Double Bass DADA tuning?

[AntonLargiader]

I watched that YouTube video where the guy is playing arco with what he calls "old-time DADA."

For pizz, is there any reason to do this? I can see it for a drone string when bowing, but when I'm playing OT I think the existing open D and A are all I need.

I guess the question is based on the old-time reference, as I consider old-time bass to be pizz. Maybe that's not accurate.

 

[Jason Sypher]

I fiddle tunes on the bass and I have experimented with the tuning which is based on the cross-tuning one might use for a fiddle tune. In my experience the tuning does little to help facilitate a convincing fiddle feel or sound on the bass. If anything, trying to incorporate those lower notes only muddles up the effect. You could use the harmonics to create double stops but I just never thought it really worked. Once I mapped out the sounds I needed I found the regular fourths tuning of a bass to work perfectly. Occasionally you might need to try a different key then the tune is normally played but beyond that, alternative tunings never seemed to help.

 

[Jeremy Darrow]

I think that tuning is referred to as "Sawmill Tuning". This tuning can allow the fiddle (or mandolin) to make use of the two lower strings as drones while the melody mostly happens on the upper two strings. It's a very cool, and very old-timey sound. But, a fiddle can play those notes together and not wind up sounding muddy, like Jason alluded to. If you're playing accompaniment to the tune, you don't need to retune to match the fiddle.