5 Reasons Why I Don't DOWNTUNE or DROP TUNE
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 21 авг 2024
- WATCH NEXT - I FINALLY DOWNTUNED: • Why I Downtuned My Gui...
It seems like most metal guitarists and bands either downtune or drop tune their guitars.
This is something I have never done, and in the video I'm sharing 5 reasons why I continue to play in standard tuning.
I'm not completely against downtuning or drop tuning. But I think when you hear the reasons I don't, you'll understand. And you may even consider going back to standard tuning.
One point I make in the video is this...
Playing lower notes do not automatically equate to a heavier sound.
And I feel like too many guitar players get caught in that trap of always playing the heaviest (or rather, LOWEST) note possible.
This limits your playing!!
I also give you some tips for both 6 string guitar and 7 string guitar. I also tell you how to use your bass player (or your bass if you play bass) to make your overall sound heavier!
Watch my video and comment below and let know me if you downtune or drop tune, what key, or if you play standard tuning.
Keep it Metal,
Jason
Check out my Music, Blog, and Merch at:
jasonstallwort...
Listen/Stream my music at:
Spotify: open.spotify.c...
iTunes: itun.es/us/_4M4U
Amazon: music.amazon.c...
Follow me at:
Facebook: / jasonstallworthmetal
Instagram: / jasonstallworth 
Видеоклипы
➪➪➪ WATCH NEXT - I FINALLY DOWNTUNED: ruclips.net/video/CY4TJomxSQk/видео.html
I tuned so low as a guitarist...I became a bassist.
lol
Funny as fu#k man.. love it. 🤘🤘
Yo are you related to Tyron Woodley? Tell him what’s up brotha lol
@@antonioangeconeb3196 I have absolutely no family bro
I started with guitar, moved to drums and liked hitting stuff... so now I play bass because it's in between the other two.
as an avid down and drop-tuner, you have made some solid points dude. 25.5” scale length instruments really arent made to play bass clef notes without gigantic ass strings, and even then it sounds loose!! excellent video 😎
Thank you…and here I am getting ready to down tune one of my guitars to C#m soon!!
being old school i still like b standard baritone guitar / 5 string bass tuning
I love having a 5 string bass! Makes such a huge difference in the overall tone and feel!
"I down tuned my 8 string to drop E and use the digitech whammy pedal to drop it two octaves lower"
That's supppppper low
@@jasonstallworth lol got that from Aaron Chaperian's stream, he says it doesn't sound that good but it's just so fucking heavy
and jared dines once used 3 whammy pedals so yeah
the sound goes "BRRLLLLLFFFBBBDDHH"
That's some Oceans Ate Alaska shit
I find that when I drop tune, I just need to EQ it more in the high-mids. It gets rid of the mud most of the time. I like playing a combination of palm mutes, powerchords and scale notes. It takes a big load off my fingers, and I can focus more on writing more complicated riffs up top.
That's just how I've always played. I tried standard so many times, and it just doesn't feel right, lol.
Mat, that's a solid approach, adjusting your EQ to take out the that low end. A lot of guitarists don't realize you have to do that when playing lower notes, especially when you put it in the mix with all of the other instruments.
You don't have to tune low to be heavy...i've always lived by that..but i do downtune sometimes just to change it up or get out of a rut...so i guess i don't live by it quite as much as i used to but it is totally possible to be heavy as ten ton balls and never break standard tuning,absolutely
DarkLight You make a great point - changing things up some to get out of a rut. It’s the same with working out. Sometimes you have to make changes in what you do to break past a plateau!
Nobody said you had to. But it is heavier
I always said low tunings don't makes your riffs heavier it's the way you structure your riffs that makes the difference
🤘
Well it can help. It’s also string tension control. Lighter gauge strings on low tuning sound wobbly and lose sustain and resonance. I personally feel that lower tunings really sound great for some types of metal. Just go to a higher gauge string to keep stability. I believe a lot of the new wave of metal guitarists don’t use baritone or 7-strings (some do) and just go heavy top string gauges on standard scale length necks and drop to B/near B tuning. To each their own though. Not every style should be drop tuned. Some power metal and metalcore sound awesome in standard or Drop D.
I'm mainly a standard guy, but I do use lower tunings only if I'm covering a song that's not in standard.
🤘
The modern metal sound has become so generic and boring, because everybody wants to outplay each other with the lowest chug notes. Unfortunately its being more focus on low sound rather than focusing on good songwriting.
Agreed... and that's why old music still outsells new music.
I like low ass tuning and good song writing sooo…
Have you listened to P4?
Could not agree more. Also, many of the shit is so focused on how technical you can play rather than like you stated good songwriting. I also think the WAY the albums are produced sucks. You can't hear the wood in the instruments, or the snap of the snare drum it's so HI-FI sounding. Some modern albums I would recommend Daath - Concealers, Psycroptic - Psycroptic, and Gojira - Magma. These are albums that utilize drop tunings that sound ORGANIC to me and really well done.
some of the hugest bands play in drop tuning, bmth, slipknot, linkin park, even Metallica, They don’t just play in low tuning because they want to outplay people, they maybe playing lower but actually there no different from anyone who plays in standard, there music is absolutely amazing in there own way
Dude, I love that you press the riffing thing! So many players I see are dead set on playing covers. I've been playing since '94 and I've struggled to gel with other players because they seem stuck on covers, and they struggle with me because I just start throwing down riffs.
Love it man! Best fuckin guitar channel on RUclips!!! Keep it \,,/ \,,/!!!
CG_Justin _ Dude Thank you 🙏🏻 for the comment and supporting my channel!!
Yeah, to me, riffing is where it’s at, in my opinion anyway.
And I’m with you...I don’t care about learning or playing covers. We’d rather write our own music and riffs! 🤘
I have never been good at playing others material ,but come up with riffs in my head all the time, its why ive never played with others,they look at me weird cause i cant play songs...
i hate cover bands
No Cover Charge Yeah dude and that’s why many people change their guitar tunings...so they can play another band’s music. I get it, and that’s fine. But for me, I’d much rather write and play my own original stuff. If people like it, great! If not, that’s okay too
In Riff we trust!!!
