How to play my old 6 string drop tuning song on 7 string drop tuning?

[ChaserHUN]

So I was looking for a cheap bartione guitar because our band plays in drop A# and my guitar didn't intonate well. I could only find pretty expensive ones, but found a B-stock Harley Benton 7 string multiscale (left handed) so was f..... it, always wanted a 7 string.

6 string drop A# is A# F A# D# G C and a 7 string drop A# is A# is A# F A# D# G# C F. For example in one of our songs a minor chord barred from the 5th string like 5-7-7-6-5 god to a chord of 3-3-3-3. Now on the 7 string I can't do this in the dro A# tuning because my G is now a G# and I would have to use 3-3-2-3 wich is very uncomfortable.

Would you just tune that string for the songs that need it that? Or is there a differrent tuning for the high F? Would that even make sense? I mean if I look it from a perspective that not the low string is my extension but I got the higher string as an extension. I don't know if this makes any sense at all?

 

[wheresthefbomb]

FWIW lots of people tune standard scale guitars as low as A standard (and lower). "intonation" issues I had that originally caused me to switch to baritone were actually technique issues. With a lighter touch I've got no problem playing drop A on 25.5". As to your question, you could just tune your 7 A# F A# D# G C F.

 

[gh0styboi]

A on a 25.5" scale is absolutely doable. In fact, I've got my Washburn (which is 24.75" scale) in drop A# with no issues. It's all about string gauge and how you set it up. Now I wouldn't put my Washburn in F# or anything like that - I wouldn't go below Bb on it, frankly. But what you're looking to do is not only doable, but common. In fact, KoRn used 25.5" scale guitars for years and years, starting way back with the Universe 7 string.

As far as your tuning question about adjusting for the G#, I'd just leave it as is and adjust for the chord, personally. The one fret differential isn't the end of the world imo. That being said, like suggested above, you could just tune 7 to the fifth fret for that troublesome string. People have used weirder tunings. As long as it works for what you're doing and isn't harming your hand physically, there's really no wrong way.

 

[ChaserHUN]

I now that lot of people did A# and A on standard 25.5 strings, but my guitar are pretty cheap and crappy ones and the intonation was always way off whatever I did. Now this 7 string multiscale intonates great. But will take time getting used to the xtra string and the fanned fret. Now it seems it is easier to play a regular fretted guitar

For the mentioned chord progression leaving it on G# isn't doable because they switch so fast that I couldn't get there fast enough

 

[Mboogie7]

Vegichan? That you, my boy?

 

[Hoss632]

So I was looking for a cheap bartione guitar because our band plays in drop A# and my guitar didn't intonate well. I could only find pretty expensive ones, but found a B-stock Harley Benton 7 string multiscale (left handed) so was f..... it, always wanted a 7 string.

6 string drop A# is A# F A# D# G C and a 7 string drop A# is A# is A# F A# D# G# C F. For example in one of our songs a minor chord barred from the 5th string like 5-7-7-6-5 god to a chord of 3-3-3-3. Now on the 7 string I can't do this in the dro A# tuning because my G is now a G# and I would have to use 3-3-2-3 wich is very uncomfortable.

Would you just tune that string for the songs that need it that? Or is there a differrent tuning for the high F? Would that even make sense? I mean if I look it from a perspective that not the low string is my extension but I got the higher string as an extension. I don't know if this makes any sense at all?

Going to ask so i can learn something. But why is only the one string different? Drop A# is drop A# regardless on if it's a 6 or 7 right? Only thing different would be you now have a high F added on.

 

[cindarkness]

Vegichan? That you, my boy?

 

[kamello]

Going to ask so i can learn something. But why is only the one string different? Drop A# is drop A# regardless on if it's a 6 or 7 right? Only thing different would be you now have a high F added on.

not really, the interval between every string in a 6 string guitar is of fourths (E to A, A to D, D to G, B to E) with the exception of the G to B jump which is a major third. Because of this, and since the seven string guitar adds a low B (or A in case of a drop) the structure shifts a little bit, but in a 6 string downtowned to A, the intervals between every string remains the same as in E standard, therefore

6 String Drop A

B
F# <----- important
D
A
E
A

while 7 string Drop A is just standard tuning with a low A (therefore, the high F# would be a G)
Something as simple as shifting the G string to F# in will make the guitar feels like an standard 6 string guitar downtuned with an added high string, I tend to prefer this tuning as it feels more natural to me when making chords, as I always "assamble" them from low to high string (dunno why but jazz guitar players I've met think of intervals from the high strings towards the low ones)

For what the OP wants to do it would be as simple as just tuning down the G# to G and keep the same shapes

 

[ChaserHUN]

not really, the interval between every string in a 6 string guitar is of fourths (E to A, A to D, D to G, B to E) with the exception of the G to B jump which is a major third. Because of this, and since the seven string guitar adds a low B (or A in case of a drop) the structure shifts a little bit, but in a 6 string downtowned to A, the intervals between every string remains the same as in E standard, therefore

6 String Drop A

B
F# <----- important
D
A
E
A

while 7 string Drop A is just standard tuning with a low A (therefore, the high F# would be a G)
Something as simple as shifting the G string to F# in will make the guitar feels like an standard 6 string guitar downtuned with an added high string, I tend to prefer this tuning as it feels more natural to me when making chords, as I always "assamble" them from low to high string (dunno why but jazz guitar players I've met think of intervals from the high strings towards the low ones)

For what the OP wants to do it would be as simple as just tuning down the G# to G and keep the same shapes

Yup. If I tune it to G from the standard F perspective the major chord forms become minors. I will experiment with it. Still trying to get used to the fanned frets and 7th string. The first three frets are not easy to fret

 

[Pingu]

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[gh0styboi]

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