes than they could anyway they just left me to write my parts since they can get there heads round the fact i am in standard but can match them in Drop C. (no theory knowlege what so ever behind them

) the mud must be your guitarist, if you downtuned it would get worse.

Thunderthumbs73 · #12 02-04-2009, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nerotic

At last nights band pratice our guitard wanted to play one of our songs i open D on his guitar, so i rearranged my piece on my 6 string to fit the lower tuning.
We played the song quite a number of times, but all we got was mud, from my point of view anyways. It seemed no matter what I did or how I arranged it, it sounded horrible.

Our drummer couldn't hear the difference, but the guitard was all over himself about how well it sounded! I'm not that able on a guitar, so I can't tell if he were playing wrong notes.

So my question is; is it really nessecary for me to tune my bass down, when I have the low B or should the answer be found elsewhere?

I don't think you should have to tune your six string bass down or change any tunings, unless you're playing some upper register chords or fills while simultaneously needing to hit a low D as an open string. Even with a six, (I have one) sometimes detuning the E to a D for a song is helpful, even when a fretted D is available on the B string.

In any event, the "mud" portion of your message makes me think the guitarist needs to reduce the bass frequencies coming from the amp, or if you have other instruments also hitting that note, in that particular octave, there might need to be some changes, like if you had a keyboardist, having that individual not hit that D so hard, or having that individual play a different inversion of the chord to de-emphasize that particular D note.

Good luck with it.