All my guitars are tuned differently. My Dimebag Darrell Tribute Dean is E standard. My Hellraiser is in D standard, my Jackson V is in C standard and my agile seven string is in the super low drop G. For those that are interested...
I use my dean for practice. I cover stuff like ZZ Top, molly hatchet and Metallica so I practice with that guitar.
The Jackson is C standard because that’s what brendon small of dethklok and galaktikon writes in and he’s one of my biggest influences. I’m constantly trying to learn techniques that he implements in his style and since I have the tab books for all the dethalbums, I like to work on that. I need what I’m practicing from him to be in the same tuning as him. It’s just easier for me to latch on to and learn. Plus, his melodic riffs and melodies are among some of my favorites that exist in extreme metal.
I bought an agile seven string from Craigslist and it was already set up to be D standard with a 7th, dropped G string. I had never played with a drop tuning that went beyond drop d so that was quite a difference. One of my other favorite melodic death metal bands, wolfheart plays in drop A so I’ve been considering tuning it up. It’s a floyed and I too am not the best at setting up guitars. I’ll probably have that guitar moved from the super low tuning it’s in to drop A plus standard tuning. I use it through the EVH 5150 iii and I’m still able to get a really tight sound out with that amp though so that’s cool. I find that if you use super slinky strings on your guitars like that, it’ll muddy it up a little so having good set of solid strings non slink helps a lot. Plus, I don’t live on the open top string and that helps too.
My hellraiser is in d standard... just because. I was like to hell with it, let’s see how this bad boy sounds tuned down a little bit. It sounds good and I learn songs that are in d standard so that helps.
I like to hop around on tunings and experiment a little. I write music in different tunings too. I just get that extra bit of extended range sometimes and I’m able to grab certain notes that I wouldn’t be able to reach on a standard tuning. If your not familiar with dethklok or wolfheart and you like Amon Amarth , I highly suggest both of those bands. Great video man, always lookin forward to your content.
Dude LOT of great info here!! Thank you for posting this!
That makes sense to use the tunings of the bands that you're playing along with, so I totally get that. And I'm sure learning Dethlok stuff is cool!!
Oh...Amon Amarth is one of my favorite bands!
You mentioned the Hellraiser...I'd like to get one of those!
Cool story bro so interested in your guitar collection
Brendan small has so many sick riffs and leads. Such a thicc player
@@TheBigMclargehuge I don't really have a ton...I'm kind of a minimalist, even with gear. I just have my LTD M1000, ESP E-II Horizon FR-7, Ibanez RG 1570, and a bass and acoustic.
Should’ve had the Dean for D Standard for all of Dimes tasty riffs, that’s what I’m doing for my Dean From Hell when I get it in June
Opeth's 'Deliverance' is a 6-string guitar in standard tuning, and that song is heavy as f*ck. So yes, you are right, you don't need to detune to achieve heaviness. It's all about crafting the right riffs and making them work within the context of a song.
That being said, I do mess around with drop tunings a bit. My favorite is doing Drop D on my 7-string. It makes the one finger chords on the bottom 2 strings into a beautiful sludgy mess lol.
Yeah Opeth some really heavy and super creative music!
I just wanted to say, I picked up the guitar again after 7 years and your videos keep me moving forward, thank you for the continued learning!!
Thank you for that and glad you're back to playing 🤘
Even cannibal corpse used to play in Eb and they were heavy as fuck on those albums. The heaviness lies in the intervals played and tritones make a huge difference. Low death growls help a ton too and are used as an instrument like a bass rather than a singing voice. Bands that tune extremely low in styles such as slam metal the snares are tuned very high because high notes have to come from somewhere and drums are more melodic and pronounced feeling, similar to a small lead guitar section.
Oh, dude, Cannibal Corpse has some super heavy tones and you nailed it, it's really in your playing style.
Vocals make a difference, too. The song 'Never Enough' has death metal vocals in the chorus, which is played in the regular Am key: ruclips.net/video/__to4AeJM68/видео.html
I pretty much always play in standard tuning. To get a "lower note" I use a chord that's shaped like an "E major" or "A minor" and I can play down to "B" (or sometimes I go to "Bb") in standard tuning. This "trick" does not work in drop tunings, but should work with some down tunings (in theory).
That's great into 🤘
Amazing content.... I personally love both so i got a 7 string in Drop A to have the drop and E standard... Is amazing!!!
🤘
The main reason I don’t down tune my guitar is because I have always had this idea that if someone wants to play along with my music they shouldn’t have to worry about changing tunings. I think that is why bands like Metallica and iron Maiden are great cause you can pick up your guitar and start jamming with them. That is also why I like your music too it is easy for me to jam out to Apocalyptic Dreams.
Oh man, thanks for supporting my album!! Yeah, I'm with you...and those were always my favorites, especially the older Metallica.
Go on, try to play Frantic.
It's exactly what is killing metal cause beginners can't play their favorite songs since of all them have different tunings.
@@biebiekeianime5985 more like just skill wise
@@biebiekeianime5985 lmfao that is most definitely not killing metal. This is the weirdest video and comment section ive ever seen. If you cant tune your guitar to a different tuning or harsh on players who do, put down your guitar. You are a kook. Alternate tuning especially drop d, c and b ahave always been popular…literallt every metal band plays different tunings and it helps shape their sound. Songs can sound heavy and tight in any tuning. I mean you really gonna sit here and tell Rammstein to play in standard while theyre selling millions?
Interesting points. I do tune Drop B and I get a descent clean sound but I use alot of treble and mids. But yes I agree people get stuck in one key and it's boriingggg. I use B E C# D E flat. C. I like playing in any key possible
The main reason to downtune should be for your singer to sound their best in the key of the song, while still having open strings be usable in your song. But to each their own, its obviously more convenient to play in standard with shorter scale lengths, less work on the nut, and an easier time balancing guitars and bass in the mix.
I'm with you on catering to the singer. Since putting this video out, I've actually considering dropping down a little for that reason.
