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Question about playing Metal on bass
- Thread starter Paperman
- Start date
I've been playing downtuned for years. All the bands I've been in played down tuned. I originally Played in Bb(early 90's), because we were Young and Tool and Helmet were playing in Db and D, so we had to tune lower for whatever reason! It was fun 
My current band Plays in Db or C# (whatever you want to call it) and I love it. I never have to re tune when I cover stuff at home, I just learned to play it somewhere else on the fret board. Which has actually helped make me a better player over all I think. I'm paying more attention to what I'm doing, having to play the notes instead of just looking at some number on a tab. It also seems that many songs written in E are easier to play down tuned, even when hitting the same notes. It seems like a better arrangement of the notes I like to play. I honestly don't know why Db isn't a standard tuning, because it really should be.
However if you like to play in E more power too you. To each is own I say.
My current band Plays in Db or C# (whatever you want to call it) and I love it. I never have to re tune when I cover stuff at home, I just learned to play it somewhere else on the fret board. Which has actually helped make me a better player over all I think. I'm paying more attention to what I'm doing, having to play the notes instead of just looking at some number on a tab. It also seems that many songs written in E are easier to play down tuned, even when hitting the same notes. It seems like a better arrangement of the notes I like to play. I honestly don't know why Db isn't a standard tuning, because it really should be.
However if you like to play in E more power too you. To each is own I say.
Old school thrash, heavy, viking, black, power, will all generally be in standard E.
Some fun bands you might like to play would be Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Symphony X, Carnivore, Toxik, Atrophy, Dark Angel, Sodom, and Sacramentum. You will probably have to figure out some of those bands yourself, but A LOT of bands play in E. Just not a lot of (sorry) poser metal bands.
Some fun bands you might like to play would be Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Symphony X, Carnivore, Toxik, Atrophy, Dark Angel, Sodom, and Sacramentum. You will probably have to figure out some of those bands yourself, but A LOT of bands play in E. Just not a lot of (sorry) poser metal bands.
With me my band plays d standard. we started in e, decided to re-record our stuff in d, and when listened back to back, it sounded cooler in d, nuff said. you just gotta listen. we play sorta a deadly blackened thrash style
My band's playing a few covers and originals, we're mostly in Drop C now. Killswitch Engage, Bullet for my Valentine are some of the covers we play so it works out alright, I'm just wondering how to tune my 6 string for this... something like ACGCFA# or something?
I play a Carvin 6, and for several years [4 or more] have dropped all my strings 2 semi tones [from my normal BEADGC] and have been playing with whatever tuning my guitarists go down for . . . I guess I don't understand the "will never happen" maybe I'm just wierd, although musically trained and read music, I long ago forgotten keys etc. I just hear a note/chord/etc and just play. I lost what I used to know and use all the time from playing with very gifted guys that just play but not all knew "standard" musical nomenclature - from atrophy in my brain I guess . . .
couldn't have been the Woodstock era drugs . . .I was tame for the time. . .
Almost all metal post 1990 is dropped dude, depending on how good you are you can get a capo and use it on 5 string so you have the low note the same as the guitars and then figure out the fingerings. Did this for a band that tuned drop C.
There are a lot of bands going lower than B, and even lower than F#, but I feel at the point it sounds better to pull a Meshuggah and play in the same octave with a dirty tone.
Sorry man he tunes to G# C# F# B E low to high, I thought the same thing when I first heard them
There are a lot of bands going lower than B, and even lower than F#, but I feel at the point it sounds better to pull a Meshuggah and play in the same octave with a dirty tone.
Sorry man he tunes to G# C# F# B E low to high, I thought the same thing when I first heard them
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in other words I never change my tuning from what I play and don't follow what strange tunings they're always changing this or that guitar for. . . I play one bass most of the time and am home with it. ymmv
kind of my point when I say I keep my tuning the same all the time. I like the sound and feel of my low A and I just play the notes needed where they occur and have gotten used to that- - - that's *my* bass voice ( and I can make her sing like others when I wish to continue the analogy; not sure how that fits in others' schema's but to each his own.
We're all artists and I like cutting my own path with my own bass lines and learn as many of others as I can play so as to keep expanding my own voice on my babygirl!
hope that adds to the discussion anyhow. . . I love what we all do and couldn't imagine ever having to stop . . . let your soul go is what I'm saying, just be you and thats the best you can be. . . I especially believe in keep growing but I'm an old fart and have finally settled on a few things not pickiing up four basses because I *need* to not knowing how to play this or that riff on my any of my basses seemed not good *for me*- - -ymmv- - - but I began (1967) wanting to be Jack Bruce and say would opine the he is still WAY more than relevant
The only thing I haven't tried is like Billy Sheehan with his downtuner key or as others (VW) who just changes his tuners at will on the fly. . . never been that brave or perhaps even willing to try, but I still see the value of playing *others* things and thus trying to do it *exactly* (not just the notes and style-with which I am satisfied I guess personally; if I can make the same sound I guess I never cared ) as they . . . downtuning to this or that as perhaps some may do with my things as I *do* use the A and without it, one could not play *me*. . . but I'm not so full of myself as to expect that will occur. . .hope that adds to the discussion anyhow. . . I love what we all do and couldn't imagine ever having to stop . . . let your soul go is what I'm saying, just be you and thats the best you can be. . . I especially believe in keep growing but I'm an old fart and have finally settled on a few things not pickiing up four basses because I *need* to not knowing how to play this or that riff on my any of my basses seemed not good *for me*- - -ymmv- - - but I began (1967) wanting to be Jack Bruce and say would opine the he is still WAY more than relevant
We make art and whether it's good or not, we let others judge. We ought just keep making our art!!!I have been playing bass for about a year, and have been learning in standard tuning (EADG).
I really enjoy metal music, and was just wondering if it is possible to play metal without downtuning? Are there any metal bands that play in standard tuning?
Also, wouldn't extending the bass' range by playing a 5-string, for example, in standard tuning give you access to the same notes as if you had downtuned a 4-string?
I am just trying to learn about this, and am finding it slightly confusing -- please feel free to help educate me
Thanks in advance for any responses -- I really appreciate it!
- Paperman
Absolutely, Megadeth played all the way up to yourhanasia (that was the first album they went Eb) playing drop (as a bassist messes me up, but I know it’s so the guitarist can play more bs and not need a second guitar player...,they just forget bass and drums get double duty.
