• Registered: 2007-07-20
  • Posts: 26

Topic: Tuning - Drop D etc.

Hi, new here, first post...

I've been playing guitar about a year, on and off, and have recently (on this forum) read about Drop D tuning. Not a clue what that is, but I've read it's good for playing rock/metal. I grew up listening to '80's rock (Skid Row, Motley Crue etc.) and am now really into Foo Fighters, so I tend to play a lot of rock.

I can't tune by ear, so I use an electronic tuner. Questions: can I use this kind of tuner to tune the guitar to Drop D? I generally play the strings open and tune accordingly. Also, being unfamiliar with the concept of Drop D, and other forms of tuning, can someone explain in simple terms what effect this tuning has on the guitar sound.

Thanks for any helpful advice.

Dylan.

  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

"Drop D" is tuning the low E string to a D, and yes, you can use your electronic tuner to do it.

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3 Reply by badeye (edited by badeye 2007-07-20 23:41:42)

  • badeye
  • The Blues Fixer
  • Offline
  • From: Cape Breton Island, Canada
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 3,381

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

Hello Jerome, By tuning to drop D do you mean tune the guitar D G C F A D  like on the 10th fret of the fingertboard?
I tried it and it sounds great. Strings easier to play as well.

....Badeye.

one caper after another
  • From: East Anglia, England
  • Registered: 2007-06-19
  • Posts: 354

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

Hi,

If it was DGCFAD, that would be tuning all the strings down a tone. The first comment was right. Here's a cool tuning to try (Low E to high E): G (tuned up) G (down) G (up) Gsharp (up) Gsharp (down) Gsharp (up).
You can actually buy tuners that have different tunings and not just standard. The best are ones that show what note you are playing so you can do any tuning. I tune by ear though.

Good luck

PS: The sharp sign on my keyboard doesn't work

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  • Registered: 2007-07-20
  • Posts: 26

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

(0)==#paranormal guitar wrote:

The first comment was right.

The comment about tuning the low E to a D... so that's the only string tuned differently, all the others are tuned normally?

(Bit thick, just need clarification... thanks).

Dylan.

  • From: North Yorkshire, England
  • Registered: 2007-07-17
  • Posts: 29

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

yeah, allows you to play power chords by just barring the 5th and 6th strings. enjoy!
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  • Registered: 2007-07-20
  • Posts: 26

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

Great, thanks to all for the advice.

I'll try that. I tend to only play power chords using just the 5th and 6th strings anyway. Still new playing these types of chords and my fingers get sore quickly playing all three strings in the power chord.

Cheers.

  • Registered: 2007-02-14
  • Posts: 27

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

ya i play with drop d and drop c alot, it really gives a darker and more intense feel to a song. and yes drop d is just the big e tuned down to a d the rest are standard, makes it much easier to make fast power chord changes. drop c is all the strings tuned down one step with the big e tuned down another step, so from high to low its: CGDFAD

gives a really dark tone and makes a song really intense and you can also have barre power chords on the lowest 3 strings. very fun to play if your into heavy/death/thrash metal.

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  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

badeye wrote:

Hello Jerome, By tuning to drop D do you mean tune the guitar D G C F A D  like on the 10th fret of the fingertboard?
I tried it and it sounds great. Strings easier to play as well.

....Badeye.

Only the E string.

So it's DADGBE.  It tunes the 1st and 2nd strings to a perfect 5th, which as noted above, lets you play "power chords" all day long.

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  • badeye
  • The Blues Fixer
  • Offline
  • From: Cape Breton Island, Canada
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 3,381

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

Thank you all.

...Badeye

one caper after another
  • Registered: 2007-07-19
  • Posts: 11

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

Some bands take drop D tuning and then detune everything further.  For example:
drop C would be C G C F A D
and drop B is B F# B E G# C#

Proper heavy...

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  • From: Frederick, MD
  • Registered: 2006-12-28
  • Posts: 851

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

I play in "Drop-D Modal" or Double Drop-D.
The tunings are:

D A d g b d

It makes playing easier for me, you usage may vary.

