Picking your guitar tuning?

[Coltron5k]

I've always loved Drop C and D Standard for 6's but I occasionally put it much lower. Even B or A. When it comes to 7's I usually stick to Drop G.

I typically choose based on the sound I'm looking for. I've always been a Darkest Hour/Kris Norris fan so that's why I'm big on D standard/Drop C. As far as Drop G goes, I see it as the same thing just transferred to 7 strings.

I guess you could say I take my tuning from bands I enjoy. But mainly it's just about the sound I'm going for. It's easy to do whatever you like in any tuning if you're skilled. I don't REALLY have any definite preference, I just like to keep it low and heavy as we all do.

 

[craigny]

Eb standard or drop d...which in that case down a half a step is actually drop C#.

 

[mongey]

wow. allot of replys and no one says it depends on what the singer likes and where their voice sits ?

 

[Bucketheadtwo]

wow. allot of replys and no one says it depends on what the singer likes and where their voice sits ?

Quite a few people mentioned playing in a tuning that fits their vocal range/their band's vocalist's range.

 

[Coltron5k]

wow. allot of replys and no one says it depends on what the singer likes and where their voice sits ?

A few do. It's true a lot don't bring it up though. It could be that we're all making instrumental music. Or alternatively, it could be that this is a mostly Guitarist forum and we just don't care.

Either way, interesting point...

 

[Rick]

I started playing in A standard so I could play Korn but once I discovered Fear Factory, I stopped learning Korn songs. Then I discovered that both Taproot and Switched play/played in A standard so that's pretty awesome. I actually just found out that Abiotic also plays in A standard but I can't play that fast.

 

[Dayn]

I use Drop E, EBGDAEBE. It's incredibly intuitive for chords, and just generally overall perfect. Plus, I can play a standard six-string or seven-string as well.

I choose my tunings based on phrasing opportunities. I heard of Tosin Abasi's EBGDAEAC# as well, and that really opened up some interesting options, too. I'd like to experiment with GEBGDAC# or GEBGDAB when I eventually get that 7-string Ibanez jazz guitar.

wow. allot of replys and no one says it depends on what the singer likes and where their voice sits ?

What singer?

 

[Winspear]

I picked my tunings based around Eb 6 string, because I just seem to like all of the variations that come from that.
6 string Eb
6 string drop C#
7 string Bb
7 string drop G#
8 string F
8 string drop Eb

All fantastic tunings.
Though, I don't often use open strings as the root. I like to have lower notes available below the root. When I do want typical open rooted metal riffing though - those tunings above are the ones I love.
In drop Eb I'm often playing more as a 7 string rooted in Bb but it's nice being able to go down to all the notes below rather than up.

 

[sniperfreak223]

wow. allot of replys and no one says it depends on what the singer likes and where their voice sits ?

quite a few have, including myself in the third reply:

I play in everything from standard down to F#, depending on my mood, but for the songs I actually write to perform, it's usually either C# or Drop B, because that's where my vocal range is most comfortable.

 

[DeadWeight]

I pretty much always play in drop tunings, unless playing acoustic or covering songs in standard. Drop A and Ab are my favourites, and I've been playing around with Karnivool tuning a bit as well, which is B F# B G B E.

 

[AliceLG]

I tune my acoustic guitar in Eb because of my voice, and the undeniable influence Alice in Chains has on me. My electrics are a different story. Right now I have a 6 in D, another in drop C and a 7 in A. No real reason on any, I kept my first 6 in E for about 2 weeks before going straight down to D and I liked it. The drop C and A ones seemed very logical after playing in D for about a year. That being said I've been considering straying a little bit from that path if I get an 8, drop F would be interesting. Drop E or E, not so much I think.

 

[mongey]

quite a few have, including myself in the third reply:

My bad. Had a gig Sunday night. Was tired and hung over at work when I posted. Obviously didnt read the replys close enough.

 

[7stg]

Down one step is good for 8 and 9 strings. All natural notes from Low to high - Beadgcfad. F# C# are the first to sharps in the circle of 5ths so normal works too for 8 and 9 strings guitars.

