Why are TBers so against drop or detuning?

[Tim C.]

good. you need to do some more research. when you do, you will find that we hear the lower notes WAAAAAAAAY more out of the second harmonic than the fundamental regardless of how low our amp goes.

It boggles me how difficult this is for some people to understand.

 

[fractiouslowend]

i think some people are confusing drop tuning and down tuning.
as i understand, drop tuning is where one string(eg E) is tuned down (to D) and the other strings remain the same. this is ''drop D"
downtuning is where ALL strings are tuned down (eg one step) this is D standard.
in my band the guitarists tune to drop C (drop D down a whole step), however i tune to open C (C,G,C,G low to high) the reason i dont get a five stringer is that it would only give me one semitone extra to play, and that low B wouldn't get used a whole lot

the main reason for drop tuning is to give a different set of intervals on your bass (or guitar) it is no different to a cello being tuned in fifths or a spanish guitar in open E

 

[Bob C]

coolrunner989,

You're right - If a riff is built around a pedal or drone note, and that note happens to be a "dropped" E flat, D or whatever that can be hard (not impossible, but hey) to cop on a standard tuned bass, no matter how many strings it has.

 

[cb56]

I say, play the type of instrument you want to play, with the number of strings you want on it, using the tuning that helps you get your groove on.
As for me, I've played 5 string in standard BEADG tuning for over 20 years and don't feel the need to do anything different. If you want to do it differently, I'm ok with that really. The world would be a boring place if we all did everything the same way.

 

[Bob C]

fractiouslowend,

Good point. The two phrases have sometimes been used interchangably throughout this thread.

 

[sonic assassin]

i play 5's exclusively. but ill still drop my E string to play drop D riffs. so im right in the middle of both camps. some things just sound better dropped.

in recent years, we've tuned down more and more. a lot of metal and hardcore is in the awkward spot of C and C#. these bands are also normally plagued with terrible bassists, or at least bands that hold their bassist back. so most of the time its easy to dump on those bassists for their lack of contribution, their terrible rattly tone, and their taking the easy way out.

but some bands absolutely require it. RATM, tool, can you imagine NOT wailing on that open low D sometimes?

my band is in drop C#. my bassist is tuned accordingly. his tone is fine. ive tried to play his parts on my 5'er before, and its awkward. in a style of music like ours, id rather be tuned WITH the guitars if i was going to play anything remotely complicated.

the guy from say.. godsmack? or slipknot? underoath? they dont need to be drop tuned. i doubt they ever move from the top string. their parts are easy, they could very well be playing them on a standard tuned 5 string or a baritone. its just easier for those sort of guys to look at a guitarists hands and copy. its not bass friendly music, so it really doesnt matter.

whatever your situation is, do what is comfortable. but dont drop tune because its the thing to do.

 

[bongomania]

Can we all agree that a B string doesn't substitute a pedal C?

No, certainly not. You might want to read up on what pedal notes are.

 

[JimmyM]

And who cares what I/You/He plays anyway?

again, it's all about bassists looking to others for validation of their methodology and gear. if you can take a dump on other people's methodology and gear, you think your methodology and gear stands taller and prouder, and then you get a pile-on of people who agree with you that makes you feel even taller and prouder. it's pretty damn stupid, though, and i really only see bassists doing this. i wish bassists were more like guitarists where they try to hide their methodology and gear from other guitarists.

 

[Ric5]

It is not dumping on people it is giving advice. If you want low notes then a 5 string is a better solution than detuning.

If you never want to play a note below E then the 4 string is a good solution.

 

[Bassist-92821]

Reason I drop tune is cause thats what the singer wants... I have 5 strings and a six in standard tuning and it's not the same as playin a drop tuned bass.( I won't drop tune a 5 or six, just a 4) I detune all 4 strings the E becomes eb etc....try playing some Van halen or stevie ray on a 5 string in standard tuning...It can be difficult. plus it doesn't sound the same.. I don;t necessarily like having to do it but it keeps me playing out!


