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New standard tuning (?), one whole-step down on all strings.

Bass4LifeRS

Bass4LifeRS

Oct 18, 2005
3,018
1,975
Norway
#1
Thought experiment here. What if the standard tuning for a 4-string bass was D-G-C-F. All strings tuned two half-steps down. I think that could be a good mix between the standard EADG which many may feel doesn't go low enough, and 5-string bass which goes low but adds another string.

I realize that TB is full of traditional people too, but if you let your mind open up and just go with this idea for a minute...:)
What would the drawbacks to this be? Relearn the fretboard, low tension strings (or new gauges), freak you out if you play guitar too, hard to double/follow riffs in E or what do you think?

What would the pros be? 4-string with kind of extended range.(Takes away the two very highest notes but, probably not a big deal) . Can still play a 4-string which you're comfortable with, even if you need the low D and Eb often?
Eliminate the need for a hipshot d-tuner.

I got this idea while playing in a cover band and "needing" to get that low D on some songs. With the new tuning I'd get the low Eb as a bonus. I feel that the low D is quite normal now in a lot of music. People are used to hearing that low of a bassnote, and it sits nicely in a mix. The norm is jump a 7th from low E to the open string D, like they did always/most of the time earlier. That may not always sound great.

If I was starting out on bass now, playing a 4-string bass, I might have wanted to go with D-G-C-F tuning. In fact if I did switch today, it would probably not take more than a couple of months getting used to it. Alas, I play both bass and guitar in my band (we switch instruments for fun), and have both a few 4's and a 5-string bass, so I am not seeing it in my immediate future, for fear of total confusion, but I think I may be on to something. What are your thoughts?
:bassist:
 
#2
The standard is EADG, defined by 2 centuries of use on the double bass and compatibility with the lower strings of a guitar. It's not going to change.
You are welcome to try anything else that works for you.
DGCF is nothing new and works well. Since scale shapes are preserved, adjusting should be a matter of minutes, not months.
 
#8
I've been tuning this way since the mid 80s. Er... since... oh wow now I feel old. -er-than-usual. I find that the extra range is great, but remember to bring a good capo if you expect to play any traditional rock/blues/etc styles that lean heavily on the open E/A/D strings. This style goes well with a splittable Stingray style pickup, as you're a little farther up on the neck and it can almost pass for a P if you need it to. Whole-step detuning goes well with modern country music, even (or especially) on a 5-string.

Negatives include slight loss of intonation, as you're frequently higher up on the neck. The tone is definitely different from the shorter, heavier strings. Well-made basses may not have enough truss rod tension even with mediums. (I have more trouble with my Surine than with other floppy-neck basses. :) )

I like it, and never really see a need for "standard" tuning at this point.
 
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#9
father of fires said:
I'm either in Eb standard or C standard myself.
Click to expand...

I prefer C std but my singer is big into Chevelle/BB sorta stuff (which I am too) so we mainly stick to dropped stuff. It's no biggie. I've learned to overcome the two C string octave fingering, and can do it w/out even looking at the fretboard so I rarely notice.
 
#13
For my purposes I wouldn't do it but I can see why some people would. If you need a low D but don't like playing in dropped tunings go for it. The standard low E is goes plenty low enough for me. I have a hipshot drop tuner on my american standard jazz but a rarely, I mean very rarely use it. A band I was in when I was in high school used to play in drop D and then switched to standard tuning as we progressed (I had 5 strings at the time too but always stuck with my 4 bangers). My most recent band played in all standard tuning and I would go to drop D for one of our songs but thats it.

As far as I'm concerned any bassist can use any tuning or amount of strings they want as long as it works for them.
 
#15
If I was playing purely my own music that's probably the tuning I'd use, but playing covers there's too much music written around the open E & A that while mostly playable in DGCF would be much easier in EADG.
 
#18
I once played in a band that used drop c tuning. I was playing a 5 string bass at the time and my tuning from low to high was g-c-g-c-f. That was the wildist tuning I've every used. I mostly stick with standard now though. I also have a couple 6 string basses now so the low b is usually as low as I need to go.
 
#19
azzyrazzy said:
Thought experiment here. What if the standard tuning for a 4-string bass was D-G-C-F. All strings tuned two half-steps down. I think that could be a good mix between the standard EADG which many may feel doesn't go low enough, and 5-string bass which goes low but adds another string.

I realize that TB is full of traditional people too, but if you let your mind open up and just go with this idea for a minute...:)
What would the drawbacks to this be? Relearn the fretboard, low tension strings (or new gauges), freak you out if you play guitar too, hard to double/follow riffs in E or what do you think?

What would the pros be? 4-string with kind of extended range.(Takes away the two very highest notes but, probably not a big deal) . Can still play a 4-string which you're comfortable with, even if you need the low D and Eb often?
Eliminate the need for a hipshot d-tuner.

I got this idea while playing in a cover band and "needing" to get that low D on some songs. With the new tuning I'd get the low Eb as a bonus. I feel that the low D is quite normal now in a lot of music. People are used to hearing that low of a bassnote, and it sits nicely in a mix. The norm is jump a 7th from low E to the open string D, like they did always/most of the time earlier. That may not always sound great.

If I was starting out on bass now, playing a 4-string bass, I might have wanted to go with D-G-C-F tuning. In fact if I did switch today, it would probably not take more than a couple of months getting used to it. Alas, I play both bass and guitar in my band (we switch instruments for fun), and have both a few 4's and a 5-string bass, so I am not seeing it in my immediate future, for fear of total confusion, but I think I may be on to something. What are your thoughts?
:bassist:
Click to expand...

My thoughts? You didn't invent it and it's nothing new. I prefer a 5 string, but to each his own. Whatever floats yer boat.

What I don't like is drop D or anything else that disrupts the standard scale pattern. In drop D, the only way to get from Eb to Ab is to jump up a 4th on the same string. On a five string, it's one string over on the same fret. Much easier for me.
 

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