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Author Topic: Tuning your Bass Flat??  (Read 3039 times)

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Tuning your Bass Flat??
« on: May 11, 2005, 12:39:42 AM »
Just want to know.   Does anyone Tune their Bass Flat?   To better match with the piano. Or does it really matter.   Any thoughts on this subject?

The reason i ask is because my former bass teacher always tunned his Bass Flat, but i never heared anyone else ever talk about doing this.

Offline uriahsmusic

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hmmm
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2005, 04:46:51 AM »
instrumentalists generally want to be in tune with each other...it is far easier to detune the bass than it is to tune a piano....so I dont see aproblem with that....eventually it might be nice to tune the piano! :roll:

Offline B3Wannabe

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Tuning your Bass Flat??
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2005, 06:17:41 AM »
I think he was refering to tuning the bass to Eb or Bb, for instance, because a lot of the songs are in black keys, so it'll be easier to play if you tuned you bass flat....

....On that note, they have gadgets that you can buy for your B or E string that'll allow you to get up to a whole step flat, when you flip the lever. I'm not an expert, but I don't see much use for those, and I'd rather not tune my bass flat, because the experts that I look at can do phenomenal stuff without tuning their bass flat! I say practice playing with it normal, eventually, you'll get the hang of playing songs with the standard setup, no matter what key they're in.

Offline trymone

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Tuning your Bass Flat??
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2005, 09:43:10 AM »
i play a 5string and i tune to flats just to get the Eb which i use a lot. and the  low Bb i don't play that note that often,but it's there when i need it. but when i'm practicing Marcus Miller's licks i tune regular. he thumps the open E a lot.

Offline uriahsmusic

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Tuning your Bass Flat??
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2005, 11:56:56 AM »
OOPS!

THIS IS A MUST FOR E FUNK!..OR A FUNK

Offline BACEFINGERS

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Tuning your Bass Flat??
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2005, 02:17:19 PM »
Ever tried using a capo?
I don't play bass, my bass plays me.

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Tuning your Bass Flat??
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2005, 05:02:22 PM »
Capo???    Don't know what that is

Offline BACEFINGERS

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Tuning your Bass Flat??
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2005, 05:27:10 PM »
Quote from: Kansas
Capo???    Don't know what that is
It's mostly used for guitars, but it increases the tension on the strings wherever you place it on the fretboard. It allows you to maintain the same fingering and placement further up the fretboard without changing your tuning.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/fg=102/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/361601/
I don't play bass, my bass plays me.

Offline lildrummaboy_987

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Tuning your Bass Flat??
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2005, 07:33:26 PM »
i love it the first time i heard it i tried it its hot

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Tuning your Bass Flat??
« Reply #9 on: May 12, 2005, 02:09:19 AM »
OHHH O.K.   Good Stuff    Thanks   fellas!!!!

Offline tdan

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Tuning your Bass Flat??
« Reply #10 on: May 17, 2005, 04:12:31 PM »
Capos and flat tuning are more useful when you're playing more than one note at a time. They make certain chords notes have more open strings so they're easier to play.  On the bass, you're usually playing one string at a time anyway, so it's just as easy to just move your hand up or down the neck to match whatever tuning is going on (unless you're looking for that low Eb or Bb that's off the fretboard).  I.e. if the music calls for a CAPO 1 I just move my hand one fret higher.  (If it's something I play often I'll just re mark the music for capoless )

Offline Kevykev388

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Re: Tuning your Bass Flat??
« Reply #11 on: September 06, 2007, 12:20:51 PM »
Basically transpose for a guitar/bass
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Offline BassbyGrace

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Re: Tuning your Bass Flat??
« Reply #12 on: September 07, 2007, 01:23:28 PM »
Ive tried it a few times, not sure if I like it or not.  I know Andrew Gouche' tunes down a whole step (he said so he could get a half step lower than Joel Smith) LOL.
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Offline Steelpulz

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Re: Tuning your Bass Flat??
« Reply #13 on: September 17, 2007, 10:32:56 PM »
Those low Bb, A, Ab's are part of the reason I got a 7-string bass. I didn't want to have to re-learn to play my fretboard because it's tuned down a wole or a half step.

My bass is tuned F#-C. So I can get all those notes with much less relearning. Don't get me wrong, it took some adjusting to not get lost on those 7-strings.
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