Tuning down?

[jimmy rocket]

The two guitarists in my band always tune to Eb, but I've never down-tuned. They also move their capos all around the first 3 frets, so I've always just transposed everything.

I always think it's amusing when the vocalist says it's easier to sing with the down-tuned guitars even when the capos are on the first fret.

 

[TapyTap]

This thread seems like an appropriate place to ask. Do higher gauge strings automatically translate into increased string tension? (aka, won't get so flubby when I downtune?)

http://www.liutaiomottola.com/formulae/tension.htm

 

[bassbenj]

Why do some bands tune down. I have an upcoming rehearsal with a band that say's they tune down. Can someone explain why they would do this and what if any are the benifits?

Usually it is a guitar thing. A guitar tuned down from E to C really can have a HUGE tone. This can bring many guitars alive. Secondarily it can be done to get a tune into a range the singer can handle. And another reason is so you can play a song in the original (hard) key while fingering it as if it were an "easy" key. This is the same reason capos are used.

All of the above makes perfect sense for guitar players. But for reasons I don't understand they seem to have convinced some bass players that "tuning down" somehow will do something for them as well. People here argue with me about this, but a tuned down bass usually does not sound better. The strings get floppy which is not good. And being that a bass is not tuned like a guitar you can move to any key with virtually no effort. Your patterns are the SAME for any key. You don't have "easy" and a "hard" keys on a bass.

The same thing goes for weird tunings which can have great advantages in reaching the notes of certain chords on a guitar, but really don't seem to make much sense on a bass. Basses usually don't play chords.

So the bottom line is my guitars are tuned all over the place in drop or open or just plain weird tunings, but NONE of my basses use anything but standard tuning in 4ths to traditional notes.

At least this is how I see the issue.