Ok, if there already is a thread about different tunings, I apologise. I searched but couldn't see any.

Basically, I'm just curious to see which tuning everyone prefers. I've always tuned my guitar down to B but now, for versatility sake and also because of the tone (too bassy and low) I'm thinking of tuning up to D. It's more or less somewhere in the middle between standard and B. I think I'll be happy with that.

Oh, and I also want to ask you all a question: "Do you believe downtuning equals more heaviness?"

This is pretty subjective but I'm anxious to see what you all think. Cheers!

You can be heavy in standard E no problem. If you tune to B it will just sound lower therefore many people think it's heavier But imo you can write a song in B and it will still sound heavy in D. I personally tune to standard B, Drop A and C#

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i prefer D because its still happier sounding but capable of serious heaviness


yeah , downtuning CAN make it heavier (nile, immolation). but it doesnt HAVE to (demilich tune to A )

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I think it was Kerry King that once mentioned in a guitar magazine that a riff that sounds weak as hell in standard tuning would sound like the most badass thing ever in downtuning. I agree. Downtuning makes it easier to write a heavy riff because of, obviously, the low pitch. Therefore it doesn't always take as much talent to write a good heavy song downtuned as it would in standard. But it's not just the skill, it's all about the sound too. Whether it sounds good in standard or not, sometimes downtuning just helps fill out the atmosphere of the riff and give it an extra edge. Then again, there are some riffs that bands have written in standard (or around standard) and sound pretty crappy if played lower. So, like all things, it has it's advantages and disadvantages. I used to always play in D, then I began tuning to Eb and using a whammy effect to play in Bb, and now I still tune to Eb but use a whammy effect to play in C# (which sounds a hell of a lot better than the lower whammy). As always, it's simply a matter of preference. But I think I like tuning a bit higher. When it's really low, things can get boring and repetitive.

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The irony that the same people consistantly increase their post count by seeking out threads in which they can cry 'search harder'

My preffered tuning is C#

Tuning isn't heavniess though, just for a start it's also to do with tone and the way in which the intruments are used in the song. An example I can think of is how Dimmu Borgir's "puritania" sounds far heavier than a song called 'into eternity' by splintered visions (or the other way round... I got the band from this forum as a suggestion of some arpreggios to learn). Dimmu Borgir tune to E, and the other band right down to C. Another thing to consider would be how some Black Sabbath songs are in B tuning (as far as I remember, never had the interest to really verify it) but due to my preferences in tone and the somewhat sparse and empty recording mixes the band has, it doesn't sound that heavy. If you want a really clear illustration of this, just compare some Nile recordings to some Nile midi files, courtesy of the humble guitar pro

To me tuning down gives not only a better tone and sound for me, but also makes the instrument seem nicer to play, though this will be more due to the fact that my axe has been tuned down for years now so I'm used to it. It's a pain playing guitars in E in guitar shops etc.

Also it depends what kind of stuff you're going to associate the tones and tunings to I guess. Any riff based on the A string reminds me of the former days of metal, as do a lot of bands that tune to E and stick in the Aeolian modes, so despite the riffing it is unlikely to sound that hefty to me. Stick it into an approproate scale, such as the easy to grasp whole-half diminished and you're onto the beef despite your tunings.

Maybe it is a case of being sheepish, but as with evolution, if something works well there's little point in stubbornly ignoring it just for the sake of it. If you can be arsed to, tune down if you wanna play heavier stuff - you can always ride up a few frets and soon be back in the safety of standard tuning

I think the lowest Iommi ever went was C#. Still, you were within a half-step so no points deducted.

EDIT: Wait a minute. C#......C.....B.....crap, a full step. Oh well. I was within a full step so no points deducted.

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Haha alright Your comments on low tuning becoming very boring with writing riffs I can relate to. The amount of times I've tuned a riff down to A in guitar pro, then spent however long retuning my axe with it's bastard floyyd rose to A, only to be bored within a few minutes and tune back to C#

C# is a minor third down from E, tuning to this you can sometimes get that feel from songs, such as a few of dying fetus's etc...

