tunings n' ****
 

I want to make all songs for our band a whole step down, to make the high notes easier to sing. Is it a bad idea to basically have the standard tuning for my guitar/bass always one whole step down? We are writing originals and doing covers, btw

It depends on the songs you're covering. A whole lot of songs wouldn't sound right a whole step down. Barring that, why would it be a bad idea?

try a half step first.

You could do just drop D and transpose the key down a step.

just because it's not standard, so if we ever wanted to do a song in standard we would need to retune for a while. Just wanted to know if there was any reason I would ever need to go back to standard

Well, besides the reason I mentioned I can't think of any. Like I said, some songs need to be done in the tuning they're written in. If I was you I would get a second bass and detune it, then tune the other one in whatever tuning you plan on playing in.

I would just use a five string in standard, and transpose, personally.

Or even better, use my four string and transpose, and not worry about playing the low notes. But that's me. We play everything in standard tuning, unless it's one of those songs that HAS to be drop D, or tuned down 1/2 step, because we like to play stuff in its original key.

I recently got me a set of taperwound strings and tuned one of my bass down one full step. The thing to do is to have the string gauges (thicker) right so that the tension is good and the strings don't feel "flubby".

''to make the high notes easier to sing''

Not trolling here, but that's where I approached it on the wrong way.

I wanted to do some whole step down things too, but the vocal ''sets'' the kind of tuning you have to play. If your singer can get that deep vocals, you'll be fine. Don't think your singer can be down tuned :p