 

[LaurensG]

My RG7321 is usually in Drop A because I like having the low tuning while still being able to play E standard. I can easily go to B standard, Drop D, Drop G#, Eb standard, and Drop C# on the same guitar without things getting too floppy.

My Xiphos is usually in Drop C because it's the most common tuning of the bands that I like (August Burns Red, Killswitch Engage, and some others).

Once I finish my little Ibanez Gio project, it will probably go to E standard and Drop D so that I have a really comfortable 6-string to play jam sessions with friends (we're attempting to start a little band, but we're just messing around with covers for now).

When I finally finish writing my first full song that I'm proud of and maybe establish a band, I don't know what tuning I'll be playing in, but I'll probably just ask ther other guitarist (if there is one) and bassist what they're comfortable playing in or like playing in. It is really annoying though that almost every metalcore-y band that I listen to plays in multiple tunings from album to album or even within the same album.

My main guitar (Jackson KEXMG) is in Drop C, because of the same reason as you, favourite bands play in that tuning, Bullet For My valentine, Killswitch Engage, Escape the fate, etc , but its with a floyd rose so i never change the tuning. the first week i got it i put ernie ball beefy's (.11-.54) on it and tuned it down.

Soon i'll be getting a 7-string, so that i can also easily play stuff in E standard, and B standard, or drop A, or maybe even lower. I've even been thinking of geting a 8-string set for the 7-string to tune it down to F#, but thats probably for next year, because this year i need something to play in standard with, because of our 'highschool band'

 

[mniel8195]

i have tried allot of tuning on both 6 and 7 string guitars. I seem to enjoy drop c the most from string to string. I haven't gotten over liking just the lower string son 7 strings... i am not sure why that is but i feel more free on a 6 in drop c to move all around the guitar. To me its just that perfect middle tuning.

 

[Mouth Of The Harlot]

We play in a tuning i'm not sure what the name is, or if it even has one.
We tune to EAEADGbB. The main reason we chose this tuning is because we are unfamiliar with any bands that use this tuning, as well as the fact that it's lower than what most 7 string guitarists tune to.

That tuning is really easy to write in the Key of A minor because of it's natural key signature.

 

[Wings of Obsidian]

For awhile now, I have used Drop-E tuning on my 8-string (EBEADGBE).

However, as of recently I have been experimenting with different tunings and messing around and so forth, and I discovered this new tuning: F#BF#BEG#BE. I love it! At first, it was hard to write in because I had to use my mind's eye to move notes in the scales and modes around, but now I got it down perfect! Very easy and expandable for melodic extended chords, and it brings some wide intervalic stretches together. I have even begun writing all new material for my band's upcoming EP in this tuning.

It may not be as "low" as Drop-E, but I am definitely digging the sound of this new tuning so much. (I was messing around the other day and tuned the two F#s down to E, just to mess around. Weird octave, drones stuff, but it lost alot of the melodic chordal flavor and easy of movement.)

Can anyone tell me what this tuning is that I stumbled upon? ^^^

At the moment, I am actually thinking of getting a 7-string and putting it in either a variation of this tuning (everything tuned as is, just take out either the low F# or high E) or putting it in Monuments tuning (FBbFBbEbFBbEb) but I have always had a bit of trouble when it comes to leads in Monuments tuning... (Maybe that is why Olly and Browne hardly use them?...)

 

[ghost_of_karelia]

C and D standard, bred through months of playing In Flames, Mastodon and Wintersun songs. I'm not a fan of drop tuning for whatever reason, it just doesn't appeal to me. Not denying its usefulness as a musical tool but it just doesn't work for me. :|

 

[Primitive Guitarist]

I've always had my main guitars in standard.
Which is a bit weird as I don't really cover any bands songs that are in standard Tuning yet most of my guitars remain in standard.
But more recently ive taken some inspiration from banjo having the lowest string as a higher drone note. So my 8 is tuned C#BEADGBE with the C# being a 9th above the Lowest B, makes come chords voiceings easier and its fun for self harmonizing

 

[jbab]

For writing songs I usually use Drop-C. I find that I tend to use more interesting/unusual chord voicings in drop tunings as opposed to standard tunings where I always end up playing bar chords