Good luck,
Dm

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but mediocrity knows nothing more than itself."

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  • From: USA
  • Registered: 2007-07-08
  • Posts: 32

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

Like said above...a Drop-D is just the low E (top string) tuned down to a D instead of an E.  You can use your tuner and pluck the top E string, then start tuning it down until you see a D in the tuner range indicator.  This is Drop-D.  No other strings are changed.  You can get some really cool sounds off this.  Van Halen and Godsmack use Drop-D a lot, to name a few.  The top string is all you have to change (to a D) to get Drop-D tuning.  Enjoy and ROCK ON!

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  • From: west TN
  • Registered: 2007-07-27
  • Posts: 48

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

when you do a drop D song, dont forget to retune before starting the next song.  lol  Ive had some "suprise" moments after forgetting to retune to normal.  Maybe alochol was involved?    lol

Bobby
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bobby6string's Website

  • From: west TN
  • Registered: 2007-07-27
  • Posts: 48

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

ok, alcohol was mispelled in the last post.  See what I mean?  It can cause problems.   lol

Bobby
kickin.ws

bobby6string's Website

  • Registered: 2007-07-14
  • Posts: 25

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

Drop D is pretty sweet.  If you really want to screw around with tunings try open G.  The tuning of the strings is as follows:
DGDGBD
If you tune it this way when you strum all the open strings the result will be a triad(chord).  This is absolutely awesome, because then when playing just a barre chord you will always get a good sounding chord.  Like, if you barre chord the second fret, a full step above the open strings, your result is an A chord.  Then the fourth is a B.  The fifth is a C.  The seventh is a D.  The ninth is a E.  The tenth is an F.   And the 12th brings you back to your G chord only an octave higher.  Hope this helped.

Tone Obbsession

  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

Tone_Obsession94 wrote:

Drop D is pretty sweet.  If you really want to screw around with tunings try open G.  The tuning of the strings is as follows:
DGDGBD
If you tune it this way when you strum all the open strings the result will be a triad(chord).  This is absolutely awesome, because then when playing just a barre chord you will always get a good sounding chord.  Like, if you barre chord the second fret, a full step above the open strings, your result is an A chord.  Then the fourth is a B.  The fifth is a C.  The seventh is a D.  The ninth is a E.  The tenth is an F.   And the 12th brings you back to your G chord only an octave higher.  Hope this helped.

Tone Obbsession

Banjos are tuned this way, and it is an absolute hoot.

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  • From: Frederick, MD
  • Registered: 2006-12-28
  • Posts: 851

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

Tone_Obsession94 wrote:

Drop D is pretty sweet.  If you really want to screw around with tunings try open G.  The tuning of the strings is as follows:
DGDGBD
If you tune it this way when you strum all the open strings the result will be a triad(chord).  This is absolutely awesome, because then when playing just a barre chord you will always get a good sounding chord.  Like, if you barre chord the second fret, a full step above the open strings, your result is an A chord.  Then the fourth is a B.  The fifth is a C.  The seventh is a D.  The ninth is a E.  The tenth is an F.   And the 12th brings you back to your G chord only an octave higher.  Hope this helped.

Tone Obbsession

Wow, I'll have to try that in place of Drop-D modal.

Dm

"Talent instantly recognizes genius,
but mediocrity knows nothing more than itself."

-Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle

Detman101's Website

  • From: USA
  • Registered: 2007-07-08
  • Posts: 32

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

bobby6string.....LOL!!  I'm so glad stuff like that never happens to me.  ;-)

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20 Reply by Tone_Obsession94 (edited by Tone_Obsession94 2007-08-08 04:39:39)

  • Registered: 2007-07-14
  • Posts: 25

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

jerome.oneil,
hey man i play banjo...a little.  enough to do some simpler songs and stuff. 
fun fun, i love the tone you get from banjos, its extremely 'twangy' wouldn't you say? ha. 
banjos are sweet

  • Registered: 2007-08-14
  • Posts: 18

Re: Tuning - Drop D etc.

You can also use the piano if you have one. So make the E string sound like the low D on the Piano