The main reason to downtune should be to get the sound you want out of your guitar.
I recently picked back up my guitar and I've been strictly trying to relearn the instrument in E standard. I have hours upon hours of experience with drop C, when I first started it's the only tuning I ever used (except when I wanted more mellow stuff) so I know chords galore and I know how to easily compose metal in any drop tuning but standard.. I have no idea. I feel like learning how to compose metal in standard is neccesarry to getting better and will open doors for me. Metal in standard is way more about theory than drop tuning metalcore riffs, chug the open drop power chord and bass note go brr. I'm also not trying to do this on a 7 string because that 7th string is so low it's not very hard to make it sound heavy.
That's awesome that you pick it back up! I encourage you to stick with it! You'll be amazed how fast everything comes back to you!
Oh, I also just released a beginner's metal guitar course if you're interested in revisiting the basics (it's all in standard tuning as you would guess): metalmastermind.com/metal-guitar-apprentice/
I figured it out lol. Tritone, minor 2nd, major 7th, chromatic notes, minor 3rd. With these things anyone can sound heavy
Also I figured out the picks I used were holding me back. I was using a .7 but my .5s are way easier. It's crazy how much of a difference it makes.
The .7s hurt my wrist but with .5s I can do whatever I want.
Dude... It literally makes no difference theory-wise whether you are in drop tuning or not. There are 12 notes to choose from either way. I play in drop C and write intricate riffs that are melodic and utilize the entire range of octaves on the fretboard. If you find yourself stuck just chugging on low notes, then you need to learn how to write riffs, not just tune your guitar differently and hope you get better somehow.
I plan on going with a heavyer gauge string and down tuning. I'm really not a fan of E standard. Don't like the tone. Even Eb standard sounds better to me. But that's just my opinion.
Respect to Vektor not only for kickass songs but also for the fact that they tune *up* a semitone. Their sound is tight, melodic, and high-energy AF.
🤘
I once tuned my 6 string to Drop G which is 7 steps down from standard tuning. A Pitch-Shifter pedal could work or a Drop Pedal, those pedals changes the tuning of your guitar but when those pedals are on, your guitar is actually still in standard tuning. Do thought of doing that because I’ve been always been afraid to tune the 3 higher strings.
Dude I’ve never been a fan of how those pedals sound. I am about to drop one of my guitars to C# and I’ll be sharing that moment on here (make sure you’re subscribed!)
@@jasonstallworth Oh, I see.
Also yes I am Subscribed, I did learn some of the riffs you made. My favorite one has to be the Thrash Metal on 7 string and there’s a second riff that’s just supper fun to play.
I play a lot in Drop D, drop C and D standard.
As far as riffing I use the key of A, C, F and G most of the time. When i write in A I will almost always let change to D minor for a sick break down. I also like get out of the major scale when I can. Harmonic minor and phrygian dominant.
As long as you're happy with it and your tone isn't muddy that's all that counts
@@jasonstallworth it took me a while learning how string gauges interact with the neck and how to really adjust my truss rod, action and intonation. It all boils down to your scale length, tone wood and finally technique.
If You haven't tried this. Give it a whirl and report your results back in another video. Ditch your .46 low E and put a .50 for a 25.5 scale or a .52 for a 24 3/4 scale. Then do a full set up tuned to drop D. I will drop my bridge pickup away from my strings 1/4 turn at a time if initially it sounds muddy. But i play on lace sensor pickups so I don't get the same sort of string oscillation that you get on dimarzios or seymour Duncan's.
@@jasonstallworth it looks like you've been around the block a time or two and your video is called why I don't not why you shouldn't.
Can you make a video explaing how down tuning made beginners less interest on guitar cause they can't play their favorite songs since all of them have different and very low tuning. (Modern metal even use different guitars with 7, 8 and 9 strings in the same album) so basically a beginner would need at least 3 of 5 guitars.
One thing I challenge guitarists to focus on more is developing their own style and start writing their own riffs, not someone else's.
Your strings will be a factor too that’s why i have different types on certain guitars. Kinda gotta find what works for you and sounds good. Different types will have a different feel depending on whatever tuning you like to be in. Typically i stay in E, Drop D, and D but i do like to go in Drop B
True! I actually downtuned for the first time here (and I explain why I chose a specific tuning): ruclips.net/video/CY4TJomxSQk/видео.html
for me, drop/down tuning is fine as long as the guitars and basses are properly intonated and set up for a specific tuning and it's also fine as long as you continue to be extremely creative on making riffs, melodies and solos. My usual tunings are drop C, B and A# but still i riff like hell and my fingers are everywhere on the frets. But really tho, the problem of metal guitarists today was mentioned clearly on the video. "chugging the same stuff all over again".
Yeah dude, downtuning definitely has its place. And you nailed it on the point that I was making...many will just chug one 1 or 2 chords and not move around
riffs for life yo!!! 🤘💀🤘
I agree on all poinrs. I've thought about drop tuning but never have. Bought a guitar from a guy that was tuned down but will be tuning it to standard. I like riffing a lot, I agree it's seems kinda limiting. I love metal especially 80s thrash and all, the biggest thing is the music with tempo and a variety of riff changes. Listening to the same riff being milked throughout the song just isn't pleasant to the ears, much like your kid playing the same song over and over and over and you finally turn and shout "CUT IT OUT CAN'T YA"!!
In my opinion it's like trying to play heavy metal with a kinda rock concept where the same riff essentially carries throughout the whole song. Hey it works with rock classics but not with metal.
Louis A yeah dude, there’s certainly a place for downtuned guitars but I encourage people to play and write in standard and just hear how tight it is...there’s so many great metal bands from that era that didn’t downtune
Great points you got there👍🏻 I'm really into stoner/doom metal, and bought 6 string baritone for that, because I'm also too lazy to hassle with all those setups. Kept my two mains in E standard.
Yeah the setups with a floating tremolo can be a pain!
I am a fan of some guitarists/bands who down-tune, but I myself won't do it, for many of the same reasons you give here. I can add a few of my own.
