TUNING TO FLATS

[ddwilkins]

No need to tune down, when you have an extra F# string. My low 3 strings are heavy, and my other 5 are light. It keeps the bass tight and the mids and highs crisp, but loose enough that the stainless-steels don't slice your fingers. These came as a set, from Conklin, but the low F# string was an extra 26dollars, bringing my set up to over 90 dollars, with shipping.

wow, expensive set of strings , but in your case, you're right, you wouldn't need to tune down.

[Willie L. Terry Jr]

Show off!  Everybody know you got eight strings good Lawd.  Why did you even post!

[Bullitt]

I think what I will do seriously is take one of my axes and key it tune on whole step flat.  Which one will hold the note better.  Right now I think that's my 1206 because it MTD strings on it and the B strings is gauged at like 135.  ...or not.

Bradley just brought up a good point though...  If you're playing a sond in Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb or B which would be all six string in my case and if I tuned flat.  What you would be able to do is play any of these notes open without fear of hitting a void note.  Same as you would with standard tunings.  You can hit open strings while soloing or playing in any of thoses keys.

Haven't tested this theory yet but it's just a thought...

T.J.

You know, I never thought about it like that but it does make perfect sense.  I'm supposed to play again this Sunday so I think I may try it.  Ideally, I'd like to keep one 5-string tuned to flats and another in standard but we'll see what happens when I finally get a second 5er (or first 6 )


God Bless,
-J

[Mopreme75]

How do you tune to flats?

[carlmack7183]

There is certain advantages on 4 string. For instance, Fred Hammond's "We're Blessed" and John P Kee's "Let us Praise Him" are both in Eb. Our other bassist plays 4 string and couldn't play it b/c, on four string you have to tune down to get the correct sound you need. BUt if you have 5 of more strings I dont see a need to tune down because you have plenty of range to hit Eb or lower. So do your own thing. I like standard for now. Maybe later I will experiment 

[Mopreme75]

There is certain advantages on 4 string. For instance, Fred Hammond's "We're Blessed" and John P Kee's "Let us Praise Him" are both in Eb. Our other bassist plays 4 string and couldn't play it b/c, on four string you have to tune down to get the correct sound you need. BUt if you have 5 of more strings I dont see a need to tune down because you have plenty of range to hit Eb or lower. So do your own thing. I like standard for now. Maybe later I will experiment 

I got a 4 string and i want that Eb but i dunno how to tune down,I got a tuner with flats on it but i dunno how to tune to flats

[ddwilkins]

I got a 4 string and i want that Eb but i dunno how to tune down,I got a tuner with flats on it but i dunno how to tune to flats

Instead of tuning EADG tune Eb Ab Db Gb.  All your notes on your fret board will be moved up one fret

[Mopreme75]

Instead of tuning EADG tune Eb Ab Db Gb.  All your notes on your fret board will be moved up one fret

I mean i dont know how to tune to flats how do you do it?

[ddwilkins]

I mean i dont know how to tune to flats how do you do it?

Do you have a tuner? if so, just tune down a half step for the original tuning of E A D G.  your tuner should be set to chromatic, and when you tune, make sure it reads Eb Ab Db Gb. 

[fretai03]

I did it the other night. Still taking a little while to get used to it...
Even then I'm unsure as to whether I like it or not.

[Mopreme75]

Do you have a tuner? if so, just tune down a half step for the original tuning of E A D G.  your tuner should be set to chromatic, and when you tune, make sure it reads Eb Ab Db Gb. 

i played with flats tonight at rehearsal and i loved it, I got used to it quicker than i thought i would thanks for the advice

[Bullitt]

Tuned a half-step down on my 5 string last night and I think I like it.  We have practice this Saturday so I may try it out to see how I like it in a "live" setting but I think I'll probably keep it this way.  As odd as it sounds, I seem to be able to recognize the notes more quickly when just looking at the fret board....but I'm weird like that, lol.


God Bless,
-J

[Andrzej]

I used to tune to flats years ago when my Church played mostly Gospel / Blues / Funk styled songs.  We had a great Jazz pianist at the time and we revolved around a lot of his licks, so it worked out better when tuned to flats.  It also helps the brass section when tuned to flats. They tend to play a lot more contempory stuff now, so I have gone back to standard concert pitch when I teach the youth ministry kids.

