Down-tuning that far is just ridiculous and pointless. Tell him that anything below Standard A tuning is unacceptable, and that if he wants to play an E on an 8 string, he might as well not even need a bassist.
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My guitarist keeps down tuning
- Thread starter remainthesame
- Start date
I have never understood this whole "well I need to go lower to be heavier BS." 7 String guitars are and always will be stupid.
Ask yourself a question, at some point are you just doing something purely for the sake of being different?
BTW- I have come to peace with folks playing 5-string bass, its fine, just not for me.
But these guitards who are basically playing a bass-tuned instrument need to just switch to bass and deal with it. (also the ones who want to crank the bass setting on there amp to 11) Get the H*LL out of my freqs!
Ask yourself a question, at some point are you just doing something purely for the sake of being different?
BTW- I have come to peace with folks playing 5-string bass, its fine, just not for me.
But these guitards who are basically playing a bass-tuned instrument need to just switch to bass and deal with it. (also the ones who want to crank the bass setting on there amp to 11) Get the H*LL out of my freqs!
There are so many closed-minded people commenting here it's ridiculous. If musicians didn't push the boundaries of their instruments, things would be pretty boring.
To the OP: If you don't like it, leave. Stop crying about it. There are lots of ways to make playing a 5-string tuned BEADG or AEADG with an 8-string guitar tuned EBEADGbe work. Play more interesting lines, for one. Sounds like you're mostly a root-note player.
No, it doesn't work for everyone, but there are lots of musicians that make awesome music with downtuned guitars. If you don't like it, don't listen to it and go put on some piccolo or ukulele music.
To the OP: If you don't like it, leave. Stop crying about it. There are lots of ways to make playing a 5-string tuned BEADG or AEADG with an 8-string guitar tuned EBEADGbe work. Play more interesting lines, for one. Sounds like you're mostly a root-note player.
No, it doesn't work for everyone, but there are lots of musicians that make awesome music with downtuned guitars. If you don't like it, don't listen to it and go put on some piccolo or ukulele music.
Wrong. One of the best core albums I've heard ever was recorded this year by my producer in E below E. It sounds tight and impeccable, both the guitar and the bass. This is an aggressively closed minded and incorrect opinion.
It sounds like you've expressed your opinion on the matter to your guitarist. If you think you haven't been clear or you haven't articulated your opinion in the same amount of detail you have here, do that. At the point, I think you might want to ask yourself a question. Do you want to be forced to do something you don't want to do, to force your guitarist not to do something he does want to do or do you want to go find a new band that wants to do the same thing you do?
There's nothing productive in arguing the validity of a creative choice. If you joined a band because it was something you wanted to do and now that's not the thing that's being done, there's nothing wrong with taking your leave in an amicable fashion. You can't control his reaction, obviously, but there's nothing wrong with wanting to be in a band that's aligned with your goals and tastes. Struggling over it is only going to create resentment and probably delay what sounds like an inevitable split, to a point where it won't be amicable.
There's nothing productive in arguing the validity of a creative choice. If you joined a band because it was something you wanted to do and now that's not the thing that's being done, there's nothing wrong with taking your leave in an amicable fashion. You can't control his reaction, obviously, but there's nothing wrong with wanting to be in a band that's aligned with your goals and tastes. Struggling over it is only going to create resentment and probably delay what sounds like an inevitable split, to a point where it won't be amicable.
Meshuggah's bassist only hits the lowest (B or whatever its tuned at..) string during their older 7-string based tunes. He rides the E/whatever string for the newer tunes based on their 8 stringers.
Just saw them live last month, noticably fuller sound with more low end on the older tunes. Just saying. Having the bass a full octave below the guitar adds a certain something.
I've got nothing against 8 string guitars, I love Meshuggah and Animals As Leaders. But I think its a missed opportunity to not have the octave separation between the instruments.
Just saw them live last month, noticably fuller sound with more low end on the older tunes. Just saying. Having the bass a full octave below the guitar adds a certain something.
I've got nothing against 8 string guitars, I love Meshuggah and Animals As Leaders. But I think its a missed opportunity to not have the octave separation between the instruments.
while a little abrasive, TheEmptyCell highlights some good points.
Since when, if two instruments overlap some notes, does it mean there isn't room for both of them?
bands have two and three guitarists all the time you guys. Its ok if there is a second bass or something else that effectively reaches into bass territory.
Its also ok if sometimes you come together on the same notes.
I suspect the guitarist being talked about here is riding the Tosin Abasi wave. Its not a bad wave to be on, IMO. and Tosin comes off as likeable and with good things to say about music and musicianship. maybe that too, will rub off on some people.
*this is a good post, as well:
Can you still play "standard" chords on a 7+ string guitar?
I often switch to an octave position if I notice my guitarist is playing in the same territory as me. And about half the time I leave it as is, to beef up the total sound. John Myung tends to do this as well on more recent Dream Theater albums, IIRC.
I often switch to an octave position if I notice my guitarist is playing in the same territory as me. And about half the time I leave it as is, to beef up the total sound. John Myung tends to do this as well on more recent Dream Theater albums, IIRC.
If you don't want to down tune and lose your string tension, get an octave pedal and play at -2 octave into the mud teritory of no sound definition and ask the band
"is this really were you want things to go?"
"is this really were you want things to go?"
As a guitarist, I completely agree. What the hell is the point? All this tuning down lower and lower to sound "heavy" is utter nonsense. Tell your guitarist to listen to the first 2 Zeppelin albums. Now that's "heavy" - the tuning has stuff all to do with it.
As for 7 and 8 strings guitars - they're purely a sad excuse for people who can't play a proper guitar with a proper tuning. Those low notes are supposed to be played by the bass guitarist - otherwise what's the point of having one?
"Muddy" is right. Anything below drop D tuning sounds like crap on a guitar, assuming you value tone.
Typically an 8 string guitar works the same as a 6 string bass...you add an extra low string and an extra HIGH string. He wouldn't be getting bassier, he'd have an extended high range in addition to his low B on the guitar. At any rate, if he's going lower than drop A, then he doesn't understand how a band works to begin with lol...
Lots of people confusing their opinion for fact. Down tuning can/does work if done properly and sounds amazing IMHO. I haven't been in a standard tuning in ten years and have my E string in A at the moment. Nothing muddy about the guitarist or my tone at all and it sounds massive. Being open minded is the kittens mittens.
+1, get an octaver, and just hope he doesn't get one too!
You can set it up so you've only got the "wet" octave down sound and just have everything sound an octave lower.
I think deftones does this as well and it sounds awesome. To the OP, keep an open mind, you may be surprised with the results. And who says the bass always has to be on a lower octave than the guitar? I play up the fretboard a lot of the times and so do countless bands. Mix things up.
i play with a micro pog always on and mostly utilize the dry at 4/4, the low at 1/4, and the high at 3/4. really makes it stand a part from the guitarist who is in the same tuning/octaves
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