Tuning you bass in thirds?

[logdrum]

Well because it is already a composed and recorded with multiple parts, it does not tell me what a bass tuned in thirds would be like. Maybe a lone bass not looped and less taping will give us a sense of what 3rds tuning can give us. There is already a 3rds interval on a regular guitar G to B on 3rd and 2nd

 

[Cerio]

Great playing & arrangement.
In my opinion, playing an instrument well is challenging enough by itself without unnecessarily making it even harder.

 

[Prodigus Filius]

probably more practical on a guitar if I could use that word

Ralph Patt - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

@ Les Fret
What gauges you using?

 

[Les Fret]

It would probably inspire me. Speaking of tuning in tritones, there is a really cool Swiss band called Sonar, where the bassist and both guitarists are tuned in tri-tones. C F# C F#. Very Crimson inspired music.

Thank you all for your input. Good discussion, I really appreciate it! I will try to answer some of your posts.

Yes I know Sonar. I was already using tritone tuning before I knew Sonar. Someone pointed me to that band because of a video I made. Really like them. A few weeks ago also made a track in DG#DG# tritone tuning and I have another one on my YT channel in F#CF#C. It is hard to avoid Crimson vibes with that tuning indeed!

 

[Les Fret]

I think alternative tunings, unless you are talking about tuning down to B, make little sense on bass. They make more sense on guitar and even more sense if you are tuning to an exotic scale, like Fripp used to do with KC.

But that's just me....the more I learn the less I know. You do you.

It makes sense if you play more bass oriented or solo bass music. It's no replacement for standard tuning. It's just to get another sound/atmosphere, use more/other open strings, get other harmonics, being able to play chord or lines that would otherwise be impossible or very awkward to play etc.
But mostly to look at the fretboard in a new way and getting out your comfort zone and standard licks.

 

[Les Fret]

I am inspired to experiment with altered tunings more and more, this recording as well as the amazing Michael Manring's creations. I regularly use several different tunings on steel guitar but will certainly try on my basses. I have a fretless bass that needs assembly that would be perfect.

Thanks. Yes works on fretless bass really well as Michael Manring proves.

 

[Les Fret]

Great playing & arrangement.
In my opinion, playing an instrument well is challenging enough by itself without unnecessarily making it even harder.

Thanks. Yes, it is always challenging no matter what tuning. There always something new to learn. That's the beauty of playing an instrument.

 

[Cerio]

Thanks. Yes, it is always challenging no matter what tuning. There always something new to learn. That's the beauty of playing an instrument.

Absolutely, I admire people who are able to work with alternate tunings, unfortunately I'm just not one of them, my brain just isn't wired for that

 

[Les Fret]

@ Les Fret
What gauges you using?

This bass is normally tuned in tenor tuning ADGC. Think I used 85, 65, 45, 30 on this bass, not totally sure. But it's a medium scale bass. I bought it especially for tenor tuning which works better on a medium scale. There aren't many medium scale basses with 24 frets, (besides Alembic) that's why I choose the Urge 1 bass.

Thanks for pointing me to Ralph Patt, never heard of him. Interesting!

 

[Prodigus Filius]

This bass is normally tuned in tenor tuning ADGC. Think I used 85, 65, 45, 30 on this bass, not totally sure. But it's a medium scale bass. I bought it especially for tenor tuning which works better on a medium scale. There are many medium scale basses with 24 frets, (besides Alembic) that's why I choose the Urge 1 bass.

Thanks for pointing me to Ralph Patt, never heard of him. Interesting!

Okie doke. Yeh Patt was an interesting fellow. I’ve done M3rds on guitar after coming across him. I’ve tried on bass too.

 

[Les Fret]

Okie doke. Yeh Patt was an interesting fellow. I’ve done M3rds on guitar after coming across him. I’ve tried on bass too.

I meant 'aren't many medium scale basses with 24 frets'....I adjusted it.

What were your findings with the major 3rds tuning on guitar and bass?

