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I Am Lost With This One
- Thread starter bluewine
- Start date
Oh, I'm with you now too Blue and agree. I really can't belive a few posts above that you never have put your own ad out on CL or other musicians ad's in your area. That's the first thing I do when I am looking for a group, I dont wait for them.
I then use my list of questions and my ability to screen by phone any one I respond too. All of the bands but one found me thru an ad I placed. The one I found was the first band I joined after returning back to music after being out over 20 years. Run an ad and put in it what you are looking for and see what happens.
Downtuning a half step to say Eb makes those chords ,Am7, Gm7 even sound darker than playing them in say 440 /standard...thats why.
Im in a cover band and we have a few songs that are in Eb (Sweet Child O Mine for example), where I usually dont bother tuning down. I do have a 5 string that I will sometimes play for those songs (depending where the song is on the setlist and if I have time to change basses...the 5er is just too heavy to play the whole gig). Most of the time I just fake it with the 4 banger. If I had time I would change basses several times a set but dammit, where is a roadie when you need one! lol
Assuming you downtune all the strings, you're not making it "darker" or anything special...you're just playing a different chord If you play a Am7 chord on a guitar, downtune the strings and play the chord in the same spot, you're playing Abm7. Nothing special.
That's the only way I can explain down-tuning and yes all the strings. It will change overall tone but not the chords.
Are we clear yet on whether we are talking about tuning to Eb or playing every song in the key of Eb? I'm pretty sure the band meant down tuning, so never mind that Superstition and Rock With You are in Eb...
A lot of rock guitar players like to downtune as they think it makes things sound darker. For bass players, unless you're strumming chords like a guitar player, this only affects one note on your entire neck, your open E string. To make things easier for you, downtune all of them. When the guitar player says they play a song in E, they really mean Eb, but because you have downtuned like them you can just happily play along as if it were in E, just like the guitar players are doing. That way you don't have to do a mental transposition every time someone calls out a key.
A lot of rock guitar players like to downtune as they think it makes things sound darker. For bass players, unless you're strumming chords like a guitar player, this only affects one note on your entire neck, your open E string. To make things easier for you, downtune all of them. When the guitar player says they play a song in E, they really mean Eb, but because you have downtuned like them you can just happily play along as if it were in E, just like the guitar players are doing. That way you don't have to do a mental transposition every time someone calls out a key.
But...the chords do change. You're not playing the same chord anymore. The notes in the chord you're playing are different, so it's not the same chord.
Not sure how else to say it. The tone is obviously changing, but more importantly you're changing the chord because...it's not the same chord.
The tone is all I am trying to say. We did it in a blues band simply cuz the singer said it was easier for him to sing the songs..that's what i know.
I think the problem is you're thinkng in terms of fret position as opposed to what the notes are.
If some tells me to play a g minor, i'll play a g minor regardless of how i'm tuned.
if we're down tuned and I want someone to play a G I will mean the 2nd fret of the E string. my guess is you'd still go for the 3rd fret
I'd say do the audition in what they want, but at the same time show them some of your own flavor. Play what they're looking for, and then ask if you can play it your way. I wouldn't use that terminology, but instead use more tact. Who knows, they may only want E flat because their old bass player did that and they liked it, but, they may like what flavor you have to offer just as well or better. Worst case scenario, you don't get the gig. You're no worse off, so you really have nothing to loose.
It's just as important for the band to fit you as for you to fit the band. Of course, you know these things with your extensive experience. Good luck!
It's just as important for the band to fit you as for you to fit the band. Of course, you know these things with your extensive experience. Good luck!
It's funny out of all the crap i have been through with all these auditions and rejections.
None of these kids have any real playing skills. It's BS, I am convinced most are a bunch of wankers that don't no anything about bands or playing.
that may be,but it's their game.....trying to find a band like the one you want will most likely be younger people,and in my experience younger folks don't want the older guy hanging around unless he brings something to the table they cannot do without.....if you remember back to your younger days it was the same then....
I hate to tell you this Blue but as long as you go out and keep looking for these "younger" pop rock bands you might as well get used to it. I Dont know about you but I have no time for that stuff. I want to play with mature, experienced players who are dedicated and wont waste my time.
Ok I think I understand the downtune thing but it sound to me you don,t want to relearn a song ... so you down tune to play the exact same thing but in another key.
But I stand my point that a G chord isn't a G chord anymore when you down tune it's real name change but everyone call it the same because they can play all the same chord in different key without really put the effort in playing in another key ...
It sound like a lack of musical knowledge to me...
But I stand my point that a G chord isn't a G chord anymore when you down tune it's real name change but everyone call it the same because they can play all the same chord in different key without really put the effort in playing in another key ...
It sound like a lack of musical knowledge to me...
OK, so without downtuning, how would you play an e flat with the root note on the low E string?
in before the 11th fret... not what I mean.