1) Specific pitches and keys have distinctive sounds. If I play an E, I expect to hear an E. If I'm playing in A, there's a "color" associated with that key. When the guitar is down-tuned even a half-step, it literally feels unbalanced, wrong, etc. I don't think I have perfect pitch, but I do have pitches memorized to where I can sing an E or a G or a C without hearing one first. What I can't do is hear a cluster of notes and name them all, like some of these perfect pitch people can.
2) Down-tuned guitars and basses do not play nice with others. If you do gigs with people playing keys, horns, etc. it is a NIGHTMARE trying to work out songs when someone insists on playing on a flat-tuned guitar or bass. Horns don't downtune. Neither do real organs and pianos. Trying to work out songs where the key and horn players have to play in B flat (2 flats) while the guitarist and bassist play in B (5 sharps), "key" becomes this complicated mess that you can't talk about without a bunch of caveats and confusion and chaos. Some thing with notes. The note is B here. B for whom? B for the down-tuned guitars and B flat for the piano, or B for the piano and C for the guitars? Confusion and chaos. When you tune to standard, everyone is in the same key and all that musical language confusion goes completely away. And forget about impromptu jams if you insist on down tuning, unless the bass player is OK with goofing up his bass setup just for you, which brings me to:
3) You HAVE to have a guitar set up specifically for any down tuning, and I have enough guitars already to cover single coil/HB/acoustic/semi hollow sounds, not gonna go buy another one just so I can please the down-tuning crowd...which is very much a minority in the grand scheme of guitaring.
Those are also valid reasons!
I honestly can't remember the last time I played in standard. 9/10 times I'm playing in drop A#, Drop A, or Drop G. Standard is just so boring and not heavy at all. I know people say there are heavy songs in standard, but I have never heard anything that sounds heavy to my ears in standard. Even Drop D doesn't sound heavy at all to me.
I view 'heavy' as more of a feeling than a sound, and low notes do not automatically equate to that heavy feel. But that's just my viewpoint (it certainly doesn't mean I'm right!)
The biggest thing I wanted folks to get out of this video is to not get caught in the trap of chugging low notes throughout the entire song, every song, because it ends up sounding all the same. I've known guitarists who downtuned and they stopped playing riffs because they became obsessed with the low notes.
Yea I play just drop A love the darker tone it's much better saying then tryng to be heavy .u get standard chords in thr as well if u tune to A E A D F# B the fifth string is in E so u can play your standard stuff but its limited E A D is standard.
Jason's answer probably sums it up with the feeling, more than the sound. If you think back to a lot of death metal bands in the 90s, they were heavy without being drop A necessarily (skip Nile lol).
Sylosis thougggghhhhhhh
@@jasonstallworth I've honestly found that the lower tunings lend more to my creativity than being in standard or close to it. It just gets my riffing juices flowing more than standard would.
I pretty much exclusively play 7 strings in drop tunings nowadays but its always fun coming back to a six string in standard tuning to whip out them old school thrash and black metal riffs.
Yeah and standard tuning is just so much tighter sounding!
My Ibanez is tuned to drop b and I use 11-52 gauge strings and it sounds great I think the one of the reasons that bands sound muddy when they tune low is because they don't use bigger strings and the settings on there amps are way too high when I started tuning lower I started dialing down some of the settings on my amp like the bass and volume once I did that I actually got a pretty massive sound and it sounds really awesome especially in a big empty room where there's echo going on like your videos by the way the pretty helpful
Thank you! Yeah, changing tunings is really a personal choice and you definitely want different strings depending on how far down you tune
Exactly my point yes heavier gauge is a must also the eq when u go low I'd dont get too much bass trebs keep it a bit up thr but not too much it will sound sick I use invaders and it is really best with drop A
I'm so glad someone made this video. I used to be that guy before. But after deciding to take my time with standard tuning and working on my craft/technique etc a year or two later, I've come to realise that....
No matter how low you tune. The music , the tone, the style, it's all you. If you know how, E standard can be made super heavy just as much as drop C and so on.
Yes, I occasionally drop tune for the sake of nostalgia. Sue me. 🙏
Great points! And I'm actually looking to downtune to a project later this year. But like you said, it's more about working on your craft
Drop A and i use all strings, i use to play a regular barchord with the low A as an added note
Double drop a on a 9 string and we good
lol
I have 3 guitars… one for E flat 80s metal, one in C# standard and the other is a baritone in B standard. I never drop the low 6th string on any of those guitars. I like to keep it tight. No flop. 12-52 strings on E flat guitar , 13-56 on the C# and 70 gauge on the baritone. I agreed with everything you said and I’m the same way. 7 string not me. I can’t play fast and tight on anything lower than B. Did you find yourself struggling to sound clean. I like this guy.
I don’t play a lot of clean tones but when I do, it’s typically with a 6 string in standard tuning. Even on my 7 string, I’ll typically just play clean stuff excluding the B string, though the lower notes can sound cool with clean.
On top of that, I never cared for raw clean tones so I use a lot of reverb and some delay, sometimes a little chorus when playing clean (that’s just my preference)
Never take anyone who plays a bass with a pick seriously
lol
My style is thrash metal, death metal, deathcore, & metalcore, so I have guitars in standard E, drop D, drop C, & drop A with my 7-string. I love shredding, but I also enjoy the chugs with the drop tunings since they sound way more brutal and believe me you can shred and get very technical with drop tunings without it sounding muddy. Even Metallica, Pantera, Black Sabbath, AC/DC were playing in drop tunings, although, some songs were in standard tuning. Eitherway - I appreciate all metal and you sound great my friend!
I'm a subscriber now!
🤘 🙏
Yeah a lot of bands do it!
D standard is best for me and our singers we all grow older in our voices we have to look after our lead singers
That’s perfect and yeah, you don’t want your singers straining.
I typically play in drop C/C#. I personally find E standard too high while everything else, lower than I’d like (unless I get higher gauge strings)
I’ve got a question. And apologies in advance if it’s a stupid one. At 3:00, you mentioned that, if I was to downtune my guitar, my bass would have to be downtuned as well. I’m confused by that, since it is a separate instrument in a piece or session. Why exactly would the bass have to be downtuned in response to me downtuning my guitar? Is it a rule in music theory or something?