 

[micguy]

whoas. just imagine if you played a fretless!

On a fretless, there are sn infinite number of notes. Beginners will access more of them.

 

[MrAB4003]

I can't think of any use for major thirds tuning (or fifths tuning) outside of classical music and maybe jazz. I have been tuning in fourths forever and it makes sense in my logical mind.

However, I have been tuning to D Standard (DGCF) since 2023. So I'm familiar with alternate tunings. I tried tuning at least one bass in Eb Standard, C Standard, and even BEAD. But those didn't last for very long.

 

[Prodigus Filius]

What were your findings with the major 3rds tuning on guitar and bass?

I’ll stick with how I found on bass guitar, because I don’t pick up a guitar at all now days, other than to say cowboy chords are a problem in M3 tuning, which Patt himself acknowledged

The Major 3rd Tuning

Another disadvantage on a 4 string 20 fret bass is the loss of 3 notes on the highest string. For those who ever use them of course.
On the bass things involving the inevitable stretches are easier from the 5th fret upwards ( that’s a guitar scale length of course).
Inversions, which are the heart of the tuning you’d have to say, are easier. As for some shapes as far as they are applicable on a 4 string bass ( no D major shape etc) the 513 E shape becomes a 135 E shape. The D shape major from guitar 513 becomes 513 minor triad. The diminished 135 takes on the augmented shape. The 513 A shape from guitar becomes augmented 135 and 351.

More from Patt

Ralph Patt's Jazz Web Page

 

[Les Fret]

I have been tuning to D Standard (DGCF) since 2023. So I'm familiar with alternate tunings.

That is not really an alternate tuning since is had the same fourth intervals as standard tuning. It’s called a drop tuning.

 

[mambo4]

I have always understood “drop tunings” to describe tuning in 4ths , plus drop the lowest string a whole step : A four string in “drop d” tuning is DADG. (Perhaps an adoption of the common guitar DADGAD tuning)

Maybe I’m wrong but that’s how I always had it explained

 

[MrAB4003]

I have always understood “drop tunings” to describe tuning in 4ths , plus drop the lowest string a whole step : A four string in “drop d” tuning is DADG. (Perhaps an adoption of the common guitar DADGAD tuning)

Maybe I’m wrong but that’s how I always had it explained

You are correct. DADG is Drop D. CGCF is Drop C.

DGCF is D Standard (or whole step down) tuning because it's standard tuning with all the strings a step down. It's still an alternate tuning because it's not standard.

 

[Les Fret]

I have always understood “drop tunings” to describe tuning in 4ths , plus drop the lowest string a whole step : A four string in “drop d” tuning is DADG. (Perhaps an adoption of the common guitar DADGAD tuning)

Maybe I’m wrong but that’s how I always had it explained

You are correct! But I don’t consider D or C standard as an alternate tuning because it still has the same intervallic relation as standard tuning.

 

[Prodigus Filius]

Standard tunings (ie in 4ths( regardless of the low string pitch, come under the umbrella of regular tunings. Which have the same intervallic relationship from string to string. So DGCF is a standard tuning and a regular tuning, but CGDA would be a regular tuning but not a standard tuning. Likewise M3 tuning is regular but not standard. Drop tuning is more commonly applied to lowering the low string of a standard tuning, but retaining the pitch on the remaining strings e.g DADG is a drop tuning of E standard

 

[Les Fret]

Standard tunings (ie in 4ths( regardless of the low string pitch, come under the umbrella of regular tunings. Which have the same intervallic relationship from string to string. So DGCF is a standard tuning and a regular tuning, but CGDA would be a regular tuning but not a standard tuning. Likewise M3 tuning is regular but not standard. Drop tuning is more commonly applied to lowering the low string of a standard tuning, but retaining the pitch on the remaining strings e.g DADG is a drop tuning of E standard

Good description! I agree. Maybe the word regular is a bit misleading and could be replaced by symmetrical….