pitch shift
 

My cover band is going to play Stevie Wonder's Signed Sealed Delivered, which is originally in F, but our vocalist wants to sing in D. I suppose I'm being a baby here, but I really enjoyed learning it in F, using the open strings. Moving way up to D really sucks the life out of the bassline.

Is there a pedal that will easily let me play on the low F fingering, but translates the sound to D? I guess either up or down shift. I'm hoping something very easy where I just click the right number of half-steps up or down.

There are a couple of other songs I could use this for, too, where the loss of open strings makes the feel different.

Transpose it DOWN. If you have a 5-string, you get to use your B-string. :D

It's not that difficult... I just did it in about 5 minutes - on a 4-string.

Looking for a short-cut will NOT make you a better musician.

There's no pedal or device that I'm aware of that will accurately transpose your pitch like that. Plenty of effects will pitch shift, but not in the way you describe. Consider tuning down to D standard? (D-G-C-F) Might need some heavier strings, but D standard is where it's at for us 4 stringers that like to get down.

You can use a boss super shifter to change keys. I own the pedal and have tried the key change just for fun. It comes out pretty digital sounding, but it does work.

Here's a clip I made of a M13 shifting down one half step. I don't know if it would hold up as well dropping down 3. Make of it what you will.

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=12197453

There are several available on the market, the most norotious being the Morpheus Droptune.
It's polyphonic, you set and it transposes whatever you play.


I still prefer to detune or use an octaver.
If you do a lot of covers with various singers, a 5 string bass really is the way to go. It makes your life much simpler.

Pay studio musician. Sample. Buy looper. Profit.