Like, let’s say I know a guy who’s a bassist. He comes over for a session and finds out that my guitar is tuned to standard C. What exactly would compel him to downtune in response to this discovery, as opposed to leaving it in whatever tuning he likes?
Edit: Or, perhaps a better way of asking this question would be to ask “How does my decision impact my bassist?”.
Definitely a great question. You wouldn’t necessarily have to retune your bass. But realize that one, where you play the notes on bass will be different from where you play them on the down tuned guitar and two, the lowest notes on both instruments will not match.
That’s not a big deal (if you’re tuned to D on guitar, your D on your bass in standard tuning would be that higher D).
Remember there are no rules here. That can still sound great.
I am so glad i watched this video. I have quite a number of my guitars down-tuned to C standard.. but after watching this video I may have to pick one and bring it back up because there are a lot of good points in this video for as to why you shouldn't down-tune or drop tune. Thanks Jason!
Dude, I'm glad this helped! The biggest thing for me is that as I mentioned, I'm too lazy to go through the entire setup as all my guitars have a floating tremolo. But the other thing is while I mostly play metal, I also do a lot of work for other bands and projects that require standard tuning. And I do prefer the tighter sounds and tones of standard tuning.
I usually play in B standard on my 7 string, and D standard on my 6 string. My biggest inspiration in that regard on Ihsahn (Emperor) since he used a 7 string in standard on the final Emperor album.
You can do a lot with a 7 string in standard!
I use standard tuning and drop D and have recently been experimenting with double drop D. I use the non standard tunings to create different chords that if played in standard tuning it would be a pain in the ass to make that kind of stretch lol. Was inspired by Deafheaven's Dream House and some of the chords used there with how I use drop tunings
That’s a solid method. I’m actually getting ready to drop my LTD to C# (I’ll have a video on that soon, so make sure you’re subbed!)
I never drop tune my PRS SE lower than D# Standard. Occasionally I'll drop tune to a variation of Drop B or Drop A#
BADGBE (Prison Sex by Tool or Rusty Cage by Soundgarden)
A#G#C#F#A#D# (a ton of Alter Bridge songs. Tremonti loves this tuning)
Speaking of, I like using the tuning most popularized by Tremont. Open D5 and the half step down variation. DADADD. Opens up so many different doors for experimenting with chord changes.
🤘
I still play E standard at times but ironically I like the sound of high F standard and no I don't really snap strings often since I play on a Gibson scale guitar. It sounds even tighter especially play inverted power chords and I even have my 7 string tuned to C standard. The lowest I would go my guitars are E flat and B flat tuning.
Tony Torres E flat is a really sweet spot because it gives you that lower edge but you still have a tight sound
Vektor made me want to try and tune up to F. I used Eb for years, gives you the lower sound without losing clarity.
I've been playing guitar since '88. I've played 6 strings in E standard. I discovered KoRn in late '98 and I fell in love with lower tunings.
I got an 8 string Ibanez RG Series 2 years ago, it came to me in it's standard tuning......F#/B/E/A/D/G/B/E, a few days later I dropped the tuning down a full step to E/A/D/G/C/F/A/D and it sounds AWESOME.
I have a 6 string Ibanez, which I had in D standard for a long time, now that I have my 8 string, I tuned it down to C standard.
I have Stratocaster which I keep in E standard and a Telecaster which I also keep in E standard.
That's the way to go...having several in different tunings!
I love your metal sound just as it is... and I appreciate your teaching style.
I appreciate that!
And I’m having *a ton of fun* piecing together your little riffs (and adding in my own stuff) from “30 days of metal riffs” - I just started playing a few years ago at the age of 51... so teaching an old dog new tricks is kinda tough. But I’ve gotten more from you than any one else out here, so thanks!
Honestly I personally get tied of 90% of newer Metal albums being in Drop D. Almost no one uses E 440 anymore, which makes me sad as I vastly prefer that bright, punchy sound.
Usually their main rationale is "It's heavier" and while it does give it a slightly darker sound, it's also become so omnipresent that to my ears it sounds generic & stale as hell. It's the same way I've heard E used to be viewed back in the day when many more bands first started heavily dropping their tunings in the 90's. It seemed like between 91 & 93 most bands just abandoned it & didn't go back. A couple outliers though who I do admire for returning to E are Overkill & Metallica (at least on the records), & both bands' albums are so much better for it.
I do love some Overkill! Yeah, something about standard tuning just gives you more punch
Drop d the best one
There's no better or worse between e standard and drop d. They can be used differently. Yes, drop d might seem lazy, but it isn't necessarily, especially when it's use isn't strictly for power cords.
I write in most tunings (e standard to double drop B) and my writing style changes depending on the tuning I am in just so it sounds heavy and just right
I'm actually getting ready to downtune a guitar to C# today
The sweet spot is D standard in my opinion (with 11-50 gauge strings minimum, for a les paul scaled neck). I also agree that drop tunings generally tend to make riff writing more unoriginal, but that could also just be that I learned the guitar in A minor/C major modes (in E standard) when I was a beginner and have used those patterns across the entire neck as a reference to everything else. Some of Opeths older stuff is actually in drop D and they aren't skimping on the fancy chords.
Funny thing is I'm actually getting ready to downtune one of my guitars to E flat, something I said I'd never do after over 30 years of standard tuning!
After years of playing in various bands and trying different styles i found C standard tuning the lowest i would down tune due to the mud below that. I now have a 7 string tuned to E standard with that extra B should i want it. Works great. And like you, i am a major riffer.
Yeah, that B on the 7 is plenty low enough for me and you get a much tighter sound!
I have 2 guitars and one is in drop D and i like it, but the other is standard tunned.
But if i had only one guitar it would be in standard tunnig cause other wise I woulnd be albe to play Sylosis or Metallica or some other great bands in E thats the truth
That's a great idea...always keep one with standard tuning and maybe drop another. I can see myself doing that someday.
