MissouriPicker Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 I’ve never done it and wonder what some of your opinions and experiences are. Not worried about tough chords or finger pain. Like many others, I’ve got decades of callouses. I’m just wondering if you think the change is worth it. I’ve got numerous guitars too experiment with and am thinking that an ol’ dog can still learn a few tricks. I play Drop D on my squareneck, but using a slide is easy and I just play old blues stuff on it…... Any big adjustments that you had to make to your normal style of playing? Anything about it you don’t like? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Z Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 Aside from the lower tension and the resulting (better?) playability, the guitar will sound a little different because lower frequencies will activate the air and material resonance frequencies of the guitar. Also some want to play in E but want to sing in D. This might not be an issue when we just play cowboy chords or bar chords but if you want to play the original riff of "Listen to the Music" from Doobie Brothers that's not possible in D. Tom Johnston plays the song tuned down to E flat now (at least in ther "Playing for Change" version). I think it was E originally. I tune down maybe twice a year just to go back to standard tuning a few hours later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 (edited) It's wonderful, actually. I've had medium 13-56 strings on all my guitars tuned down a FULL step D-D for a long time now. It affords 2 extra vocal keys, especially good for my now shaky high lonesome sound songs, with no notable difference in top response. Lighter strings tuned down don't have the torque at this tension to drive the guitar, however. I looked at string tension charts finding that medium strings run 30 pounds of pull lighter in this key than 12's at concert pitch, so my fret hand benefits, which I need at this point. Another benefit is that with full step down tuning, transposing most songs, if you like to play in the same key with a recorded song, keeps you in the cowboy chord zone for the most part. Of course a capo at 2 gets you back in concert pitch. If you drop only a half step, you'll be harder pressed to find an easy way to navigate without using excessive barre shapes. I'm used to it now and keep all my guitars set up like this. I've discovered Curt Mangan strings. Another great joy! Edited January 31, 2023 by jedzep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 Every time I've been in a band that tuned down a half step it was for the vocals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 Cause when you tune down your now ready to play some Heavy Metal. Or like Iommi cause you had an accident at work, and lost some fingertips, and you need the lower tension to fret strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 Bending, sliding, hammering on, pulling off ... all easier. A full step down on all 3 of my guitars gives me more range for my voice and it's easy to put a capo on if needed. Having said that - I realize it is not really accepted in many conventional settings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 3 hours ago, jedzep said: It's wonderful, actually. I've had medium 13-56 strings on all my guitars tuned down a FULL step D-D for a long time now. It affords 2 extra vocal keys, especially good for my now shaky high lonesome sound songs, with no notable difference in top response. Lighter strings tuned down don't have the torque at this tension to drive the guitar, however. I looked at string tension charts finding that medium strings run 30 pounds of pull lighter in this key than 12's at concert pitch, so my fret hand benefits, which I need at this point. Another benefit is that with full step down tuning, transposing most songs, if you like to play in the same key with a recorded song, keeps you in the cowboy chord zone for the most part. Of course a capo at 2 gets you back in concert pitch. If you drop only a half step, you'll be harder pressed to find an easy way to navigate without using excessive barre shapes. I'm used to it now and keep all my guitars set up like this. I've discovered Curt Mangan strings. Another great joy! This ^^^^^^^^ Depending on what guitar/s you own, some like downtuning more than others. A Lowden with a five piece neck is popular for multi tuning players, wheras a short scale guitar like an EC Martin 000 will get a bit ‘flappy string’ and need a tweak. A long scale OM is made for it! But it depends a lot on the guitar setup. Guitarists that played alone and tuned without some kind of reference like a pitch pipe, tuning fork or a tuner probably invented downtuning! Some old bloozers are tuned to X and 1/2! BluesKing777. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 If you down tune half a step you get one more note a whole step and you get two extra notes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted February 1, 2023 Author Share Posted February 1, 2023 Thanks. Gentlemen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 On 1/31/2023 at 9:57 AM, Peter Z said: Aside from the lower tension and the resulting (better?) playability, the guitar will sound a little different because lower frequencies will activate the air and material resonance frequencies of the guitar. Well said - it's backed up and I really like the half step down. I know some find it weak or somewhat 'illegal', , , as if it doesn't really count. Hmmm, I'm the harmless unharmed addict. And NO ! , , , , it has nothing to do with vocal range - tho some tunes obviously appear easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 Noted Gibsonophile Jackson Browne has made a career of tuning down…. