tunings

[Baileybass]

hey,im pretty new to bass,only been playing like 4weeks but yeh....anyway

i've learnt a few songs along the way, with standard 4String tuning but recently iv had a crack at a Guns N roses classic - sweet child o mine,

basicaly the tuning that guitar pro is saying is D# G# C# F#
but my original tuner didnt have C# or F# so i got a new electric tuner but found the same problem! it says tune it half a step down so what can i tune it to thats close enough to the C# and F# that i want?

i didnt really know how to word what im asking but hopefully you understand...

any help much appreciated thanks!

Bailey

[mjolnir]

Ok, here's the basic gist of what's going on:

Whenever the tuning says D#G#C#F#, it just means your bass needs to be tuned a half step down from standard. You could tune it the hard way by starting with standard then fretting the 6th fret on the E string to match the A string and so on and so forth.

Some tuners might register in flats. Keep in mind D#G#C#F# is exactly the same as saying EbAbDbGb.

[Parabolic Box]

How does your tuner NOT have C# or F#?

If you tuned your E and A to D#, and G#, just use harmonics to downtune the rest.

[mjolnir]

...Maybe he's never done harmonic tuning.

If you haven't, Bailey, would you like it explained to you?

[ksandvik]

Originally Posted by Parabolic Box

How does your tuner NOT have C# or F#?

If you tuned your E and A to D#, and G#, just use harmonics to downtune the rest.

There are non-chromatic tuners out there, cheap ones usually. Best to get a chromatic tuner so it covers any kind of future tunings, DGCF, BEAD et rest. --Kent

[mjolnir]

Originally Posted by ksandvik

There are non-chromatic tuners out there, cheap ones usually. Best to get a chromatic tuner so it covers any kind of future tunings, DGCF, BEAD et rest. --Kent

Mmmm, very good point.

[Baileybass]

didnt expect replies so quick

but yeh if you could explain harmonic tuning...that would be cool

im only asking as i can already play the song but it just doesnt sound right in standard tuning lol

i think i'll have ago with the EbAbDbGb because i understand that lot haha

[mjolnir]

Ok, tuning with harmonics. I'll try my best to spare you the technobabble:

This only works for relative tuning (tuning the bass so it sounds good with itself, not necessarily to the exact notes) so you are going to have to get one string at least in tune, like with a piano or something. What you basically do is play a harmonic on the fifth fret of one string, then play the harmonic on the seventh fret of the next string so they both ring at the same time. Those should sound like the same note. If the sound gets all wavy, it means one of the strings is out of tune. The tighter and more frequent the waves are, the further it is out of tune.

EDIT: Just in case you aren't familiar with harmonics, I'll run you through it real quick. A harmonic is basically done by sticking your finger on the string but not fretting it, in the case of the 5th and 7th fret harmonics right above the fret, then plucking with your right hand. You generally have to lift up your left hand finger right after plucking because it's much easier to mute a harmonic than a regular note.

Harmonics are just about everywhere on your bass, the most prominent being at fret 12.

[Baileybass]

yeh,i'll come to harmonics another time lol...

used the Eb Ab Db Gb and it sounds perfect now...thanks guys

[mjolnir]

Groovy. Glad I could help.

[Depth_Charge]

You could also double click the tracks that are tuned down and change the tuning back to standard.

I do this on a lot of songs that are tuned down half a step, coz we play them standard tuning using the same fingering.

Be careful though, GP sets the guitars back to acoustic when you change the tuning, so you need to take note what guitar track is set to what (distortion, overdrive etc).