I tried this tuning on a 5-string once whilst jamming with a Jazz band not so long ago:

low-high:

F#
B low
G
B high
D

That was nuts!  Sounded really cool, but I was struggling to transpose quickly enough to keep up with the rest of the band!  I play 140 guage strings because I like a really tight tension, but tuning that low still made the strings quite floppy.

[Bullitt]

Just wanted to check back in since I've had a chance to sample the drop tune in service....I liked it

Most of the songs we typically play (along with helping the preacher close the service) are in Ab but today everything was in F....I'm still scratching my head on that one but anyways, I got a chance to mess around with some of the other musicians after service for a few hours and we went back to our usual Eb and Ab roots.

For finger style, the drop setting was very convienent as long as the pace of the music wasn't set at warp speed.  Speaking of warp speed, we messed around with a few shout runs and I didn't really care for the extra slinkiness of the drop setting but I will probably just get used to it and work around it.

I think I like it enough to keep the bass tuned flat.


God Bless,
-J

[anointed_strings]

I tuned to flats after I saw the Tommy Brown gospel chops video.  It has worked well for me.  I don't like to play open notes so it makes it easier for me to play in C or F on my five string.  Also, the tension is not as tight.  This may not make sense to some of you, but it works for me.

[Musicman_00]

Everyone has there own reason for tuning down. There really is no right answer. I do it b/c I like to use a technique called "open hammer pluck." I learned it from watching Victor Wooten. Most gospel songs are in Bb, Eb,Ab,Db, Gb. It allows me to use that technique. It really depends on your style. I didn't do it to get lower. It was to Customize my bass to my way of playing. Every body has some trick that they use to make their bass customized to their playing. That's just mine.

God Bless.

[funkStrat_97]

In rock and blues, it's not too uncommon to find bass players tuned to Eb because ther are lots of guitar players who do it.  Guys like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Eddie VanHalen are well known for using Eb tuning.  Consequently, their bass players have also tuned down to accomodate them.  I tune my guitars a half step down, but keep my 5-string bass in standard tuning.  For thos who want to go lower, there are several options available.  One is the Hip-Shot bass X-Tender key.  I've read that Otiel Burbridge, who is currently a member of the Allman Brothers Band plays a 5-string tuend E-A-D-G-C.  With the X-Tender key he can drop the low E down to B which effecitvely gives him a 6-string bass.  The key can be adsuted to detune from one half-step to a 5th below.  Most comments that I've read about them are favorable and they do provide a workable soloution to having an extended range bass without haveing to adjust to playing a 5 (or more) string neck.  Another alternative is to get a sub-contra bass.  This is a 4-string, but it's tuned C# (below B), F#, B, E (open E).  Now if that doesn't tod it for you, then you need some help.  Yet another alternative is an octaver pedal.  Calr Martin makes one designed specifically for bass and has excellent tracking qualities.  The thing  is that the pedal can not handle multiple notes or ghost notes.  It would come in handy for playing smooth flowing  sub-terranian lines, but if you're going to slap and do double stops and all that, then you wuld have to swith the pedal off.  And while we're on the subject of tuning: why is a piccolo bass (tuned EADG - same pitch as a guitar's bottom 4 strings) considered a bass while a baritone guitar (tuned like a standard guitar, but one octave lower like a bass) is not?

[Mysteryman]

I tried the D drop tunning a couple of days ago I think its better than the Eb drop tunning.

[nyb@ssist]

Yeah Tommy Brown tunes down too. He was playing this lick on gospel chops and I was trying to look at his hands, and thats probably why my fingerings were different. I might try it, b/c like you said I hate people trying to play on my bass (other than my cousin, and now LGM fam member DRaymond)

Yup, that happened to me to, but I still managed to learn the runs he was playin..

[NoelII]

I came to the bass from keyboards a few years ago and almost from the start I've played with E flat tuning on my basses and never even played standard tuning on my guitars. So many songs were in flat keys and I considered myself just messing around on the instrument at first that I figured I'd just do it. Now standard tuning is odd to me and I can barely find the notes in it. Another important thing to do is have your bridge set up for flat tunings too.