C standard vs. BEAD

[Bassi5t]

I’m starting to play with a sludge-rock band (new to this style) and the guitarist plays in c standard. I have retuned and set up my bass (4 string) for this tuning but am finding it a strange transition from 22 years of standard tuning.

I am curious if I should just tune BEAD, since that will make the top 3 strings tuned to what I am familiar with, or will I be screwing myself by not having an open C?

Thanx for all the help and any suggestions are welcome.

 

[Michedelic]

I’m starting to play with a sludge-rock band (new to this style) and the guitarist plays in c standard. I have retuned and set up my bass (4 string) for this tuning but am finding it a strange transition from 22 years of standard tuning.

I am curious if I should just tune BEAD, since that will make the top 3 strings tuned to what I am familiar with, or will I be screwing myself by not having an open C?

Thanx for all the help and any suggestions are welcome.

Should bassist be E standard tuning?

 

[fu22ba55]

If it were me? I'd tune to C-standard (if that's what the guitarists are doing).

All the relationships between strings will be the same (assuming you're not in "drop" C), and frankly you'll probably all just refer to the standard-tuning note names when talking to the guitarists:

e.g: They'll probably say "this one starts on G-minor" when referring to the 3rd fret on the fattest string, (when in reality the 3rd fret is Eb.)

And if they're using lots of open-string riffage, you'll want to be in C-F-Bb-Eb.

For standard tuning, I use 110,90,70,50 (I like a stiffer string)
So for C-standard I use the following:

C 135
F 100
Bb 75
Eb 55

Might be a bit too stiff for you if you're a 45-100 guy in standard tuning.

 

[monsterthompson]

There's gonna be a few folks who say "just play the notes" and dismiss the tuning, and I see their point. However, my experience has been that heavy riff-based music is easier to play when you mimic the guitar tunings. It makes it easier to learn the riffs and play along with the guitar. If the band is in C, I'd bet a fair amount of the songs involve that low open C. If you have the ear and the dexterity, then go BEAD if you're comfortable, but realize you could spend a lot of time holding that low string on the first fret.

 

[Bassi5t]

There's gonna be a few folks who say "just play the notes" and dismiss the tuning, and I see their point. However, my experience has been that heavy riff-based music is easier to play when you mimic the guitar tunings. It makes it easier to learn the riffs and play along with the guitar. If the band is in C, I'd bet a fair amount of the songs involve that low open C. If you have the ear and the dexterity, then go BEAD if you're comfortable, but realize you could spend a lot of time holding that low string on the first fret.

That’s kind of exactly what I was thinking. I’ve decided to go C standard so I can have the open C. I’m just trying to work out what string gauge to go with.

Thank you all for the help and info. It’s all Ben very helpful.