can basses be drop tuned like guitars?

[gepettus]

I've played for 5 years with a 5 strings tuned

A
E
A
D
G

Drop A tuning paired with 7 strings drop A

 

[Smooth_bass88]

I've dropped my basses on the floor various times

 

[TrevorR]

I’ve added Hipshot D Tuners to both my main basses that allow you to go from E to D at the flick of a switch...

 

[alembicguy]

I do this with my hip shot double stop D tuner. One Stop is tuned to D the other to B. Sure it's floppy, but it sounds like a B to me.

Same here

 

[sigterm]

I’ve added Hipshot D Tuners to both my main basses that allow you to go from E to D at the flick of a switch...

View attachment 2980798 View attachment 2980799 View attachment 2980800

I like the pick idea! I tape mine to the horn but that's way better

 

[arbiterusa]

My Steinberger can be dropped to a BEAD tuning using standard strings. Think you need carbon fiber to pull that trick off. I run one of my Corts in BEAD using the bottom four strings of a five string set and that’s more than fine. Did have to redo the nut slots, but that took only a few minutes.

 

[chazolson]

Good lord, people. Why don’t you just learn to play in all major and minor keys in standard tuning, and then you would never have to tune “down” your bass?

This is all started by bleeping hack guitar players that can’t handle Eb. Big whooptie, it’s just another key to me. Can you imagine if all the string players in an orchestra had to retune to fit the key they are about to play? Ridiculous. Learn the damn fingerboard. Or better yet, join a band with no guitards. Just keyboards and bass. Beautiful.

 

[I am Soma]

Good lord, people. Why don’t you just learn to play in all major and minor keys in standard tuning, and then you would never have to tune “down” your bass?

This is all started by bleeping hack guitar players that can’t handle Eb. Big whooptie, it’s just another key to me. Can you imagine if all the string players in an orchestra had to retune to fit the key they are about to play? Ridiculous. Learn the damn fingerboard. Or better yet, join a band with no gui****s. Just keyboards and bass. Beautiful.

So much no in this.

 

[Tony In Philly]

DADG tuning is very common. Carlos Dengler of Interpol used it exclusively. In his case he used it very effectively for octaves off of the low D string.

 

[Diamond_Dave]

Good lord, people. Why don’t you just learn to play in all major and minor keys in standard tuning, and then you would never have to tune “down” your bass?

This is all started by bleeping hack guitar players that can’t handle Eb. Big whooptie, it’s just another key to me. Can you imagine if all the string players in an orchestra had to retune to fit the key they are about to play? Ridiculous. Learn the damn fingerboard. Or better yet, join a band with no gui****s. Just keyboards and bass. Beautiful.

So much no in this.

So much no, indeed. You can't get drop tuning tone playing in another key.

 

[fcleff]

Good lord, people. Why don’t you just learn to play in all major and minor keys in standard tuning, and then you would never have to tune “down” your bass?

This is all started by bleeping hack guitar players that can’t handle Eb. Big whooptie, it’s just another key to me. Can you imagine if all the string players in an orchestra had to retune to fit the key they are about to play? Ridiculous. Learn the damn fingerboard. Or better yet, join a band with no gui****s. Just keyboards and bass. Beautiful.

It’s actually very common for double bassists in most professional orchestras to have C extensions that allow them to ‘drop tune’ their basses from E flat to C below the standard low E. Many jazz bassists have this extension, too.
Before the extension, it was common for bassists to drop tune the E string so they could play the lower notes written by composers. This concept well predates the 20th century.
f

 

[Dan B]

Good lord, people. Why don’t you just learn to play in all major and minor keys in standard tuning, and then you would never have to tune “down” your bass?

This is all started by bleeping hack guitar players that can’t handle Eb. Big whooptie, it’s just another key to me. Can you imagine if all the string players in an orchestra had to retune to fit the key they are about to play? Ridiculous. Learn the damn fingerboard. Or better yet, join a band with no gui****s. Just keyboards and bass. Beautiful.

What’s that? I can’t hear you over the sound of my low A.

 

[JimmyM]

Good lord, people. Why don’t you just learn to play in all major and minor keys in standard tuning, and then you would never have to tune “down” your bass?

This is all started by bleeping hack guitar players that can’t handle Eb. Big whooptie, it’s just another key to me. Can you imagine if all the string players in an orchestra had to retune to fit the key they are about to play? Ridiculous. Learn the damn fingerboard. Or better yet, join a band with no gui****s. Just keyboards and bass. Beautiful.

So tell me how you get a low Eb on a guitar or bass without drop tuning. If the note ain't there, you ain't playin' it. Agreed with the people who say there was so much no in your post.

 

[Vomicamonster]

Dropping the low string is always as plus, especially when jamming with any guitar player. Their fingers can't hold proper chord shapes anymore so they need that bar chord. Measly humans.

Personally I prefer tuning down to Eb (Bb) standard. Fits better to my ears and voice... and you know, I know how to fret scales ^_^

 

[vin*tone]

Its unpossible.

 

[Wisebass]

just curious

Hi bushy

Deep is bass, is good!
Deeper is bassier, is even better!

join a band with no gui****s. Just keyboards and bass

No guitars?.............just keyboards?

Wise(b)ass

 

[Korladis]

Be aware that if you go to BEAD, you usually need to file the nut to get the strings to sit low enough.

Well, yeah, but that's no big deal. A nut costs less than a pack of strings.

 

[Korladis]

Good lord, people. Why don’t you just learn to play in all major and minor keys in standard tuning, and then you would never have to tune “down” your bass?

This is all started by bleeping hack guitar players that can’t handle Eb. Big whooptie, it’s just another key to me. Can you imagine if all the string players in an orchestra had to retune to fit the key they are about to play? Ridiculous. Learn the damn fingerboard. Or better yet, join a band with no gui****s. Just keyboards and bass. Beautiful.

You mean like this?

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Good lord, people. Why don’t you just learn to play in all major and minor keys in standard tuning, and then you would never have to tune “down” your bass?

This is all started by bleeping hack guitar players that can’t handle Eb. Big whooptie, it’s just another key to me. Can you imagine if all the string players in an orchestra had to retune to fit the key they are about to play? Ridiculous. Learn the damn fingerboard. Or better yet, join a band with no gui****s. Just keyboards and bass. Beautiful.

Transposition skills are no doubt invaluable and are to be encouraged. However, as others have pointed out, the question was not about ability to transpose, but the ability to reach the actual low pitches that are below the standard tuning of the bass. These are two completely different issues.

 

[gln1955]

Well, yeah, but that's no big deal. A nut costs less than a pack of strings.

Agreed. I just wanted the OP to know that if he just slaps BEAD strings on without making nut adjustments, his action will be worse. He'll probably need to tweak the truss rod and adjust intonation as well. No big deal for most of us, but the OP sounds a bit inexperienced.