standard tuning as a lot more bands are using that and if a tabs in another tuning I just hange the tab around, Also it doesn't help that I'm too lazy to d tune my guitar .

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Well im using Drop C# at the moment. its like Eb standard, but 6th string dropped. I like it.

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I just tried a set of 13 - 56 strings for B tuning (ghs boomers) to play some carcass. Sounded too muddy for my taste, I think I get a better tone in standard (w/ 10 - 46). I might try tuning down to Eb to make singing high notes easier though.

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13s should be perfect for B standard tuning - have you tried adjusting the EQ on your amp?

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or tried a different kind of string? huh? did ya?

gibson powerline 13-56 work well for that low of tuning... Hell, i tuned to F# and they were only semi loose.

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Okay, okay... so I didn't put a lot of effort into B tuning with the 13s. Yeah, I'll try getting some brighter strings and messing with the EQ on my amp. I was just surprised at the utter shittiness of the sound I got out first off.

I messed with the EQ a little bit and got a slightly better sound, but fuck, Carcass got such amazing clarity on heartwork with their B tuning!

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they used 5150s also, and i think they also had active pickups.

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Slayer were tuned standard on Show No Mercy and in C# for Diabolus. They were tuned in Eb for all the albums that mattered, though.

Also, there seems to be some confusion over Metallica tunings. Metallica were tuned standard for all of their first 5 albums. The only exceptions are "The Thing That Should Not Be" from Master of Puppets, which, as most probably know, is played in dropped D and "The God that Failed" from the black album, which is tuned to Eb.

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So Show No Mercy doesn't matter?

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Show No Mercy was an important album, but it's importance is largely based on the time it was released, it's originality, and it's influence on the scene.

It doesn't matter much to me because I hardly listen to it. When I do listen to it, I usually skip half the songs or listen to only a couple, like The Final Command or Die By the Sword, maybe Tormentor, Black Magic, and Fight Till Death if I have the time. If you listen to Reign in Blood and then Show No Mercy, that might show you why Show No Mercy doesn't matter much to me. Also, my first Slayer album was South of Heaven, so Show No Mercy doesn't have much of a nostalgia factor.

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Actually, there was also Sad But True which was tuned down a whole step, as well as a few other I think were tuned down a half step along with The God that Failed. Plus, I have a slight, sneaking suspicion that TTTSNB might have been tuned down a whole step (I only say this as it looks that way when I watch them play the song on the '88 Binge and Purge concert video).

You are right about Sad But True, my mistake. You could be right about TTSNB as well.

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Ditto. No need to go any lower, lottsa bands still sound heavy in standard E. I can understand tuning to e flat for power metal to make it easier for vocals but not in any other genre.

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Ummm death metal? I tune to D, but gutteral vox dont really sound too good if theyre lower than the bass.

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Yeah, Nile would sound ridiculous if they didn't tune to A.

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ill post a clip of Unas in D tuning some day, just to prove this.

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If you could somehow get the original vocals layered on top of it, then the point will be well and truly made. I'm fucked if I know how to do it though!

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I could semi do it... Just pan the actual song off to one side and my guitar to the other, and turn the songs volume down a little, the vocals will still be hearable.

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Lately I've been playing in D and in C. I use D for death metal, and pretty much everything else except Stoner/Sludge Metal. Then I use C because its really meaty when you need it to be, and can still play the melodic shit. Just look at Kyuss.

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i have been using B for alot of death shit recently, well my seven string, so it really isnt tuned down, but fuck if it aint low. i usually stay in standard for anything else, even shit thats supposed to be lower, like Death, or Slayer

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1/4 step down or standard.

i tune by B.C Rich to E because its the only tuning i can do by ear, when i play along with songs in D,C, and lower, it doesnt really matter too drastically. I do let the guitar go out of tune a bit before i tune it back up. its easier this way

i advise the 2 people that posted before me to shut the fuck up

now, thats not very nice, they weren't being douches, so why do they need to shut the fuck up.

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alright alright ill budge on Warlock... but jittery, with the 1/4 step down. thats just gay.

Eb/D#, D, and C. I use Half Step for thrash stuff, D for deathy/grind stuff, and C for stoner rock/doom/sludge. B can be cool sometimes though, like when playing Cathedral or Crowbar, but can get annoying sometimes in my opinion if abused.

I stick to E.

Just a question: is there a special reason why lots of heavymetal & shredmetal bands use the Eb tuning??
I'm just a starter in theory and such, so forgive me if I ask a dumb question.

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Hmmmm, good question

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Well, the main ones who use Eb are the 80's thrash bands and death metal bands. Alot of the modern ones go down atleat one whole step.