Kwesei

My bass is still tuned in 4ths when it is drop tuned. I never heard of anybody dropping the e string a whole step

My Praise Worship leader had a song that sounded better with a low D... so before that song I would drop the E string to a D, and immediately after the song would re-tune to E

 

[M0ses]

Here is the real answer to the OP. Please note that I did not read anything but that

There is such a huge variety of people, and such a huge variety of opinions, here on TB, and everyone is willing to contribute theirs, that you can't possibly say anything without someone thinking it's stupid. That's the way the world is. You don't notice it in real life because you don't talk to thousands of people.

It has nothing to do with the actual merit of drop tuning, because that's completely subjective.

 

[rarbass]

Buy a 5-string.









...wait, what?

 

[JimmyM]

It is not dumping on people it is giving advice. If you want low notes then a 5 string is a better solution than detuning.

says you. i totally buy into the detuning argument to where you can play drone notes (for the guy who called them "pedal notes" it's not pedal notes, btw...it's called drone notes) and fretted notes at the same time.

 

[RBrownBass]

It is not dumping on people it is giving advice. If you want low notes then a 5 string is a better solution than detuning.

If you never want to play a note below E then the 4 string is a good solution.

The OP said in his first post: "If I could use a 5 string for all of my bands songs, I would. But given the way they are written, and the constant low C between many higher notes in many of my bands songs, it is not possible."

The second sentence is key here. Your bringing up the idea of a fiver in his case is pointless because it's all about validation, as JimmyM said. He feels he needs to downtune to serve the music. Doesn't matter why. If there were any other options he was willing to employ (like playing a different line), he'd have already done that.

 

[Bassist-92821]

another option to get the lower notes is to get an Octaver for your bass.... cheaper than a 5-er

BTW, I just bought a 5-er (Ibanez SR405QM) and a multi FX pedal (Line 6 Bass Floor POD), not necessarily because I needed them, but I wanted them and think that they might expand my horizons on the BASS

 

[steelhead2]

i'm going to guess it's about what music you play,,BSing with a young man who quit a cover band to joing a band with orig music and are looking to be`signed' as well as surfing all various music stlyes(and enjoying all as well on this journey here),,,,i'd say play what style of music you want to and tune to what you want to

it's all about creating something new if you want to be`signed' isn't it?,,come on!,,listening to some music tonight and this is what hit me in the face(after a run was played in a song on the radio)=i got some NEW and DIFFERENT stuff here,didja hear it!?,get what i'm saying? you can cover someone else's shtuff or break out and create your own

isn't that what music is all about?

i'lways love Skynyrd,Foghat,Stones.Et Al but new rock is getting booked and signed(and besides; that's the crowd!,it's 9:53PM i'm not going downtown i'm going to bed after some ice cream,yup i might even soak my dentures and wash my attends before i hit it,`drop tune' all ya want young feller just keep kickin' a!!

 

[timbledum]

It is not dumping on people it is giving advice. If you want low notes then a 5 string is a better solution than detuning.

If you never want to play a note below E then the 4 string is a good solution.

Thats missing the whole point of d tuning (to me). Its not about having the low notes specifically, but actually the different interval is the primary purpose and the main reason for the different tuning.

 

[testing1two]

This should be a pragmatic decision not a philosophical or moral discussion. Play a drop or down tuned instrument if it's the most practical way to play the music you play. If it's more beneficial to play an extended range bass then by all means, buy a bass with as many strings as necessary. There is no right or wrong answer.

I got all the way up to 7 strings before I discovered I only liked 4 of them.

 

[ljazz]

This should be a pragmatic decision not a philosophical or moral discussion. Play a drop or down tuned instrument if it's the most practical way to play the music you play. If it's more beneficial to play an extended range bass then by all means, buy a bass with as many strings as necessary. There is no right or wrong answer.

I got all the way up to 7 strings before I discovered I only liked 4 of them.

That was my findings with 5 strings....LOL.

To the OP
No bash against 5, 6 or 7 strings..... some of my favorite bassists play ERB's...... but some of my other favorites use 4's. Same thing with alternate tunings.

Use what you need to get the job done. If it means different tunings, then so be it. If your band is happy, and you're happy, then there is no reason to seek this boards approval when you're making killer music.

 

[vene-nemesis]

I dont like it at all, because in most cases i have seen drop C being used it means crappy guitarrists playing the same scales and progressions over and over again.

And when i go to a gig of an accuaintance or to a concert, if there happen to be 2 or more bands playing on drop C most of their songs are just variations of the same patern.

All of this IMHO.