Ever since I started listening to Trivium and In Flames, E Standard and B Standard just haven’t been doing it for me so I’ve been downtuning like no tomorrow. Even in standard, I keep things just half a step down. Just how I like it. Lowest I ever go on a 6 string is Drop Bb with heavier gauge strings to keep the tone from getting muddy.
There is something magical about that half-step down on a 6 string...a lot of classic metal bands did that
I switched to Drop C, like System of a Down does. I understand standard tuning is good enough for riffing, but Drop C is low enough for chugging and power chords, and high enough to make riffs and also not to be muddy. System of A Down takes advantage of that and makes some cool riffs in Drop C.
🤘
most system songs are in drop Db not C
@@TommyWashow most is C
I only play in E Standard for clean/ambient type stuff. For metal I just couldn’t get into it. I play mainly in Drop A#/Drop F/Drop E for metal and I find the low tuning fits for what I play (progressive metal, djent, metalcore)
Funny thing is since making this video I’m considering dropping down soon!
@@jasonstallworth if you’re drop tuning a 6 string then I 1000% recommend Drop C. I pretty much lived in Drop C until I got a 7 string lmao
@@slamdmkv I have a 7 and have considered A# just so there’s less tension on the strings.
Standard tuning. Occasionally drop D. I really cannot be bothered with adjusting the intonation. If I owned 4 electrics as opposed to 2 then I'd consider setting 2 of them to standard D or drop C.
Yeah that whoe intonation thing is why I stay away from messing with tunings!
I find that intonation as a whole does not change going from D standard to drop C. The initial setup is critical through.
Heavy is about the overall vibe of the music and its composition. Tuning has more to do with the range of the vocals than anything else, and beyond that it’s just preference.
🤘
I started getting into Bullet for my valentine a while back and they play in Drop C, so i bought 2 guitars, I have my ESP LTD EC 256 in E standard/Drop D and a Jackson Rhoads V for drop C tuning. I don't play any lower than drop C and if I did I would just get a 7 string as you said
That's a good way to go about it; having multiple guitars for your different tunings.
all my guitars are in standard tunig but i occasionally drop down just because many of my favourite bands play dropped. this goes for my 6 and 7 string guitars
Marty Doh that’s true ...a lotta bands do it
I tried tuning to C, C# and D standard. It was fun for couple of days. I got back to E standard in which I have been tuning my guitars for like 16 years. I agree with your point(s) in this video.
🤘
Yea,I'm waay too lazy for tuning down. Heck it's hard enough for me to get all my guitars tuned to standard tuning. Couldn't agree with you more brother. Keep it standard tuning,and keep it metal.🤘🎸🎶
🤘
Drop c is the sweet spot, doesnt sound muddy but you make a good point about bass. A# is too muddy for me
Yes, and it really depends on what you want. I've never cared for low notes for the sake of low notes. My main point of the video was to encourage folks to not neglect the rest of the fret board as many tend to do when they become obsessed with low notes.
I think it's very much a stylistic thing, for thrash standard tuning is the best, but for doom/sludge the muddines and constant low chugging is kind of the point
That was my biggest reason for making this video. I've heard so many guitarist that downtune get stuck on the constant chug and neglect the rest of the strings and frets.
@@jasonstallworth hard agree! I like keeping a guitar in a lower tuning but I also often feel like that when I play that particular guitar I keep falling into the same kinds of riffs/ideas, the low heavy sound is nice but it can be a crutch a lot of the times, it's just too tempting to keep playing the same stuff over and over again
I'll definitely get a 7 string instead at some point, when I'll have a little money for that
The tuning influences the way I play. After playing drop C for years, I have a 7 in b standard for variety of riffs.
It's definitely good to have that variety
For thrash metal I prefer standard, but for loose outlaw rock/metal even western I prefer drop d and drop c with a nice groove
That works great! I’m not against drop or down tuning and glad that folks do to. This is just me sharing what I do, personally
I have never downtuned, but I like Ghost, but I found you can play ghost songs in standard tuning and it sounds not bad LOL
Thomas Williams Yeah thats the cool thing, you can still play other band’s songs but it will just be in a different (higher) key. And that’s gives you a completely different sound
Hey man, just want to say I have the same poop pillow, very comfortable for quick naps. For 20 years I ah e been wrestling with tuning and gauge. Whatever tuning I'm in E or B, I still play the same way. Same attack. I get your point though. I just love the that thick brutal wall of sound with the sharp attack. It's possible to have the best of both. Depends on your gear more than anything in my experience . Cool video.
Yeah it’s all about personal preference. I just wanted to encourage folks not to get stuck on the constant chug when downtuning and neglect the other notes
@@jasonstallworth totally agree, you're right, it can happen quick.
Good advice. I think a good example of downtuned but a tight and heavy sound is the Fall Of Ideals album by All That Remains. It is also a good example of other things to avoid that you pointed out, like making more riffy music and not abusing the low note (but they only tune down to D standard on that album).
Yeah D standard really isn't so bad and you can still be pretty tight! Heck, Arch Enemy and Amon Amarth are also exceptions. They tune down pretty low but have some really awesome riffs!
I like Eb Standard
🤘
Hi mister , it's absolutly true.More the players played down more the tendence are stay all the time on Low string.
Yeah I really encourage folks to move around more!
I like to use standard, Drop D, C, & B tuning. The more you use the more weapons you have
🤘
I'm not a fan with "Modern" super low metal on 60 string guitars (lol), past B standard I'm not really into. I like a lot of sludge metal like Crowbar and Acid Bath etc, pretty sure Acid Bath tuned to C standard and crowbar down to B, I can't say that definitively though. I love standard tuning and it's what I play in 90% of the time, love thrash and it can literally be just as heavy if written right imo.
Yeah, you lose some tightness when you get too low and I personally prefer the hear the bass guitar carry those lower frequencies.
