Seven String Tunings

[vampiregenocide]

Drop Ab for me, sometimes experiment with different tunings for the high B and e strings.

I've also played in F standard, and when I get my new RG7 I'm going to rep some FF in A standard.

 

[caughtinamosh]

I typically play in "standard rock," although it may be time for my band to employ "standard down a step." Why, you ask? The stupid piano tuning man tuned the whole piano a step too low .

 

[st2012]

I'm usually tuned down 1/2 step.

 

[robotsatemygma]

Who picked this thread back up?

Any way, I plop to Drop A (jazz standard). I'm waiting to get another 7 here and that'll be my alternative tuning machine.

 

[SamSam]

Right now I'm currently writing in B standard and drop A depending on what the songs needs (sometimes that A comes in handy!) not really a fan of going any lower but I love Bulb's tone on the G# and I really like how tuning up half a step sounds on Keith Merrow's EP

 

[Arctodus]

I use multiple tunings all at once but usually play in standard. I also don't play much if any metal on a 7 I just like the mix being able to go from an E chord then low C chord is so satisfying

 

[Daemoniac]

F# F# F# F# F# F# f#.

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

All fifths and all fourths.

 

[thecrouss]

How about G# D# G# C# F# A# D# ?

Standard BEADGBE, tuned down half a step with the Low B dropped to G#

This is really weird but I used to tune down 1 1/2 steps to this tuning, but then I wanted to do a drop on the 6th string so I could play 6,5,4 like a power chord. Then I would tune the 7th to the the 5th note of 6th string. Confused? I kinda am.

It let me play a power chord on the bottom two and then the next three
so I dont even know what the 7th was tuned to but the rest would be
G? C# D# C# F# A# D#

am I totally weird or what?

Heavy ass sound on the bottom two strings though.

 

[InCasinoOut]

My 7 is almost always in Drop A, but I've used and written in AEADEAE before too.

 

[Harry]

90 per cent of the time, B standard on 7 strings, 10 per cent of the time drop A.
Honestly low B is really as low as I need for my playing and drop A is just there when I want to play different chord shapes and want that tiny bit lower at times, but really drop A is my limit.
I don't like losing that normal range of an E standard tuned 6 string, so I just always keep all strings in E standard even when I drop the low B down to A.
It's that thing, I like listening to stuff below A (Meshuggah, Periphery etc), but when I pick up a guitar and play it myself, I don't like to hear lower than A.

Not in the question, but 6 strings, 50 per cent of the time is E standard and the other 50 is in drop D.

 

[awesomeaustin]

I have a seven for B, Bb, A and Drop A. My 8 is Standard and my only 6 at the moment is in drop Bb. Im building a 30" 6 string baritone which should be fun

 

[vlover]

Since I can tune my 6 strings to (B E A D F# B), I turn my 7 to (G C F Bb Eb G C).

 

[MF_Kitten]

try the open G with an E instead of D: GDGDGBE

 

[G9Music]

Who picked this thread back up?

Any way, I plop to Drop A (jazz standard). I'm waiting to get another 7 here and that'll be my alternative tuning machine.

I did, and I'm going to be an annoying ass and do it again since no one answered my question.

I only got one 7 for now, and for at least a year, so I'm stuck with one tuning. I really liked Drop A/Jazz standard, for those fast-paced power chord riffs that could easily return to the open (kind of Rammstein-style). Also, those beefy 7-string major and minor chords were luscious... along with easy double power chords and augmented chords. Problems I ran into were slightly awkward intervals, and diminished and fourth chords that ran off the fretboard at B and Bb, respectively.

I couldn't find enough material I liked in AEADGBE so I just tuned a standard a half step down to play some Nevermore stuff, which really underscored the intervals and fourth chords problems (e.g. playing Beyond Within [albeit a 6-string song] dropped would be a bitch... at least for a shitty player like me).

And again with a standard 7, or at least the intervals, BEADGBE... you've got the same of two strings, B and E. Surely that'd be useful for some open pull-off solo of some sort, right? And turning it around, vocals are generally sung a fifth above the guitar line so that soloing could work perfectly in the key of A for AEADGBE tuning, since the high E is a fifth above A.

So, the question to top it off... this thread has mostly been about what tuning you use, but why do you use those tunings? Specifically, why do you use standard over drop, or drop over standard?

This probably sounds annoying as hell, and you're probably saying either
1. The player makes the instrument, not the other way around you annoying bastard
2. It depends on your style.
3. Both.

And you know, those are true statements but specifically why do you choose standard over drop, vice versa? Are the disadvantages that I listed above for AEADGBE just matters of practice (fourth chords, for example)?

Sorry for this convoluted message.

 

[Cancer]

+1 for the all 4ths Eric

For my UV7PW I'm using E2 A2 D3 G3 C4 F4 Bb4 with one of Garry Goodman's wicked shredding strings

But for my extended multi-scale 7 I tune all 4ths but down 1 1/2 steps from low B, so G#1 C#2 F#2 B2 E3 A3 D4.


I absolutely love the symmetry of all 4ths. All chord & scale & arpeggio shapes are consistent everywhere on the neck and over any combination of strings. Makes switching instruments from 4 string bass all the way to a 10 string guitar very easy.

This is precisely why I moved to all 4ths on my 7 strings, I know sooner or later I'm going to have an 8 string and I love that all of my shapes are consistent, just like a piano.

 

[Konfyouzd]

i only play standard. i haven't yet found a use for drop tunings. then again, i haven't been looking either.