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Drop D
- Thread starter letsgotothemaul
- Start date
Use the fact that your band wants you to de-tune to D as a means of acquiring a new 5 string bass! Then everyone is happy. 
Joeykun
pronounced ジョーイくん
- Jun 22, 2007
- 4,200
- 16,151
- Disclosures
- Endorsing: LAKLAND SADOWSKY GENZLER DARKGLASS NORDSTRAND TEMPLEBOARD KIRLIN DRSTRINGS ACCESS
Check out "King's X" most of thier tunes are in drop D.
I got a hipshot D-Tuner on my 4 string for such songs. But, I play a 5 banger most of the time. I like the tone of an open D better than fretted.
I got a hipshot D-Tuner on my 4 string for such songs. But, I play a 5 banger most of the time. I like the tone of an open D better than fretted.
I've never really used any drop tunings. When my band plays Eb or D tuned songs I just use the 5-string to cover. Overall, I prefer the feel and sound of standard tuning than detuning. That, and I don't want the pain in the butt of changing basses or tuning differently.
I tune to DADG at church for some fat low end through the 18" Sub. It sounds pretty good. I'd like to get a 5'er, though. Here's another topic... ADGCF! 
JK, that would be intense! 
JK, that would be intense! ^^^
My 5'er's actually tuned to ADGCF right now. So comfy and awesome.
Believe it or not, I'm actually planning on tuning FCGCF once I get thick enough strings (well... really just one for the low F
). Gonna be pushing my little 100watter to the max.
XD
My 5'er's actually tuned to ADGCF right now. So comfy and awesome.
Believe it or not, I'm actually planning on tuning FCGCF once I get thick enough strings (well... really just one for the low F
). Gonna be pushing my little 100watter to the max.XD
Drop D makes certain things a lot easier, and other things a lot harder. Playing a regular old triad becomes nearly impossible in Drop D without using the 10th instead of the 3rd. But you can do pulloffs to open strings in two octaves. Of course, you could just use your left hand as a capo in standard tuning and do the run with just your right.
That being said, it feels rather unnatural to me, after learning to play in standard. I'd prefer to use one hand to capo up and tap runs with the other hand than tune down to do those same runs with open strings. Plus, it looks really impressive, no matter how simple the line is, when you have two hands on the fretboard.
That being said, it feels rather unnatural to me, after learning to play in standard. I'd prefer to use one hand to capo up and tap runs with the other hand than tune down to do those same runs with open strings. Plus, it looks really impressive, no matter how simple the line is, when you have two hands on the fretboard.
Drop-tuning throws off the perfect symmetry of bass tuning and forces you to learn to play patterns that can't be moved to different strings. It throws off the consistency that makes bass such a wonderful instrument. Go to D-standard if you must, or better yet, buy a five string.
Drop-tuning is for guitards who can't play a proper power chord.
Drop-tuning is for guitards who can't play a proper power chord.
DoB... there's one thing I think you've missed: some patterns are a heck of a lot easier to play in drop D. Take this Lamb of God riff, for example (from Blood of the Scribe):
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------7-----5-----------6-----------------|
|-------5-----------------7-----------8-----------|
|-0-000---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-0-3-5-6-|
I agree with you on the pattern thing... but, quite frankly, a lot of music that is played in drop tunings aren't often based on patterns and such. More often they're based on chords or single-note patterns. And, hey, one-fingered powerchords are fun.
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------7-----5-----------6-----------------|
|-------5-----------------7-----------8-----------|
|-0-000---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-0-3-5-6-|
I agree with you on the pattern thing... but, quite frankly, a lot of music that is played in drop tunings aren't often based on patterns and such. More often they're based on chords or single-note patterns. And, hey, one-fingered powerchords are fun.
We tune down all our strings, using either C# or B on the bottom string.
It's the reason I bought my 5-string and have fat Ernie Ball strings.
I would definitely not change the tuning so drastically up to E, disaster, and would buy a new 4-string if I ever felt the need to play in standard tuning.
I taught myself bass, with some good advice thrown in by friends, and moved to lower tunings quite quickly.