Was just listening to Psycroptic, they tune to drop D; dropping-one-string tuning I never got the hang of. They are a band that I think would sound better, as a lot of their tremolo riffs sound as if they are missing an extra touch, not to mention the guitar tone doesn't seem to merge as well with the other instruments for the hefty sections:/ I think that's mainly to the crunchy guitar tone, but again, crunchy guitars are something I associate with the tuning of E...

P.S. Mortpayne, cheers for the comments on the riff thread Just been doing recording with the band and it sounds a lot better so I shall send you any future links if you're interested

Why not just post your band's link in your sig? That way any updates ect are always available.

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I agree 100% with Six_Feet_Under_420 and Transient on all they said.

In my opinion... the production plays a bigger role in heaviness than downtuning per se.

...and if I understood Deifiler well, it also depends on the style you're playing. Couldn't agree more on that.

For now I think I'll go for a C# or D tuning, which is somewhat in the middle between standard and B, like I said in my first post.

Oh, btw one of the classic Death Metal albums, Obituary's "Slowly We Rot" was recorded in standard tuning. Ok, the production isn't extraordinary but the tuning seems to suite the riffs. Sometimes I seem to prefer that tuning to their D tuning which they used on the rest of their albums!

And last but not least, some people may assume that downtuning = heaviness so they tune as low as they can (These days, it's not uncommon to see bands tune to beyond B-tunings.) and at times, it can sound good but at others, it sounds like shit.
Add to that the use of digital effects pedals and digital (non-tube) amps and you have the perfect recipe for a shitty tone!
That's only my opinion, of course.

I use C# and Bb most so they will have to be favourites i guess.

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i prefer standard e or e flat.. nothin too crazy. usually i'm in standard, since i'm down to 1 electric guitar and it has a locking trem, which makes it a pain to change tunings.

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I use standard E because it is the most of the stuff I play is in that tuning. If the tuning is lower I'll still just play in standard e...because you know what? who gives a fuck what it sounds like when you are playing it in your room. Example, Nile - Sarcophagus, I play that in standard e and I think it sounds just as cool as when it is in B (or whatever tuning it is). I also tune to standard E because I don't see the point of being low and trying to be heavy. Tony Iommi did it with the first 2 black sabbath albums in standard E, so there should be nothing stopping me from being that heavy.

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Heavyness is defined by the skill of the songwriter/guitarist and the record producer.

TUning to b doesnt automatically equal heavy. Most of the time it just breaks up your sound.

D is the lowest i will go. its my tuning of choice.

C# for the win, but my 7string is tuned to B standard, but obviously that incorporates standard E in it

Nothing beats the good ol' drop Z though

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D. Now shut the fuck up!

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Slipknot tune to drop B,and they are brutal as fuck.

dont you mean slipcock

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Nah slipKNOT.

That was really worth posting... (in regards to metalmonkeys post)

Normally I keep my guitar in E standard, with an occasional downtune to drop D, and like rapeandruin, I normally play about everything in E, regardless of it's actual tuning on the album.

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I'm the same as that - just that I play everything in B standard.

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That's the worst part about figuring out songs, having to fucking retune your guitar!

I use D standard...

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Heaviest tunings are C, Db, and D. D does nt sound happy at all to me as Transient said it was happy. The most happy tuning to me is E. I never like to go below D, and only when the need arrises. I like those tunings the best and I think C is heaviest. And no, drop tuning dosn't make anything heavier, playing technique and distortion/production do.

Ahhh, you said downtuning, well, same applies ^

i say fuck trying to tab the song if I have to change tunings...i don't tab a lot, but when I do it always seems to be a standard E song instead of somethign else...or something like that

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It isnt too hard to transpose when you keep to standard tunings.

