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Drop tune - why is it looked down on?

#122
NOAH_FX said:
We wanted to play Aerials... My SInger HATED us, like hated.. Until we played it in Drop C tuning. Now it's one of the best tune's we play.
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I'm pretty sure everything for SOAD is drop C after their first record; for the most part anyway or anything you'd be covering. Weird how when you play a song as written how it sounds right... :o :bassist:
 
#123
EatADeadGoat said:
I've been seeing it more often. It's strange. I just don't get it and I'm actually hoping that a "standard" purist will come around and "educate" me on the viewpoint.
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I mostly play in standard tuning, but I have nothing against playing in Drop D. As of right now my band only has one song in Drop D, and I won't be detuning once I get my new 5er.
 
#124
EatADeadGoat said:
Not sure if this is the right spot for this thread - feel free to move it if you want mods.

SO.

I've noticed this growing trend where people hate on drop tuning, and things like "real men play in standard" are commonly said. Not so much here, but i see it every once in a while. I've been wondering - why the negative stigma? It's just for a different style of play. I like drop and standard tunes, just depends on how I want to write a song. Why all the hate, peeps?
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What I don't like about it is it shows how a person doesn't know what he is doing when calling chords wrong. Down tune or alternate tuning is ok when the person use it to get new chords or change the structure of the chords or to get more notes.
 
#125
Ric5 said:
Drop tune - why is it looked down on?

For years I played only 4 string basses tuned EADG. Then I got into a band that I had to have the low D. I tried DADG that was really cumbersome for me. So I went to 3 basses a Rickenbacker tuned EADG, a p-bass tuned e flat, and a jazz bass tuned DGCF. This worked but I had to switch basses for different songs. Then I needed a low D flat so I switched to a 5 string BEADG.

I found that BEADG was more versatile than all of the above tunings. So when I see other bass players who struggle with how to play the lower notes I always discorage drop tuning and encourage BEADG 5 string tuning.

So for me drop tuning is not nearly as good of a solution as a 5 string bass. So I guess I look down on drop tuning. Although I would prefer not to use those words. I would rather say I prefer a 5 string tuned BEADG.
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Yeah, I dont see that as looking down on drop tuning, but rather finding a way to work around drop tuning. Im looking forward to not having to detune in the middle of a gig, while on stage.
 
#126
Mayers said:
What I don't like about it is it shows how a person doesn't know what he is doing when calling chords wrong. Down tune or alternate tuning is ok when the person use it to get new chords or change the structure of the chords or to get more notes.
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If a person technically does not know exactly what they are playing, but it sounds good, why does it matter?

It's like saying someone is a crappy driver if they don't know how an internal combustion engine works.
 
#128
I have no bad feelings towards drop. Once I get a Ric, my jazz will be used for just that, drop tuned stuff. It's all the same, right? what you do with your fingers doesn't change, you just get a much lower sound. I don't see why anyone would have a problem with it.
 
#130
The only issues I have with drop tuning have nothing to do with the actual act of drop tuning. In high school, my buddies and I used to rip on the guys who for four years ONLY played in drop tuning and ONLY so they could play one finger power chords, and not even for speed reasons. They had no desire for musical development, or playing heavy chugging riffs in drop D, just for the "efficiency" of playing one finger power chords. That's the only black mark on downtuning IMO.

That said, several of the bands I've played in over the years have used drop D tuning as a tool, and it helped me get pretty good at tuning quickly and accurately by ear, which is always a good skill to have.
I'm going to have to try tuning to 5ths as was previously mentioned in this thread. I remember thinking about it when I was messing around on a mandolin I used to have, but never got around to it. Thanks for the reminder, I'm gonna go do that right now.
 
#131
Burlington said:
If a person technically does not know exactly what they are playing, but it sounds good, why does it matter?

It's like saying someone is a crappy driver if they don't know how an internal combustion engine works.
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Yeah if I just listen to it I don't care. But if someone try to show me the riff well to me it lack something.

And your exemple isn't good. It's like saying someone is a crappy driver if they don't know how the steering wheel, gas pedals and flasher work even if the driver did the best move to avoid being kill in a car crash he just don't know how he did it.
 
#133
Mayers said:
Yeah if I just listen to it I don't care. But if someone try to show me the riff well to me it lack something.

And your exemple isn't good. It's like saying someone is a crappy driver if they don't know how the steering wheel, gas pedals and flasher work even if the driver did the best move to avoid being kill in a car crash he just don't know how he did it.
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So the music is fine, but once you know they play in a dropped tuning you don't like it?

And your example does not make sense to me.
 
#134
sbass traveller said:
The only issues I have with drop tuning have nothing to do with the actual act of drop tuning. In high school, my buddies and I used to rip on the guys who for four years ONLY played in drop tuning and ONLY so they could play one finger power chords, and not even for speed reasons. They had no desire for musical development, or playing heavy chugging riffs in drop D, just for the "efficiency" of playing one finger power chords. That's the only black mark on downtuning IMO.
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What's wrong with being efficient?
 
#136
Burlington said:
What's wrong with being efficient?
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I don't that was really the point meant. More like looking down on guys and gals that don't know how to play and using the dropped tuning ( on guitar I assume) as a crutch rather than a tool of expression. By that I mean instead of actually doing the work to become a proficient player, just relying on short-cuts solely. BTW I use drop D on my fretless 5 string tuned E A D G C about a 1/4 of the time. The main reason I don't like to play too low is the rattling strings. But that's just me. I suppose it's the same attitude some guitar players get for playing with a capo. I say if it works and sounds good then use it. I have a 6'r that I drop the low B to an A as well, though my poor cabs start to hate me for it at decent volumes.
 
#137
lunarpollen said:
(3) People claim it makes it easier for the vocalist when they tune down a half step for all of the songs. Um, unless you are only doing songs that coincidentally contain the same highest note just at the limit of your vocalist's range, this is a load of bull. Any difference that is felt is purely psychological.
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A fair point, but it depends on the singer, I think. Sure, you're not going help every song by playing half a step down, but, speaking as an occasional vocalist, I know there are certain keys in which I'm just completely hopeless (I can't, for the life of me, hit the right notes in B natural), so I can appreciate that some vocalists might prefer to sing, say, in Eb if they find E problematic.
 
#138
tehbassist said:
Well I have a few problems with drop tuning if you'd like to know.

The only people I see use drop tunings are teenagers who only know how to play power-chords and are doing it because it's brutal and their guitarist is doing it.

I want to keep the balance between my strings even and detuning one string ruins that. (I'm perfectly alright with standard tunings though)

Drop tuning is in my book just an excuse not to learn the fingerboard and follow the guitarist.

Now I'm sure I'm about to be flamed for all of that, but I really don't care. This is what I've observed to be the people who use drop tuning and I disagree with it and wouldn't do it myself. To each their own, and if you use drop tuning and you're and exception to what I said then more power to you man...
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+1000!!!!!!:D
 
#140
Drifta said:
Maybe I just don't understand it, but why do you need different tunings? If I play A, it's A right? doesn't matter where I play it...

i don't look down on it, I just don't like it - same with distortion. sounds like butthole.

We once had a friend come over and jam (we play reggae) and our friend is a death metal guitarist ( who is in a big local florida band ) and he comes over, we start jamming and he starts wailing and soloing mostly out of key. Finally we ask him to give us some rhythm guitar in Dm .... and he can't do it. "wheres Dm?"

we look at each other "uh...5th fret."

he replied with something along the line of .. " But i'm in drop___ tuning"

thats how all my experiences with drop tuning has gone.
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+1000!!!!
 

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