#Drop a bass tuning how to#

This will be less and less noticeable in time once the neck and strings on your best adjust to the new tuning. Staying in tune – If your bass is accustomed to being tuned in E standard, it will go out of tune fast when you switch to D standard.If this happens, this can be fixed with a truss rod adjustment and will not damage your instrument. Neck relief – Switching to a different string gauge and tuning can impact the neck relief on your bass.In turn, prevents you from getting a powerful and deep tone. Playing with strings intended for E standard will result in a thinner tone when your strings are tuned DGCF. String change – I recommend switching to a thicker set of strings when tuning down to D standard.

This is especially true if you intend for your bass to stay permanently tuned in D standard: There are also some other things you need to be mindful of when tuning down a bass guitar. If this happens, play the string you are trying to tune at the 12th fret instead of open. It will show you when your strings are exactly on pitch.ĭue to bass frequencies being low, your microphone might struggle to pick up the lowest notes. If you are struggling to hear the pitch correctly, you can use an online tuner with a microphone. Play the sound clips and tune your strings to the same pitch as you hear, going from the thickest string, up to the thinnest: This can be done by ear the same way you would tune to E-standard by using a different instrument, by ear, or with a tuner.įor a quick and easy way to tune to D standard, use the tuner below. Your bass is tuned to D standard by tuning every string one whole step down from E standard to D-G-C-F. Tuning to D standard can thus make it easier for the vocalist to reach every note easier, and showcase a stronger part of their range. Generally, this is because the vocalist has a deep voice.

Accommodating the vocalist – Some vocalists have an unfit vocal range for songs that are in E standard.

This gives bands a more distinct sound and assists in creating original music. Playing in D standard pushes bands to write songs in D or G instead.

Uniqueness – Due to how common E standard is, there are countless songs that are written in E and A.

Thus, tuning down instruments is the norm in metal, and it’s common in many genres of rock as well.

Heavier sound – Playing at deeper frequencies makes it easier for bands to sound heavier.

All you have to be mindful of is that you are playing in a different key.īands elect to use D standard over E standard for several reasons. Thus, you can still apply all the knowledge and muscle memory of finger positions you have from playing in E standard. In all standard tunings on the bass, strings are tuned perfect fourths apart in the same manner. This is the familiar E-A-D-G tuning where strings are perfect fourths apart. Either way, the strings are tuned down exactly one step lower than in E standard.īass guitars are most commonly tuned in E Standard. 5-string basses are generally tuned A-D-G-C-F, or occasionally D-G-C-F-Bb.

In the D standard tuning, the strings on a 4-string bass are tuned to D-G-C-F.

#Drop a bass tuning how to#

After reading it, you will know how to tune your bass down to D standard, why and when you should do it, and how to avoid the common mistakes people make when doing so. This article will answer all of these questions and more. D standard, in particular, is a tuning that can help you achieve a heavier sound without having to complicate things too much.īut how do you tune down to DGCF, and what should you be mindful of when doing so? Should you tune your bass to D standard instead of drop D, and why do bands elect to use D standard over other tunings? Luckily, playing in D standard tuning on the bass can be approached similarly to E standard, which you are most likely familiar with.Īfter playing in various metal bands I have tuned my bass down to every tuning under the sun. Now notes have to be played at different spots on the fretboard, and the change in string tension affects your playing. At first glance, switching tunings on your bass can seem intimidating.