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olie Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 I'm not exactly sure about this but if you had to transpose a song from the key of Bmaj and need to play it in the first position C maj , you might need a re-tune. Help me with this, please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 Why would you ‘need’ to play in a particular position to attain your goal key? That’s what transposing is good for, flexibility. A capo would make options available without changing tuning, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 A lot of Bands tune down a half step.. It makes it easier to sing Covers in the original Chord Progressions.. Especially older Guys.. Paul tuned down a whole step to play Yesterday in G.. Probably made it easier to play.. Easier than playing in the key of A. Maybe it just sounded better on Guitar in G a full step down.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 4 hours ago, Larsongs said: A lot of Bands tune down a half step.. It makes it easier to sing Covers in the original Chord Progressions.. Especially older Guys.. Paul tuned down a whole step to play Yesterday in G.. Probably made it easier to play.. Easier than playing in the key of A. Maybe it just sounded better on Guitar in G a full step down.. Everything just clicked there - voice, violins, chord-positions, , , and the flavor of the ceramic saddled plastic bridge Texan, , , didn't it. . Eeeehh, listening close I actually used to think the string quartet sounded artificial - like a late 80s synth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egoidealmusic Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 I initially tuned down to figure out Jason Isbell's "If we were vampires" which is tuned down to D. My voice is lower so I went all the way down to C# and have really liked it. You can still capo it to get to standard, but it's nice to have that option to go lower if needed (and if you're old smoker's voice needs it). I do this on a non-Gibson parlor guitar and it sounds great. Haven't moved up to thicker strings, but I admit the rattle adds a certain something. Will try mediums once I do change strings to see what I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted February 11, 2023 Share Posted February 11, 2023 I use some open G for slide work, but I usually just use standard tuning, even with the slide. Open G has a nice voice, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cabarone Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 On 1/31/2023 at 12:31 PM, Sgt. Pepper said: If you down tune half a step you get one more note a whole step and you get two extra notes. “I use heavy strings, tune low, play hard, and floor it. Floor it. That's technical talk.”: Stevie Ray Vaughan (he usually tuned down 1/2 step)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vacamartin Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 Another convert to D-D tuning...but not on all of my acoustics. My favorite is a Sitka/maple NL- 00 body. It has GHS thin core 12's on it and the tone and playability is first rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 I thought down tuning would be more popular with blues players that bend the strings all over the place.........hard to do on tight acoustic strings, easier on electrics! I have seen Buddy Guy bend the high strings up to the top of the bass string side - on acoustic in standard tuning would be fairly unlikely......then Lightnin’ Hopkins tuned his guitar right down to......Z and did some serious bends! (possibly an early influence on Buddy!). But originally blues guitarists bent strings to sort of get the sound of a bottleneck sliding on the strings. And after all that I have my Martin EC short scale in stock standard tuning and it ‘feels’ the same as some of my tuned down (short scale Gibson type) guitars....so it does depend on the guitar build, not just scale length. Have to try it! BluesKing777. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 I tune my Dove, SJ200 and Takamine EAN20C down to Eb (a semitone down from concert). With the Dove I use 12s and the SJ200 and Tak 13s. I started doing it as after a period of ill health at the end of 2020, I lost a bit of the high end of my vocal range. I have regained most of that now but enjoy the feel and beefy tonality of downtuning. I wrote the record I’m just finishing now in that tuning, and found that it also records very well. I recorded the acoustic parts for it using my Dove (I’ve never found a guitar that records better!) tuned to Eb but strung with 11s. 11s! They were just what I had to hand, so threw them on and tried it. The result was excellent-bright but warm, cuts well but also sits in a mix when you lay back. The feel was kinda loose, but I went with it. It made me play more softly and employ a greater right hand dynamic. The result is something I’m really happy with. Gig wise, for most of my shows I take my D18GE strung with 12s and tuned to concert, and my SJ200 strung with 13s and tuned down to Eb. That gives me a tremendous range of tones and saves faffing about tuning down and up on one instrument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 11's tuned down a half step... We think maybe you're getting soft, Jinder... JUST KIDDING ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aldiablo Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 I’ve only very recently started down tuning to D standard. I’d never really considered it before but I’ve started doing acoustic gigs playing my own songs for the first time, I’ve always played in bands, and I found I had songs that suited my voice better in a lower key but I didn’t want to change the chord shapes as it didn’t sound as good when I did. So it was just for vocals really but the lower tuning can fill things out more when it’s just your voice and a guitar. I just capo it then for songs that are better in E standard or above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bred Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 Try the Earnie Ball “Beefy Slinky “ strings on a guitar-they help to keep a consistent tension on the neck so it’s not changing like it does tuning up and down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROWB8 Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 Had to read this thread multiple times. For just one page, there's a lot of food here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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