C# gives that edge over D in my opinion... A good example of this is listening through Decapitated's history, listen to the first two albums in D then the Negation in C#. It has a much nicer sound and feel to it IMO, partially due to being a semitone down

When I was younger I preffered a half step lower than standard because of Becker, Eddie and Gilbert. Now I've played with our band in C for so long I don't think I could play any of our songs in standard. It just wouldnt sound right. Plus it helps our singer hit some crazy falsetto notes because it's in a lower key.

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Low pitches allow a DEEPER sound. This usually adds up to "heavier" though.

I have my 7's down a wholetone, to A, which without the 7th is D.

I have to admit as well, you get high tuners who are heavy as shit, listen to the palm muting at the end of Hammer Smashed Face. E motherfucking b!

But a lot of the time, high tuners are thrashing the strings at great speed and backed by a drum beat for their heaviness. Slayer (Eb) for example. Low tuners, like Meshuggah on their 8-strings ( low F), or Nile (drop A), are pushing out immense heaviness off the back of single notes.

So I guess it's the bass that determines heaviness. Listen to the Hammer Smashed Face chugging. They wreak of bass.

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I have one guitar it D, and the other is a 7

My favorite tuning is Bb.

I have 5 guitars in my room though...each with different tunings....so that helps with the whole "changing tuning" thing.

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i have sumtin to say on the changing tunings to tab songs thing.

i change the key of songs so i can tab sumtin in D while it is written in C for example, god bless cool edit pro.

EDIT: oh and i play in Eb most of the time, dont ask me y, i think every tuning sounds like shit

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Yeah but wouldn't you have to tab every thing out a step lower than you figured it out? Sounds like a pain, but if it works for you then cool...

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I tried that on GP,it just mixed the notes anywhere and made it useless to play.

Downtuning doesnt equal heaviness. Im one of those people that hate down tunings. Puts the fucking guitar out of proportion, when its all nicely set up in 4ths. For what.. convienience? Ok,Ok i admit you can do BREWTALLLA riffs, just flying about the frets but meh? 2 fingers is not 2 much more than 1.

And Drop D isnt as heavy as D standard, im sure you all know.

People say you can write a heavy song in E (Just look at Deicide - Legion) but I think part of the heaviness comes from the tuning. I mean, B5 sounds so much chunkier than E5. Just my opinion, and im not saying you cant write a heavy-ass song in E cause.. you can, and it has.

Just my 2 cents.


EDIT: oh and yeah I keep my 6 string in D and my 7 in E, so I have massive range (that of 3 guitars). In the future I plan on buying another 7 (with a fixed brigde!!!1) and ill keep it down one step so ill have A and D aswell. Then ill tune my 6 to C and ill have tunings A - E. That way everyone's happy.

i play in drp Bb low to high (Bb F Bb E G C)

Aha, so Deicide tuned up to standard on the 2nd LP? Yes, it sounds heavy but I find it sounds a little too bright for my tastes. Maybe it's just a matter of EQ-ing, I don't know. I think I prefer the sound of the guitars on their debut, though.

Btw, so I heard that downtuning makes the sound muddy. I guess everyone knows that. So, what can one do to counteract the muddiness? Change pickup perhaps?

I play standard on my 7 for the most part, with that G string down to F#. I also tune down to Bb alot, anything lower is too muddy for me. Also the occasional drop a

I either like standard E or go really low into B on the 7-string and drop down to A, Crunchy brutalness!

Electric guitar in D. Acoustic in standard or D

Read the first post,and rethink the relevence of your answer.

i sometimes play in E standard. but most of the time i play 2 full steps down from that. but my power chords still need two fingers to play them. i don't dig that dropped string power chord shit.

.

I like to tune to B, in the way that it's practically like a 7-string without the high E which I very rarely use anyway. I just try to keep in mind that I don't have to use the low string just because it's there.

I tune in EADGBE...not the classical one, but one octave lower.