The reason why bands do this is to sound heavier. It generally sounds more heavy and powerful using low tunings. That's basically why, I can't think of any other reason. Also, you use thicker strings on lower tunings, also giving it a more heavy sound.

dude

I know a downtuned guitar sounds heavier (duh)

that's why most DM (and other) bands tune to A, B, C or D.

I'm just asking why almost every heavy/solometal band uses this Eb, just seems weird to have a flat tune on an open string. You can hardly talk about downtuning to sound heavy, when it concerns half a step.

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You know what's gayer? Being a douchebag and telling people to shut the fuck up just because you don't like the way they tune. Shut your goddamned mouth.

Besides, Megadeth's first two albums are both tuned 1/4 step down, dumbass, so there is a good reason to tune that way.

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what chris said, also, dime always tuned about a quarter step flat, and then a whole step, or whatever, but he was always a quarter step flat.

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Please refer below to see my concern.

in this: http://metaltabs.com/tab/102/ tab of Pantera - (Reprise) Sandblasted Skin there is some weird ass tuning, what fucking tuning is that ?!

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served

How do i tune down to a 'cause i'm playing al lot of nile lately and music from bloodgasm and six feet under also still kicks ass in a so i heard...and i do'nt have money for tuning device for alternative tunings...also what kind of strings do i use when tuning that low ?...i mean...i don't want floppy strings

nile is in drop A, so buy some B tuning strings, not sure about the gauge as i don't have the correct gauge strings for now, my warlock is in B tuning and has been for some weeks.

just head down to your local guitar shop and ask the bloke what he reckons. and if he says "get the neck extended," tell him to go and stick his head up a dead bear's arse

that, saevar would be drop G tuning. i strongly recommend that you do not try tuning your guitar to G. unless you own a 7-string guitar, the sound will be something like:

KBPROUHRWHOURRONU0HRNGRHOJBNWJOBNORJBNQBNOJNJNJNBFJNFNHWGNRJUGNORWBNRJB BJB RJOB RJOBBJOGH WROGHWRJHO BJV DAGAOGJEYOU4QBY4OW

and even with 7 strings, it will still sound rather like your grandma in a pool of mud on baked beans and prunes night.

B for my band and some bands like skinless and cannibal but i hardly play other bands songs anymore.

haha ok

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You really don't need any device for alternative tunings, just tune standard and go from there. You might wanna try a site like this http://www.8notes.com/guitar_tuner/....asp?sstring=e2 to tune, then harmonize to whatever key you're trying to tune to.
E-F-(F#/Gb)-G-(G#/Ab)-A-(A#/Bb)-B-C-(C#/Db)-D-(D#/Eb)-E
B-C-(C#/Db)-D-(D#/Eb)-E-F-(F#/Gb)-G-(G#/Ab)-A-(A#/Bb)-B
G-(G#/Ab)-A-(A#/Bb)-B-C-(C#/Db)-D-(D#/Eb)-E-F-(F#/Gb)-G
D-(D#/Eb)-E-F-(F#/Gb)-G-(G#/Ab)-A-(A#/Bb)-B-C-(C#/Db)-D
A-(A#/Bb)-B-C-(C#/Db)-D-(D#/Eb)-E-F-(F#/Gb)-G-(G#/Ab)-A
E-F-(F#/Gb)-G-(G#/Ab)-A-(A#/Bb)-B-C-(C#/Db)-D-(D#/Eb)-E
That should help

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My favourite is standard C but i like D and Dropped A too, but I haven't good strings to this tuning.

My favorite is C# because it's heavy and still you can play some calm preaty sounds, but now i'm tuned to B because i'm learning some cryptopsy's songs

after a lot of testing around i finally tuned to Eb. I mean its a hlf tone away from d in wich killswitch engage plays and a half tone away from standard e wich metallica plays in. And slyer uses mainly Eb. So i have best of all 3 worlds. And for the killswitch songs i just drop the low string to C#

Standard E tuning and B tuning. Why? E because I like to pretend that I'm Randy Rhoads. B because I like to pretend I'm in Carcass and Impaled. Never dropped though, I like the power chord shape as is.

yep, that one finger power chord business bugs me

Standard, for the sole purpose that it has become what I am accustomed to

Standard E, Drop Eb ( I just drop the E string to Eb, meaning I would play powerchords the same way you would finger a flatted-fifth interval in standard tuning. For old Cannibal Corpse and Slayer it's quite ideal ), and Drop D. One of these days I'm getting a 7 string and I will just keep it in Drop A.

I use drop D sometimes mostly because I started writing a song, but then realized that with the key it was in I needed to drop it (or transpose it higher and make it sound like balls) but I prefer to use standard mostly because.. well... it's standard!

i use Eb and standerd... i can get all ('all' meaning 'most of') the lower notes with bar chords...
and plus i can get higher notes than if i tuned down

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