Drop C tuning a metal standard?

[mikeyjm2]

Question from an "older" 4 string guy who hasn't actively played metal in several years:

Is drop C tuning somewhat of a standard among metal bands these days?

Reason I ask is that I've auditioned with a couple of metal bands over the last year or so and both used this tuning. I'm in another long-term band (not metal) where I'm standard tuned and it works really well with the kind of music we do. Just personal opinion here, but I'm not much of a fan of drop tuning a 4-string. I'm actually trying to convince this second band I just auditioned last night to let me play keyboards rather than bass and leave the bottom end to someone else (maybe with a 5-string?).

 

[ZBirdV8]

Drop C is not super common but it happens.

C# and C-standard are popular in Doom/Stoner Metal. It's a good idea to go ahead and get the 5 string if you want to play the extreme forms. The other way to go is to raise your action and start equipping the top 4 strings of a 5string set (B E A D). This requires raising the action and sometimes shimming the nut, and then your neck has a lot of tension and could warp.

I'd really recommend the 5 string.

 

[AaronVonRock]

Like you, I don't like 5 stringers or tuning down. I play a 4 string and am usually in standard tuning. We have some songs in C. I use an octave pedal and play on the E string at the 8th fret. Sounds pretty gnarly and I don't have to bother with alternate tunings.

 

[mikeyjm2]

I'd really recommend the 5 string.

Yeah, that's my thought as well. Unfortunately another bass is not in the budget right now. Hence, my trying to fill a keyboard role in the band rather than bass. I like the band but I feel I could add more with keys than bass. They seemed somewhat agreeable to that and are auditioning another bass player Thursday night. Hope it all works out.

 

[ZBirdV8]

If you are able to finance, you can have this:
http://www.espguitars.com/products/9854-b-205sm-fl-ns
for $44 bucks a month. It's a hell of an instrument. Probably could trade in your current piece and save some money that way. Where there is a will there is a way.

 

[SlugThrower]

C standard is very common, although i've heard a few popular death/doom metal bands in B standard, and F# standard. A lot of thrash and black metal bands tune to D standard.

 

[IconBasser]

eh, for most, it is the standard. Of course, so is drop tuning a guitar. The whole drop tuned bass thing as a standard follows from the unfortunate tendency for metal bassists to ape the rhythm guitar lines.

By all means, please buck the trend though! The metal albums I've heard in which the bass is used instead as a separate harmonic instrument rather than a secondary guitar are invariably cooler because of it. Check out Gorguts - Colored Sands, Heironymus Bosch - Equivoke, and Carcariass - E-xtinction, all three albums have some really cool bass lines that add a ton to the atmosphere and melody of the music rather than ubiquitous drop tuned chugging.

 

[PullThePlug]

Depends what kind of metal you're trying to do - alot of bands ending in genres with "-core" typically use drop tunings (Drop C and A being very popular with the Deathcore crowd).

As for more "traditional" types of metal - power, death, thrash, etc., it's typically standard tuning (such as D standard, B Standard, and so forth).

This is simply my experience with learning music from bands in the extreme metal genres, as well as playing with various local groups.

 

[PullThePlug]

If you are able to finance, you can have this:
http://www.espguitars.com/products/9854-b-205sm-fl-ns
for $44 bucks a month. It's a hell of an instrument. Probably could trade in your current piece and save some money that way. Where there is a will there is a way.

I absolutely love my B205SM-FL. It's fantastic, and alot of instrument for the money.

 

[ZBirdV8]

I absolutely love my B205SM-FL. It's fantastic, and alot of instrument for the money.

Death fan and plays the same bass (mine is arriving tomorrow).