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Drop tune - why is it looked down on?
- Thread starter EatADeadGoat
- Start date
Since when does reggae = mud ?
there is a misconception around TB that reggae = pbass, flats, 15 inch speakers, jacked up bass eq and cut all the highs.
completely wrong. burningskies should chime in..
I was disappointed--but not surprised--that both you and rockstarbassist disappeared from this thread when it came time to cut through all of the mudslinging and actually talk about the reasons you choose the tunings systems you use. Other people called you a troll, but I gave you the benefit of the doubt and made an effort to learn about your music and the reasons that you use the tuning you do in the hopes that we could have some productive discussion. Unfortunately, it appears that I misjudged you. It's become quite clear that you are either unwilling or unable to discuss these issues on their merits without resorting to name-calling and personal attacks. Sad. You had the opportunity in this thread to correct people's preconceptions about drop-tuning. Instead, you reinforced them.
And all this blame is put on me? That's funny. I've given my reasons for using this tuning. I could care less if others don't like it.
The fact is, even if I could somehow prove to everyone that this tuning is the best for this purpose, people would still choose not to hear it. I honestly don't care. They can go on playing in their cover bands (not that there's anything wrong with those) and thinking they have everything there is to do with music figured out.
No one comes up to me at a gig and asks why I play in a drop tuning. They just tell me that I'm good and so was the band. At the end of the day, that's all that matters.
....hold on, are you now suggesting that everyone who doesn't drop tune plays in a cover band?!
Hear's a question: Today, how many guys using "Drop tuning" (meaning alternate tuning that is down, rather than up) are *NOT* playing a form of metal?
Funksters? Jazz-Cats? Country Thumpers?
anyone? anyone?
Funksters? Jazz-Cats? Country Thumpers?
anyone? anyone?
I don't believe that for a second. It's clear that you care very much about what others think.
There is a lot of irony in this paragraph. I hope that someday you will come to learn that no-one, including you, has everything there is to do with music figured out, and there is much to be learned from those whose experiences are different than yours. Until then, I wish you all the best with your musical journey.
No hahah I was just making a generalization. I play in standard as well!
Not very many I bet you.
So, my friend, would you not agree that this thread was, from the OP on, more about a music genre than an approach to alternate tuning...??
When did I ever say I had everything to do with music figured out?
You seem to like to talk down to people. Have fun with that.
Nope. Mostly metal bands use drop tuning, but I'm sure there are other genres that utilize it. Alot of hard rock from the 90's for instance.
As I mentioned before, it's used a fair bit in folk and blues circles, at least the ones I work in. Drop-D is *very* common for blues - guitarists use it to switch between slide and finger-playing. Sometimes that will involve dropping their high E string as well. I do occasionally drop my (bass) E string to D for those songs, but sometimes not.
More common, both in blues and folk, is open tuning. Common ones (again, allowing slide work) are open D, open G (both involve a low D), open A, even open C sometimes. I might or might not lower my E string accordingly, depending on the song and where the guitar player is playing (if they're spending a lot of time on that open D, it can be good to be able to get into another register on the bass).
And some folk players use other alternate tunings that give different chord voicings. I sometimes play with my guitar in CGDACE tuning (similar to Robert Fripp's "New Standard"). By doing so, my guitar can get down into bass territory, but if I was playing bass backing that tuning up I might drop my E to C, or pull out my 5-string (more likely).
This is my problem with it. There's not a lot of sound reproduction gear for bassists out there that can handle the frequency range of dropped basses (most amps can't reproduce the fundamental of an open B on a fiver, which is 30.87 Hz). Then you get guys who are buying these strings that are HUGE and tuning down to F# (now we're at 23.12 Hz)... and playing into a conventional Ampeg or Acoustic amp. They go for the low notes, and the bass simply drops out of the mix, because no matter how heavy the string is, the amp is still only capable of reproducing upper harmonics of the fundamental at that point.
I did see an avant-jazz guy once playing this 10-string monster with a low F# string, but he had a rack rig driving an array of speakers including two down-firing powered 18" subs. He claimed his rig was absolutely flat all the way down to 20 Hz, and I believed him.
Until he does, I'll back you.
It's very obvious that someone has not a clue about reggae, as a player or even a beyond-casual listener, when that someone propagates the P-bass/flats/bass-boost myth.
Worse, and speaking of propagating myths, it shows they don't even realize the actual differences between a P and J bass.
Par for the course when people just "talk" bass.
*facepalm* I guess you guys didn't get the joke that I was making a misconception about reggae the same way some are making misconceptions about drop tunings.
When did I ever say I had everything to do with music figured out?
For the record, Febs has been consistently the most level-headed, unbiased person in this thread...
Not real current but the first song I ever learned on bass is dropped...
Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall Pt II
You actually have a similar background to mine, except I not longer play rock music at all. AND, everything you said here is true, especially what I bolded and underlined.
The thread was asking why down tuning and drop tuning is looked down apon. My answer is that a lot of musicians like me either consider it a cheating method, or associate it with metal.