I tune like this so even my solos sound fawkin' br00tal.









Alright seriously I tune in D.

i love this place.

I have a guitar tuned in E for some jazzy bluesy etc. stuff and my other in Bb. Bb is just such a brutal tuning, don't really know why.

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Downtuning does not have anything to do with heavyness. Bass doesnt mean heavy either. Its just riffage.

Fav Tunings:
Jamming: D or drop D.
Death: B
Thrash: Eb
Power: E or D standard

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Eb
D
C
Drop A(I don't play this tuning because of Nile either.)
Bb

I rule in those tunings.

Well i'm sure you do

I mostly play in E or D standard, because i really use the high notes. I usually play heavy riffs on my D guitar and solos on the E guitar. I once tuned down to Bb , it was fucking heavy but it got borring after a while. (Just like E standard gets boring to most people after a while )

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I usually like to tune in Drop C, but sometimes i like to play in E standard and Drop D.

BEADGBE

I tend to play in e more and ignore the low b string

i think it adds to it for the reasons stated already...but i agree, you don't need to tune lower to have a heavy sound. it just takes more writing ability.(edit: i mean to write something really heavy but in standard e)

i do think you can definetly go too low though...i haven't really tried playing anything below b, but i don't really want to. strings are so damn loose.

since everyones been going on about it...i am usually in b myself..but change tuning all the time. depends on what i'm playing.

I have 3 guitars tuned to E, 2 tuned to D, 1 tuned to C#, and the other is B

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i think you guys are missing something....as insert name here has been trying to point out... did you read the whole title??? or were you just

standard D just sounds badass

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Yeah, I noticed this too But it's ok. Those replies serve also as a sort of poll to see which tunings are more preferred eh?

I have two guitars (a Jackson and a Shadow) with 9's that are set up to E and a strat with 12's that I can downtune to whatever I want. I write on the e standard guitars then I test the riffs in D or Drop D, Drop C etc. on the strat. To my ears, the downtuned Strat always sounds heavier but it's not neccessarily better for the song.

I play in two bands, both in E. I don't like anything too low, but I just loooove C-tuning! I have an old Les Paul special model here which I tuned in C for Queens of the Stone Age and AntaeuS (with standard gauges!) and it sounds absolutely lovely. I also think that C tuning can have a pulsating/'mesmerizing' (word has been used wày too much) when played in some manners (pulsating effect is evident with AntaeuS's riffing).

I mostly dislike anything lower than C. And D-tuning, probably it's because of my lack of albums in D (Thelema.6 being one of the few but a véry good album) but I don't feel it really does something for the music.

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if you can make a riff brutal as hell in E...why tune lower?

Because sometimes tuning down can change the atmosphere of the music

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Can you imagine how weedy Nile would sound in E?

I think it's essential to remember why any guitarist would downtune (or, conversely, utilise a capo): to equate with the pitch of the vocals. So, for instance, Eb works quite well for early Morbid Angel while their progression to Bb generally coincided with a deeper vocal attack.

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My all-time favorite is probably C# - I love the quality it gives my music, not too low, not too high, but right now I'm enjoying tuning to A. Not that I like the low notes of A especially, but I like the loose feelings of the strings and the crunchier, less tight distortion I get. It sounds simply amazing with my guitar's tone knob set around 10%, nice and fuzzy. Mmm.

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I find that if a riff is good, its good. I play in D and I dont think you need to go any lower for heavyness. Any lower and it tends to be too bassy

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my favorite tuning has to be standard C

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Eb for Thrash etc.

C for Death Metal

and

D if I want to play some Vital Remains

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For my guitar (Gibson SG), i think C# has the best tone. It's heavy as fuck, yet still has some crunch to it, and the strings aren't too floppy to play fast. I absolutely love the way B and Ab sound, but the strings are so floppy that it takes away from my speed a lot. Plus it sounds a little muddy when playing fast. I use GHS Boohmer TNT's right now which are like .10-.52? something around there. I'm thinking about bumping it up to .11-.60ish (depending what i find), so hopefully that'll help with the floppyness. Don't forget that Gibsons have a slightly shorter scale length (24.75 in), while most jackson's and like guitars are 25.5 in. that makes a huge difference in string tension. A lot more than you'd think.

