Tunings that made you go "holy SHIT!"

[zimbloth]

I agree, I used to use a lot of different tunings, Eb, D, C#, C, Drop B, B, Drop Bb, Bb, A, Drop A, etc. I've tried ADADGBE as well. For the way I like to write, I just need standard format tuning (ADGCFAD in my case, or B-E-A-D-F#-B on 6s).

 

[Naren]

I've used lots and lots and lots of unusual tunings. One of them that surprised a lot of people is drop E, where I tune all the strings on a six up except the E. So it's EBEACF#, if I remember correctly... Another is where I tuned all the strings to form an open sus4 chord. And another where I tuned all the strings to form a D diminished chord.

Something that pisses me off, I was trying to learn some Goo Goo Dolls for a friend, and the tuning is friggin so weird.. its like open D or something (what i heard it called) where every string is tuned in D or G so you can just fret one finger and play a perfect D chord everytime. its so stupid..

Why'd that piss you off? It's their songs. They can play it however they want and it works great for them. I could just as easily say "Standard is a stupid tuning! This band pisses me off because they use standard. Bastards..." (I wouldn't say that, since my main tuning is standard and because I like all tunings).

You may think open D and open G are "stupid," but many people would disagree with you. When playing slide guitar in the blues, an open tuning is A LOT more useful than standard intervals. The Rolling Stones had some very interesting ways to use open tunings. One of my favorite examples would be "Gimme Shelter" which is in Open E. The intro to that song is pretty much impossible to play outside of an open tuning and sound very cool. One band that I love, Third Eye Blind, uses lots of different tunings throughout an album, including standard, drop D, open G, open D, etc. And some of their songs in open tunings are very creative (their guitarist was taught by Joe Satriani and I think it shows in some of his creative approaches to playing music).

I hope this changes your opinion on it.

Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter (some live performance from the 70s) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CchVQ1E0n2o&mode=related&search=
Third Eye Blind - God Of Wine (set to Star Trek Voyager images for some bizarre reason, but this is the only one I could find on youtube): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr0xo89a_Gw

 

[metalfiend666]

When i tuned my 7 to F# B E A D F# B. That made me go

Me too, especially with the mix of guitar and bass cabs I'm using. That really stops the low F# turning to mud. I mainly play in standard, but I like drop A too. I might try tuning in A standard as well sometime.

That being said C-G-C-G-C-E (low to high on a 6) and G-C-G-C-G-C-E(low to high on a 7) are lots of good fun.

Isn't that one SYL's tuning?

 

[Korbain]

i use ADGCFAD and, as of now, its all i'll have to use. it covers all bases for me! i love my normal powerchords and stuff, i ain't a huge fan of the bar chords. But still, bar chords are great for full on metal, but the shit i am making up now with ADGCFAD is sounding as fuck, i'm going a whole new direction with my muisic woo! and ytes i am drunk incase ur like god he's talking shit lol. Forgive meh! but yes ADGCFAD all the way, but expermenting with tunings is great

 

[ohio_eric]

That being said C-G-C-G-C-E (low to high on a 6) and G-C-G-C-G-C-E(low to high on a 7) are lots of good fun.

Isn't that one SYL's tuning?

Yes it is. It's really cool to experiment with.

 

[skattabrain]

i love GCGCFAD on my baritone.

i like it because even back 13 years ago, i've always loved drop tuned chords ... say what you want about it being cheating or whatever ... the strings just vibrate and resonate in a certain way that sounds inspiring to me. something about the equal length ... i dunno exactly why. sure it makes playing riffs easier ... but the sound is what it's about ... i'm not out to impress other guitarists with my dexterity prowess and skills.

by tuning drop c with a low G, it helps raise the "base level" of the song to the magic metal tuning of drop c. you hang around on the drop c and dip down for the "wow". the core of the song writing stays at drop C ... it's already a very heavy sound and not so low that definition is lost.

so you're tooling around drop C ... then ... you bust out a few G or A# chords or notes and it just drops the whole the floor down. it makes your ears go ... what was that??

i found that drop tuning the 7th string doesn't make it sound as heavy. it just sounds muddier ... the attack isn't the same as drop C. when the root note is the lowest possible note ... it leaves you unable to drop it down further in your riffs for accents. if your guitar can handle it clearly and cleanly ... it rules. jsut get used to playing hard on the 2nd string from the top ... which i take for granted members of this forum already do. so you get that children of bodom attack ... and that huge low end ... best of both worlds IME.

but regarding this one tuning is stupid over another or cheating or whatever, naren is right ... that's just the queerest thing i've heard. musicians should be judged by the quality of their music ... not the speed of their playing, the ease of their tunings or the gear they use.

what if you are somewhere else, or if your main guitar breaks on stage.. how can you get a guitar in that exact tuning for the next song? you cant, your fucked (unless multiple backups)

i hear this argument now and then ... that's show biz baby ... just put your shit on the line and let it all hang out. **IF** you're worried, plan accordingly. don't forget to add tube amps failing and beer on your foot controllers to that list.