I use an 8 string, except that I use the 6th string quite alot and only use the low E (it's in drop E) at certain parts. To add a bit of shock. If I'm playing in F# standard then I riff in F# key on the 6th string. I also use a capo to use as many keys as i want. Planning to release music next year but one of my standard riffs are on my channel
Edit: I forgot to mention I sometimes play in higher tunings when I bring out my 6 string. I like to use F standard like Vektor
You can definitely shock people going different places on the fretboard than expected!
One thing I like is the warmth of lower tunings. It’s not just for metal riffs but nice fat warm highs. I’m currently in standard on my new axe and the other in drop C. I want to set my new guitar to drop B again. Loved it but would need a setup to get the best of that.
I do like my 7 string for lower tunings. Here's a recent video on that my ESP E-II Horizon: ruclips.net/video/RB4cltOAXBI/видео.html
If you want to downtune your guitar without getting the muddy sound he mentions, you need to have a guitar that has a minimum 25.5 in scale length (I like 26+ for downtuned) and at least 12 gauge strings. I personally have an old Ibanez with a 26 in scale length and 13 gauge strings that I have tuned down to C standard. So it's similar to the concept of a baritone guitar. I guess the main point though is that I agree with what Jason is saying in the video, and that if you DO want a downtuned guitar it's best to buy an instrument with that in mind because you can definitely set up a guitar to sound good with a lower tuning, but taking your regular guitar and just tuning it down will probably not sound great.
That's great advice man, and I didn't even think about the scale of the guitar. Thanks for pointing this out as I know it will help folks!
Yes! Scale is very important when you don't want to lose note clarity when tuning down. A 30 inch baritone guitar will give you a B Standard with regular 11-52 gauge strings pretty much with the same tension as a 10-46 string set on a regular guitar.
Man, I want a decent metal guitar, but I will want to drop tune it. I’m staying away from Floyd Rose for that reason…does it matter? Is it too much of a headache?
The floating trems can make it a challenge but if you’re planning to keep your guitar tuned to that one tuning, whatever it may be, that will make things easier. But if you plan to change tunings often, I’d go with a guitar without a floating trem or Floyd.
Also you’ll want to consider the string gauge. Me, I always like the lightest possible but many like the heavier strings.
Just found your page and you have some nice gear and a solid approach on tech theory. I played guitar for about 13 years and ended up drifting away from it when work consumed me and now I’m trying to get back into it. I’ve got a Hamer Standard orange burst that I need to get setup by a pro so I can get back into riffing again. You got my subscription man thanks for being an inspiration
strat2tele thank you brother...now it’s time for you to get back to the guitar!!
I also play in E-Standard 90% of the time, for the band we go E-Flat and Drop D on some songs in the set.
Just use the Emperor Chord trick: inverted power chords, makes your guitar sound like a 7 string ;)
🤘
Thats the Obituary style powerchord
The correct tuning just fits the 🔑 of the song. That’s all.
🤘
Awesome video ! Thnx for your wisdom. I have a 7 string Jackson and almost sell it to buy a 6 string and tune it in B standard. But it's a lot of work...Decided to keep it ..🤪😄
Yeah the 7 solves all of those problems!!
E Standard is just the most inspiring sound for me. I do drop D but just occassionally. However in some situations Tuning down helps the singer. Sometimes it makes the instrument come alive. My Jackson Rhoads always sounded best in D standard.
For writing and being original E is still the way to go imo
Yeah, it's definitely a preference. I guess my point is I see (or hear!) so many guitarists that just wanna play low notes and all they do is chug. I really want to see more people move those fingers around and riff, and focus more on the actual music rather than just seeing how low they can play.
Something that not enough people consider when talking about tuning down is singers. I tune to C standard most of the time recently for my voice. I think E standard sounds better and "tighter" as you call it, but I just can't sing that high. And this video seems to be about "djenty" types of guitarists but I play the same way in every tuning.
Kristopher Kaufman that’s a very good point dude! And I’m not really knocking downtuning, I’m more so trying to encourage people to do exactly what you’re doing...playing those riffs and not just hanging on the lowest note every song
I never tune lower than C# which is only a step and a half.
same \\m//
I like E and D standard most and I like how both sound equally and I don’t think D is too muddy tbh
Yes, D isn't so bad
@Riccardo Milliava 😂
I had a 7-string for 13 years, but I played it only, like, a couple of times a year. I bought it for playing Korn songs and obviously it was fine for that, and they are cool guitars, but besides that we never really clicked. Every time I tried to write with it, I started doing Korn-type riffs and those weird, high melodies. It wasn't the guitar's fault obviously, but I just didn't find my voice (I'm sounding a bit pretentious, but whatever...) with it. So eventually I sold it.
For years I also had my six string in drob B (or in drop C) and while that felt more natural than using a 7-string, it wasn't until I tuned up to E flat that I clicked with guitar and it opened up as a songwriting tool.
These days, if I'm writing a heavy song, I actually have more options, because I don't just rely on those lowest notes. It's about the intervals between the notes and the interplay between the guitar, the bass and the drums. You can sound really heavy with playing a riff on the A string with guitar, doing a bass melody on the D string on 7th fret, while the drums do simple tom hits. There's tons of examples. But that's just me. E flat works for me. I would tune to standard, but it's a bit easier to sing high notes in E flat.
You have an interesting story about your relationship with your 7 string...I kinda feel the same way! I actually had it on the marketplace last month but ended up taking it down. It's just never felt natural to me and when I jump back on my 6, it's like 'Ah, I'm back home!!'
I'm sure you felt the same!
As far as E flat for vocals, that makes total sense man! And yeah, you can do so much with other elements, especially if you have a 5 string bass! I've got the LTD D-5 and it confuses people because they think my guitar is tuned lower. But that 5th string just really fills in everything.
Oh, if you don't have this already, grab my practice guide that I give to my subs here: www.jasonstallworth.com/guitarist/
But I do play in e flat sometimes because it's just a half step down and a lot of cool songs are in e flat
That’s a great point!
Your content always makes so much sense! Thanks! 🤘🏾
🙏🏻🤘
I play standard tuned, but my guitar is a 10 string so low to high I’m in G#C#F#BEADGbe and my 6 string bass is usually kept in B standard but sometimes I’ll take it to G# standard to match my 10 string.