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I bought 2 packs today of GHS Boohmers, i bought the 10-60's and the 11-70's. i bought both because i wasn't sure if the 70's would be too big or if it would even fit through the hole in the tuner peg thing (for lack of proper terminology). i think that if it fits, 11-70 would be well suited for B or Bb. What do you guys think?

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well i put on the .70's and they sound great in B

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Back when I used those I actually had to take a file and make the hole bigger on my Scheter's lowest string peghead just so those fuckers could fit... they're perfect for tuning in B or lower.

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B is amazing with these. It has the clarity of normal strings in standard. There's no muddyness from downtuning at all. So crisp and clear. Even Bb sounds good. They fit through the peghead fine too. A little snug but no problems.

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Standard tuning, no doubt about it. I like the tightness on chords and palm muting sounds much better too. Downtuning make your sound muddy

i always thought if ur gona play in B, why not buy a seven string?

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Seven string = ~£500
Set of .13s = ~£5

There ya go!

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I prefer E, but sometimes I accidently write music in other tunings. I have guitars tuned to "B", "D", dropped "D", and "E", so sometimes when I grab one of the other guitars I come up with something which sounds cool. Usually I try to play it on my "E" guitar once I get the riff the way I want it. Sometimes it sounds good... usually not though.

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Hm. I prefer to practice in standard(for a 7-string, so B standard really) But as for favorite I'd have say tuning an 8-string down a half a step (F standard). I like the sound of those low notes.

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That`s really low.....Wow F

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i personally prefer drop C. i don't like it too low because if it is, then it's incredibly hard to play non-metal, E standard-tuned songs without having to change the tuning. and plus, i like having C as the note that i end alot of my songs on.

ever hear of a bass guitar?

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Never in my life.

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seriously...tuning that low is so pointless...there is no way it sounds good

Meshuggah?

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Lol, dude, it's a half-step. If you tune an 8-string down one half step you end up with a low F. It's not like I'm tuning the 8-string itself down 11 steps. That's like saying a bass guitar sounds like shit aswell. Since that's only a half-step lower if it's in standard tuning.

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i'm probably gonna get flamed for this


but thats kinda my point

i know what an 8 string is tuned to...and i'm not saying that bass sounds like crap....you don't play a bass through guitar style effects

I personally like E standard the most but I have a guitar in C/C# and then another in B or D (depending on the strings and what tuning I decide when changing strings...). I don't relaly worry about tuning to Eb for a song that is tuned to that when I'm playing along cuz I'm merely playing along...

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I like E standard, it gives me best sound and distoration is best.All other tunings are not recomended for me

Has noone here heard of Doom gods Thergothon, or the only real good users of B tuning Axis of Advance/Sacramentary Abolishment?

I find B is versatile, for playing fast paced black/death and taking it right down to doom metal... cant really do that in D, but D is still excellent for most death metal.

Seriously.... before any of you take another breath, obtain these godlike releases... and associated.

http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=2172

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Of course I've heard Thergothon. I've got an original copy of their demo and their album recorded on cassette.

Of course 7-string guitars have more range but if say one wants to play in a certain key, say in the key of D and use a fast pedal tone with chords, it would be quite difficult to do so. At least for me anyway! I can't think of an other way besides maybe taking the guitar down two steps so that the low E would become D but anyway...

i personally can appreciate all tunings, they all have their own style and signature sound. i've done E standard, drop D, D standard, C standard, C# standard, B standard, drop A, A standard, and F# standard [8 string tuning on my 7 string; tuned down 2 1/2 steps], in addition to odd tunings such as ADADGb'e', and every single one is cool its own right.


right now i have a 6 string tuned to C#, because i believe its heavy and dark but versatile, and my 7 string is currently tuned to F# to emulate 8 string guitars, but i normally bounce between standard tuning and drop A for it.



the tuning is irrelevant; the material and how well it fits the tuning is far more important. Dimmu Borgir has written some of the heaviest stuff in E standard I've ever heard, and I've heard some very bland shit from bands in drop A. tuning doesn't matter. the end, i win.