 

[Drew]

Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter (some live performance from the 70s) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CchVQ1E0n2o&mode=related&search=

Hahaha, that rules - they look so young.

 

[Naren]

Hahaha, that rules - they look so young.

I found some lives from 1997 and 1999, but it was mainly just Mick Jaggar making a fool of himself and it had these big fat black women singing the parts from the album. And his vocals just sounded so half-ass and lazy. Then I found the one from the 70s and thought, "This one is a lot lot better."

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

I have a hard enough time with standard tuning

 

[Metal Ken]

nothing that really made me go 'holy shit', after all, there is only 12 notes ;p

Open G pissed me off though, i was like "Argh! How do i play a minor chord?!"

 

[distressed_romeo]

I'm all over the place with tunings...

My acoustic's currently tuned BF#BF#BC#, which is a cool variation on the SYL open C tuning.
CGDGAD is a fun variation on DADGAD and is great for Preston Reed-style tapping.
DADGAE is great for drony modal stuff on slide guitar (think David Tronzo)

 

[jim777]

99.9% of the time I play in standard tuning. That's tough enough for me!
I have been playing a King's X song lately called 'Legal Kill' that uses DADF#AD, but I don't spend too much time in alternate tunings. It does make me gas for Guild F-50 12 string though

 

[Desecrated]

I have a hard enough time with standard tuning

"I have a hard enough time with 6 strings". , dont throw guitars in glasshouses.

_____________________________________________________________

Some tunings I use. I´ve posted them i do in D but I also tune to C,H,A and different E tunings, but this is the generall principle,
Of course I also tune in 4th's or pure 5th's deppending on what kind of instrument I´m playing against.
I also use the same ideas with the high a string but I will only post the tunnings with a thicker string.

D-MAJOR ADADF#AD

D-MINOR ADADFAD

D7 ADACF#AD

DMin7 ADACFAD

D9 ADADF#CE

DMin9 ADADFCE

D-MAJ7 ADAD#F#AD#

DDIM A#DA#DFA#D

 

[sevenstringdeath]

i use DGCFAD and C F Bb Eb G C , standard C is my favorite, but on my rg1570 its a pain in the ass having to use such thick strings, so until i get my tremol-no its standard d for me.

 

[Ancestor]

SYL freaked me out. I didn't even think about an altered tuning, until someone mentioned it here. Then I said, "Ah, OK, they're using a different tuning. Awesome."

 

[Briggs]

resident 7-string noob here...

I am amazed with the drop A (AEADGBE)<---I think this is what it's called. I may go lower in the future, maybe a whole step down. (GDGCFAD)

The rg7321 has more chunk than any of my sixxers. I have a .070 for the 7th string (I had my dad drill the tuner shaft to fit).

From a classical/metal standpoint.... Alternate tunings are what make stringed instuments (guitars, violins, violas, cellos, bass etc.) dynamic and different from other instuments. IMO, we need to take advantage of that fact to get the full effect of the instrument. The harmonic range / timbre is the real issue here.

take care

 

[abyssalservant]

AYB put his four in AADD (I think) . . . E DOWN to A (adjacent strings an octave apart) and G down to D . . . weeeeiird. Doing some fun root/second antiharmonic doublestops, he was, and thundering the low end.

 

[jacksonknox27]

ADADGBE...you can play stuff in A and Dropped D at the same time!!!, and if you want just straight up drop A, then tune the d up to an e. I absolutely love that tuning, and i said wow!

 

[Pericles]

Man......I don't have enough patience with my floyd to experiment!! 1/2 step down, in some situations i'll use standard.....but my core tuning i use about 95% is Bb.....or Eb.....what ever you want to call it.
Playing songs that were wirtten origonally in standard sound a little better when the entire song is transposed down a half step......like playing A Change Of Seasons in Bb......it should have been wirtten in that tuning!!

 

[Korbain]

come to think off it! on my fender i used drop C standard for a while. that was a pretty bad ass tuning. It had the cool high notes to pick and blend in with the deeper chords and riffs etc. and it just sounded heaps dark! ohh. But yeh i use my 7 string all the time now...and i love my ADGCFAD.