Right now I'm jamming out some folk, punk, stoner rock and ambient guitar while I'm enjoying just how many uses Drop D has other than death metal which is all I would ever downtune for previously.

I actually can't wait to try different tuning variations for other styles but first I want to run my fingers into the ground with Drop D because this is fun as fuck.

Do you use alternative tunings for your work?
If so, then what style do you play using the alternative tuning that you use?

DADGBE


DGDGAD

 

Last edited: Dec 21, 2021

Hey Donut , try this tuning in Death Metal song .... can be very epic ...by the way, a lot of D M songs use Oriental / phrygian Scale, Mode ...

 

@Donut , If you want to know / understand more ...

 

Sounds like the scale Nile uses which is Egyptian style Death Metal, probably uses the Egyptian scale a lot too.

Thanks for chiming in, that was a fun video and I will try this tuning sometime this week. Do you use alternate tunings for things other than metal which most wouldn't use it for usually?

 

Last edited: Dec 19, 2021

I use alternate tunings a lot. I don't really play electric anymore but I hardly ever tuned oddly for the 45 years that I did so. I have two acoustic guitars that are permanently in alternate tunings. Right now my 1980 Ibanez J-540 is CGCGCC, the 1964 Framus is CCCCCC and for the last few days my Martin D-15M which usually isn't is in CADGDD. The 2018 Martin D-18 and 1992 Roy Noble Madagascar/Cedar never come out of traditional tuning so I can play the bulk of my songs the way that I wrote them.

 

I have an acoustic guitar here too that I want to start downtuning because of my new discovery today.

I'm always jamming, especially if I'm signed in here browsing tabs to give myself little 3 minute breaks between jam takes and such but I hardly jammed any metal today because Drop D for other styles is working out so well for me so far. Probably going to spend all week trying different tunings for unsuspecting styles just cause I'm super curious now.

Thanks for letting me know, will try these later too! Could you name/label your tunings so I could search chord charts in said tuning for myself please? What styles do you play in each tuning? Also you have a 1964 Framus? That's fucking awesome! Oh and you have a Martin? Yeah mans got class!

 

Apart from the "usual" Open D and Open G with which I play blues (slide) and other self penned instrumentals, I also use Open A (E-A-C#-E-A-C#) and Open C (C-G-C-G-C-E) plus a couple of cross-tunings like this "E-G#-B-F#-G#-E", a Gsus (C-G-D-G-C-D) mostly, again, on self composed figerstyle acoustic pieces plus Open Gminor on a few pieces on the 12strings (D-G-D-G-Bb-D)

 

Last edited: Jan 4, 2022

Thanks for the tip. I was just literally jamming a bit of blues half an hour ago with Drop D which worked out perfectly.
Do you mostly just play blues with these tunings?

 

Two Martins

 

ghjnm

 

Last edited: Aug 12, 2022

You're most definitely correct!
At first I was just dropping the E string down but then I started dropping the rest of the strings shortly after realizing you can do that too a while ago which was much better for me personally.

It just wasn't until today that I realized alternative tunings have as much of a place in other styles than just metal so I was just wondering how people use other tunings.

 

Some nice tunings and chords from Joni.

 

i've played in a lot of bands that tune either half step down (Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb) or to D standard (D G C F A D). mostly punk, hardcore, or metal projects where that little bit of extra oomph can be beneficial

generally not a huge fan of drop d or drop c tuning personally, but some bands do it really well and i enjoy some of the chord shapes

 

GIVE ATTENTION TO THE DIFFERENT TUNINGS

 

Last edited: Dec 20, 2021

Most of my axes are tuned to E Standard. I use it for almost everthing. Somtimes I tune down the E string to Drop D for some Rock.

Some gutars I keep in Drop B for Metal stuff. If I want some C♯ Standard, which is rather rare, I just tune up the B string really quick.

 

Some Hair Metal bands use drop D, a lot of alternative 90's and most NuMetal bands use drop D, lots of prog bands use it too.
Anybody use the D-tuna for quick tuning?

 

My upstairs neighbor was a core touring member of Robert Fripp's League Of Crafty Guitarists in the mid 80's and turned me onto "New Standard Tuning" which is C2 G2 D3 A3 E4 G4. We jammed for awhile and I wrote one song in that tuning but soon gave it up as I didn't want to destroy my other guitars from the high extra tension on the neck and body. The Ovation that I used it with soon developed issues and pretty much ruined the top and I was forced to trash it. Fripp had everybody buy an Ovation 1867 Legend that had a neck that could be offset in some way that helped not to kill them.

 

Funny you mention this, I actually meant to link this chart from the same site. But uploaded the chart where you only drop the tuning of one string by accident. I got them confused because I downloaded several tuning charts same day.

 

Yep -I got a D-Tuna on my PRS Torero!