Get Off My Lawn: Downtuning

[mrjim123]

My opinion about downtuning matches the OP’s. I believe that 1.) Get a 5-string. 2.) Those who downtune don’t have the skill to play keys such as Eb and D when the I is not the lowest note available on a standard 4-string bass. Those are my OPINIONS, not facts. Personally, I don’t give a rat’s tushy what or how you play bass. You are the one playing, not me. I just can’t comprehend why people downtune, but then I can’t comprehend the immensity of the universe.

Whenever I start thinking I might want a 5 string I watch this, and I'm glad I'm stuck with all 4 strings!

Do you NEED a 5 string bass? - YouTube

 

[mikewalker]

...
So normally I like new things. I seek them out, even. But the downtune thing is my personal get off my lawn issue. Fess up. What's your get off my lawn thing?
...

Hmm, I have to say DEER!!!
Get off my damn lawn, herd of roving property-destroyers!

And take all those bleeding-heart "aw, they are so cute, and anyway they were here first" people WITH YOU!!
(The folks who wrote the town laws saying that I can't kill and eat these intruders on my own property).
It really sucks that I have to spend 10,000 dollars to fence my house 'IN CITY LIMITS' (2 blocks from main street) because the powers that be think its fine and dandy to have a zero budget for 'animal control'...

</LAWN>

 

[CLJMB]

I use my 4 bangers in standard, drop D, everything a half step down or everything a full step down depending on the need. I don't play metal. I have 5 strings as well (very nice ones I might add), but to my ears the low D on a drop-tuned 4 speaks with more authority and definition than the low D on a B string. Might just be my technique that causes this but the folks I record with all agree with me. If I need to go lower than D the 5ers come out.

 

[mrjim123]

My opinion about downtuning matches the OP’s. I believe that 1.) Get a 5-string. 2.) Those who downtune don’t have the skill to play keys such as Eb and D when the I is not the lowest note available on a standard 4-string bass. Those are my OPINIONS, not facts. Personally, I don’t give a rat’s tushy what or how you play bass. You are the one playing, not me. I just can’t comprehend why people downtune, but then I can’t comprehend the immensity of the universe.

Whenever I start thinking I might want a 5 string I watch this, and I'm glad I'm stuck with all 4 strings! IMO, the pluses of a 5 string do not outweigh the minuses.

Do you NEED a 5 string bass? - YouTube

 

[HardNHeavy]

This is legitimate. I'm pickier than that. I only like it from San Antonio and west to New Mexico. Everywhere else is either Tex Mex or Americanized Mexican style food.

LOL...where the waitress name is "Ashley" and not "Consuela".......Tho here on the eastcoast all we got is "Chipotle" and none are around my town
I miss good mexican food.."I lova the spicy stuff"!....not to derail the OP's initial post about tuning down, i do whatever the song needs or the singers vocal range ability to make the song work..that's the only reason my old metal/punk band turned a half-step down...Not really a gripe, it just that back then i didn't know any better being it my first band...He sang like satan, and 5rs weren't a thing back then.

 

[rodv66]

I can’t take a left turn or pump my own gas. I shake my aged fist at you NJ…

Yeah this waiting ten minutes for the guy at Wawa to come pump your gas sucks.

 

[rodv66]

I down tune my 5 string.....YOLO.

 

[Bass4ThePublic]

My “get off my lawn” thing is when pedal makers create and design these intricate pedals with super cool designs on it, but don’t say what the pedal does.

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

I do appreciate a p-bass through an SVT and an 810 fridge. But generally I'm not a traditionalist when it comes to my music gear. Show me something new. But there is one modern bass thing that I just can't quite get behind: downtuning.

So many people do it now. It's a mainstay in whole genres of music it seems. But every time I read people's questions about it (what's gauge strings should I use if I want to droptune to A?) I can't help but think don't do that! The instrument wasn't made to be tuned that way! (Although nowadays I'm sure some of them definitely are)

So normally I like new things. I seek them out, even. But the downtune thing is my personal get off my lawn issue. Fess up. What's your get off my lawn thing?

View attachment 4710291

This has probably been covered but even the boomers downtuned. Black Sabbath was playing in C well before I was born.

 

[JRA]

Even my self-deprecating confession generates nothing but negativity.

 

[GreyBeard]

Glad I play a 5

 

[scottfeldstein]

I don't like businesses with purposely misspelled or pun names.

Hair cutting places are the worst. They always have to call themselves "Shear Perfection" or "The Cutting Edge" or "The Mane Attraction" or something like that. Go @#*% yourself.

There are lots of other things I don't like, but don't bother asking what they are, because another thing I can't stand is inquisitive &%^#(&^@#!@#$.

Yeah, I'm with you on this.

 

[Nev375]

Just to play devils advocate...

A grand piano goes down to low A. So if you don't downtune the pianist wins.

 

[fishdreams]

I am working on learning a set of new compositions, duets for bass guitar and bassoon, that we commissioned several composers for.

So now that i have looked at these pieces, the question is "what does the music need"? Some of these composers are very specific what they ask of me (4 string bass, using a slide here but not there, or switching between 6 string and fretless at certain points) but others give a lot of leeway on how to determine sounds, tones and textures to go for.

The concept of downtuning because of the very different texture it gives (looking at downtuning my low B for maximum flabbiness), could actually be a really cool concept in some of these pieces. I am so glad you brought it up,OP Thank you @scottfeldstein !

 

[Spidey2112]

Hmm, I have to say DEER!!!
Get off my damn lawn, herd of roving property-destroyers!

And take all those bleeding-heart "aw, they are so cute, and anyway they were here first" people WITH YOU!!
(The folks who wrote the town laws saying that I can't kill and eat these intruders on my own property).
It really sucks that I have to spend 10,000 dollars to fence my house 'IN CITY LIMITS' (2 blocks from main street) because the powers that be think its fine and dandy to have a zero budget for 'animal control'...

</LAWN>

We have them visit in our backyard, quite often. They always hang out back by the tree line, and our boys always get a kick out of me opening the door, waving and saying hi to them...

... they don't run... they just stare... wondering who the stranger is, in his underwear?

 

[logdrum]

A doesn't even sound tight on a 9 foot grand piano.

 

[Johnny StingRay]

You’ve obviously never played in a metal band.

That is true.

 

[Barticus]

I also don't like when people like things I don't like.

^^^^^
Well done, this was funny!!

 

[Nev375]

Fess up. What's your get off my lawn thing?

View attachment 4710291

These young hot shot kids these days that play way better than I do all over the youtubes.

 

[lermgalieu]

I don’t like Mexican food north of Dallas or east of Tyler.

Yeah, there’s no good Mexican food in LA.