It's the reason I bought my 5-string and have fat Ernie Ball strings.
I would definitely not change the tuning so drastically up to E, disaster, and would buy a new 4-string if I ever felt the need to play in standard tuning.
I taught myself bass, with some good advice thrown in by friends, and moved to lower tunings quite quickly.
Different tunings are just that...different. There is no wrong or right in music. In the words of the great Frank Zappa, "If it sounds bitchin' to you, it is...if it sounds s***** to you, it is".
Drop D can be very fun for me sometimes. I don't really care what anyone says or thinks. It's art. Do what you want.
I use it often---both my P-basses have a Hipshot d-tuner.
I actually like that it makes me come up with different things sometimes than I would in standard tuning. I don't care much for playing fivers these days(and nobody I work for wants to see me pull one out anyway), so it's nice to be able to get that low D quickly on an otherwise standard-tuned 4 string.
I actually like that it makes me come up with different things sometimes than I would in standard tuning. I don't care much for playing fivers these days(and nobody I work for wants to see me pull one out anyway), so it's nice to be able to get that low D quickly on an otherwise standard-tuned 4 string.
Intersting the bias against 5 string bases in the pro world. huh? Lucky amatuer am I. old skool positon player, so the fiver lets me do it all on the fly.
The leader of my last band frequently wrote in E flat and D, so I bought drop tuners for all my basses to get those notes down low. I figured this was more economical than buying a five string, and I couldn't find one I liked much anyway.
It worked fine. For songs in D, I thought it was great, and easy to adjust. For those in E flat, it worked, but a five string would have been much better. I used to play those parts on fivers in shops, and they were definitely easier. Improvising was more intuitive also.
Now I'm in a totally old school rock band, with only one track calling for drop D. So what did I do? Buy a five string, of course. Go figure.
It's a 2008 Fender American Standard Jazz V, and it's fantastic.
It worked fine. For songs in D, I thought it was great, and easy to adjust. For those in E flat, it worked, but a five string would have been much better. I used to play those parts on fivers in shops, and they were definitely easier. Improvising was more intuitive also.
Now I'm in a totally old school rock band, with only one track calling for drop D. So what did I do? Buy a five string, of course. Go figure.
It's a 2008 Fender American Standard Jazz V, and it's fantastic.
I'm a fan, I like having two strings which I know are exactly the same notes. Plus I like D related songs instead of the tons of songs in E, I just think D feels a little darker and more powerful.
But a question about d-tuners: I;ve never seen one or touched one, but do they basically make the string tighter/looser to change the tuning? I think it would be really useful for me, however I have my bass set up so drop D is the standard and the string tension is perfect for it, I don't want the string getting stretched out whenever I flick the d-tuner to E, making it floppify over time in D.
Eh well I'll have a 2nd bass soon so, no worries.
But a question about d-tuners: I;ve never seen one or touched one, but do they basically make the string tighter/looser to change the tuning? I think it would be really useful for me, however I have my bass set up so drop D is the standard and the string tension is perfect for it, I don't want the string getting stretched out whenever I flick the d-tuner to E, making it floppify over time in D.
Eh well I'll have a 2nd bass soon so, no worries.
It's a useful tool for some bassists but it's nothing more than a personal preference.
I kind of like the idea as a fan of metal, but I damaged my hearing almost 20 years ago by playing in an insanely loud band for several months in a row and now I can't distinguish tones from one another below about 30 Hz (which is right about the low E in standard tuning). As a result, the E, Eb, and D notes all sound pretty much the same to me in drop D tuning. They all sound like the same, muddy fart.
Wear hearing protection.
I kind of like the idea as a fan of metal, but I damaged my hearing almost 20 years ago by playing in an insanely loud band for several months in a row and now I can't distinguish tones from one another below about 30 Hz (which is right about the low E in standard tuning). As a result, the E, Eb, and D notes all sound pretty much the same to me in drop D tuning. They all sound like the same, muddy fart.
Wear hearing protection.
Even with a 5 string, there are certain riffs that simply cannot be played in another way besides drop D. It's physically impossible. So I detune for those rare occasions.