Oh wow, I would not know what to do with 10 strings!
@@jasonstallworth Djent and octaves! 😂 All kidding aside, it’s also great for clean two-hand tapping and feels more piano-like with the extra 4 lower strings.
This man is the hero we need. I am so sick of "Djent" kids playing there 8 strings in drop a or whatever through Axe-FXs and so on. It completly eliminates creative riffwriting. Just have a look at Death. It doesnt really matter a lot if you play it in e-standard or like intended in D Standard. It's the great riffwriting and sound composition that makes it heavy. Seriously i am very thankfull that this vid exists. MAKE E-STANDARD GREAT AGAIN!!!
Lol, thanks dude! I even struggle with owning a 7 string and there are times where I think about getting rid of it.
And I totally get the downtuning to E flat or even D. But I'm definitely not a fan of the extreme downtuning because you do lose clarity for playing riffs.
And you're right...it should be about great riff-writing!
To be honest, these kids are advancing much faster than guitars have in the last 15 years. There's so much more information that is readily available. I feel like you're putting a lot of people in one box.
On top of that, there's so many apps and programs that make composition much easier. I'm sorry, but Death is super basic compared to what's out now.
@@crazymike1706 The dgent dudes I've jammed with say that same exact shit you just said about anything remotely oldschool or standard yet if I throw a thrashy riff or some basic crossover riffs at them they can't keep up even if they try (most of the time they just stand there and don't even attempt to put their guitar where their mouth is). Nearly all djent kids dismiss this shit as something that is below them yet they don't care to learn it before writing it off as something they've "advanced" beyond.
“These kids are too repetitive” names a band that started the most repetitive musical genre lol
Staccato Silvano yeah buddy you just made that up completely lol no one would jam with someone who’s elitist enough to say djent kids can’t play crossover riffs lol
Listening to Dimebag and his standard D tuning and quite digging it. Disagree with the tendency to just play low notes .
Love me my Ibanez 7 string but why sacrifice grip comfort and string access ?
All great points though
I'm with you on the 7 and I'm actually parting ways with mine after 4 years. Just never felt 'at home' with it if that makes sense!
I just found your channel and I'm definitely gonna check out more of your videos! You have some great information, thanks!
Glad you found me, dude!! Yes, please check out my other videos and let me know if you have questions on those. That's my goal...to help as many guitarists as possible!
I usually play in drop C#, but it's not for the extra heaviness. Drop C# opens up a low D# an octave lower than in standard and the four low strings are tuned to a C#sus4 chord. Playing drop C# keeps the rest of the stings in Eb standard so it retains all the riffability (is that even a word) of standard tuning but easier to sing in. I do agree that we don't want to start writing every song in C# minor just because we tune to drop C#, that would get just as boring as writing everything in E.
I'd have to say... Down tuning doesn't necessarily make your tone muddy as long as you have a guitar and gear set up for it... I.E. longer scale length, right pick ups, gain level, correct amp settings, eq pedals, mid boost, noise gate. Listen to band's like Monuments, Currents, Periphery, Unprocessed, Animals as Leaders, Erra.
Currents tune to Drop E and lower, still sound great, Monuments go down to F in some songs, animals as Leaders In Drop E
Lower tunings make you develop different styles of playing to make use of the extended range
Neither does down tuning only make you play the low strings, that's just a bad habit guitarists get into, monuments are great at writing riffs in low tunings that bounce around and groove with all the strings
There's definitely some truth to that...I've heard tight sounds from lower tunings. Especially in the styles you mentioned.
@@jasonstallworth yeah, I also think that the lower you tune your guitars... the more important the bassists tone and prominence in the mix becomes in my opinion. where its more so that the low tunes guitars add an extra umph to the bass, rather than the bass adding to the guitars in more higher tunings and so you have to adjust your settings and mix to compensate for that. the lower you tune, the more the bass guitar needs to shine to really emphasize that punchiness of the bass and lower note clarity, guitarists need to remember that haha. My very late response haha, just stumbled upon this video again.
and yeah... I think adjusting the way you actually approach writing riffs in a lower tuning can help.
ultimately, experiment and have fun
I personally use 11 - 76 on a 6 string 25.5 and I tune from anything between Drop C# down to a low G octave tuning. you can see some examples on my channel if you like
Thank you for this video, Jason. I've often felt lame, lazy, or close-minded sticking to standard tuning. That said, I like the sound, and have felt no real need to change! My biggest influence, Metallica, traditionally played in standard (or some Eb). I love the tighter, crunchier, treblier(?) sound and truly feel like a lot of lower tunings sound muddy or undefined. There are certainly exceptions as you said, but older (classic heavy?) metal is the sound I love. If it ain't broken... Happy to be part of the standard tuning army. 🤘🎸
Justin Nogle awesome man, and yeah there’s absolutely nothing wrong with playing metal in standard tuning!
I love Drop B and Eb Standard. Drop B gives you E on the 5th fret giving you plenty of different variations suited for lower voices singers with lower bass frequency. I totally agree with the everything in the same key comment. I hate listening to an entire album hearing it’s all in the key of C or B. Parkway drive and Slipknot are examples of bands in drop B that are very good in not writing only open B chug riffs
That's true there are some bands that tune low that also play riffs. And that was my main purpose of making this video; to encourage people to focus on riffs and not so much how low you can play (chug). And, yeah, good point on catering he tuning to the singer...that helps!
I've switched to skinny top heavy bottom strings I have one guitar in standard tuning and will only downtune that one to Eb and the other one I keep in drop C the skinny top heavy bottoms are amazing for all tunings
🤘
It’s all about personal preference. I like to jam on any tuning. But something about drop tuning just bring a smile to my face 😂.
It's indeed personal preference. Funny thing is I've considered downtuning since making this vid...lol! But the main point I wanted to make was to not hang on those super low notes all the time and move around the fretboard more. When you have those low notes, many guitarists tend to only play those
Jason Stallworth
Absolutely man. Gotta be able to play with a little bit of everything