I use everything from A standard to E standard. Heaviness is a broad term and i personally use my down tuned guitars for Doom and brutal DM. Shred sounds better on standard tune to me.

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Personally the tunes where i am more comfortable playing are C# and D, I think they can sound heavy enough, but of course, the 90% of heaviness is how good the riff is, and I think the tune has nothing to do there

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When I told my buddy Meshuggah is playing 8 string guitars he just said "why don't they just fire their bassist!?"

I really prefer E and Eb - I think everything else is annoying only because its hard for me to tune lower quickly on my guitar. Maybe if I had a better guitar I wouldn't mind so much -- but here's the other thing, I'm a real advocate of actually reading music. The main reason I like Guitar Pro and Power Tab is it shows the notes - I don't like people's fingering a lot of the time, and the way I was trained I just don't feel like I can get into the music mentally as deeply without knowing the notes I am playing.

I also like the ability to play the piece on piano just to try something different (Emperor sounds really cool when arranged for piano - check out http://www.vkgoeswild.com/ for killer metal piano arrangements by the way.

So when bands tune weird it hads this whole transposition element to it and it really gets on my nerves.

Heaviness, as mentioned above, has a lot to do with the riff and the tone, but a low tuning definitely helps. I don't think Meshuggah would be near as crushing if they were tuned to E.

Fuck I love Meshuggah.

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OK - in line with what Dyldo is saying - here is where I come out on this and let me start by saying my understanding could be wrong --

The first thing anyone notices about Meshuggah is definitely the tone. In my opinion, this is not because you are hearing a Bb - it's because you need to play a heavier string and adjust the distortion to not sound like a wall of mud. The timbre you are hearing is more a product of that, and not the actual key.

Compare the Haunted (in Eb) to Dying Fetus (C#) - yes maybe there is too great of a production difference, but seriously ask your self if either tone sounds "meaner" or more brutal - it's really all about arrangement and riffing at the end of the day.

But I'll tell you what I CANT. FUCKING. STAND. Overly creative - totally weird tunings usually by emo / indie / art student dorks like Eb, F#, C, A#, A, F - who are usually musically illiterate to begin with in the first place and use it to compensate for the fact that they are mentally retarded.

I actually enjoy using open/experimental tunings because you can construct some chords and riffs that would be near impossible with normal tunings. It also flips your normal means of composition on its head and gets you out of patterns that you may have never known you've been following. Don't let shitty bands ruin something with great potential.

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I fucking like you man.


PS if you ever read this get in touch with me concerning Axis of Advance tabs.


For fuck's sakes everybody check out Axis of Advance. They will make you lose your shit. They ALWAYS make me lose my shit. I have to watch out I don't walk by a place that blasts their Strike-album when in public or I'll lose my shit in public. Everybody check them now, most visceral and "fuckyouIdowhatIwant"-riffing that is possible within its genre, most accurate drummer with fucked up and unorthodox lines all over the place AND THE FUCKING LYRICS MAN, Strike is hands down THE best concept-album ever, they sure do know their shit, that makes me lose mine.

They'll make you lose your shit.


A HAMLET LORD HAD TAKEN ME IN
HE WAS AN ELDER LACKING KIN
HIS WING WAS MENTOROUS AND PROTECTIIIIVE
CELESTIAL ERUDITION HE WAS ABOUT TO SHARE - OUAGH!


But personally yeah I do think heaviness has a lot to do with tuning, yes.

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