I was just wondering if the bass tunning for punk is different than other genres because when ever I look up tabs for punk, the letters are reversed, saying G at the top, and when i play it with normal tuning, it doesn't sound right, but when I tune it with the notes reversed, it sounds like it does in the song. This would be fine except when i tune the top string to G, it always pops, I've gone threw two bass strings and I wanna know what to do.
Yo man, you're definitely destroying your neck by tuning your E string up a minor third . . . that's real rough. Keep it in standard. Any links to the tabs in question? I get the feeling you're reading them upside down. Try reversing your approach. And in any case, just learn it by ear! It's good for you!
As Snarf said, I would not recommend tuning your low E up a minor 3rd to G. In terms of bass TABS being upside down, I havent really ever looked at bass TAB punk music. Other guys on the site seem to think that they sometimes are. When in doubt, listen to the record and use the ear when you can. Peace, Dave
The "Top" line of a tab is usually your (musically) highest string, being the G, which is the thinnest. Punk songs are generally standard tuning (thickest string) E-A-D-G (thinnest string)
If you want to run the E up to G, use a Capo on the thrird fret. I agree tuning up that much by tension will destroy the bass. D tuning is cool, I use it on slide guitar, but if you start getting your scales and patterns down in alternate tuning, you'll find yourself getting messed up in standard tuning. If you want to play with alternates, try the capo on third, and tune so its (going from lowest note to highest) try Open G, dropping the low string, so you have G-D-G-B. Open G is a classic blues tuning, and the Stones have it on a lot of their songs, Ron Wood removes the lowest string, which is D in this tuning (Guitar Open G is (low to high) DGDGBD. Its a Robert Johnson type tuning, and plays different than the open D or E tunings, but sounds cool. for bass, I'd stick with standard tuning, because the others shift the fingering of scales. I keep one guitar in Open G, One ib Open D, as well as one in standard Spanish tuning. I run my Telestar 3/4 scale with ADGC...its to floppy any looser...it only has a 23 1/2" scale! Cool little guy, though.
It's probably because when you look down at your bass when playing it happens to be "upside down." Also as notes go higher in standard notation the higher they are in pitch. It makes sense if you see songbooks with tab and notation together.
Punk I know... usually tuned: Top String - E or Eb 2nd String From Top - A or Ab 3rd String Down - D or Db Bottom String - G or Gb usually just playing the root notes, except for like Matt Freeman from Rancid or Mike Dirnt from Green Day. And, yes, tabs are written upside down (to look like how you're holding the guitar - just flip it)! God Bless - kRiS
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