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Without a fine point on it, What is drop-alternative tunings, why and when d you decide to use them.
Example: Song in D and want to drop/alternative tune-why and how?
Thanks

Ooh a question I can actually answer!

Drop alternative tunings are just when you change the tension of each string so that it rings with a different note when played unfretted. The term Drop tuning usually means just lowering the pitch of one or two strings.

The most famous being, of course, Drop D tuning.

In drop D tuning your strings are (low to high) DADGBE

So why use them? Well, clearly any change to the open notes will lead to new fingerings and new chord possibilities which would have been difficult or impossible with 'concert' tuning.

Drop D is often used in fingerstyle to allow easier access to lower ranges on what is often a travelling bassline without dislocating a finger as would be required in 'concert' tuning.

It's also used in rock music to make very easy 'powerchords' by simply fretting the bottom three strings together at any given fret.

Other than that there's tunings like DADGAD (so named as the strings are tuned to those notes open from low to high). DADGAD seems to be becoming more popular recently as guitarists look for different 'sounds' (or combinaitons of tones if you prefer).

So how does this effect a guitar builder/luthier?

I guess if a client tells you they intend to play in dropped or open tunings mostly, you have to be a littl more careful with the action during set-up. Obviously less string tension equates to less pull on the neck (and a slightly amplified string movement at the centre of the wave @ 12th fret) so it it's set up for concert pitches, then it may be too low for dropped tunings causing buzz.

That last bit about set up I was making up as I went along, but the information about *what* dropped/alternate are is accurate...

in very simple terms, by using alternative tunings is is possible to confine the scale of a specific key with in a small fingering pattern that makes playing complex riffs or patterns more compact

Bob, drop'd D tuning is taking your low E string and tuning it one note lower. From an E to a D.
Try it! It sounds awesome!
Changing the tuning of a guitar allows for different chord voicings.
Another very popular alt tuning is DADGad.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Bob,

Most dropped/altered tunings are based around root fifth root eg DAD in D tunings (like DADGAD), GDG (like DGDGCD) in C tunings. CGC (like CGCGCD) etc.

Some altered tunings are open or minor chords like DADF#AD (Open D major) and DADFAD (Open D minor). Other start from these but suspend the third for something eles making them more modal (neither major nor minor). For example DAGAD comes from Open D major but suspending the major 3rd (F#) to the forth (G) and is sometimes called D SUS4 (D Supspended fourth).

Dropping strings down immidiately sounds fuller on guitars and as the alternate tunings have a "chordal" structure, the unplucked notes tend to ring sympathetically with the plucked ones again giving a more full/reverby sound.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

That should have read:

Most dropped/altered tunings are based around root fifth root eg DAD in D tunings (like DADGAD), GDG (like DGDGCD) in G tunings. CGC (like CGCGCD) in C tunings etc.

Sometimes I actually like not having an edit button. A whole new language is evolving here on the OLF a bit like Esperanto. Future anthropologists/limguists will study this in awe

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

What Dave said!, I play at least half of my steel string time in one or other of the alternate tunings, they give a whole new tonal pallete to the player, partly due to the sympathetic drone effect of the un-played strings. They seem remarkably liberating to play in you have much less restrictions.

My main love is for DADGad, but I also like Low C (sort of like DADGad on steroids) and open G. The concept of open tuning is nothing new, Robert Johnson played more that half of his recorded tracks in one or other alternate tuning, anmd the concept goes nack centuries before that when player used any number of non-standard tunings.

I keep dedicated guitars for alternate tunings with the string sets matched to the tuning, so that the tensions are more even.

This is a DADGad piece I posted recently that I played on an Italian/walnut OM, it sounds much less rich played in standard tuning.

Taste of Talisker

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

  Wow Colin, that was awsome!!!

 

   chewy

Watch out for BADDAD, BAGDAD, DADCAD, EEEGAD, DEDDAD, etc...

Colin...Always makes for a special day to listen to your sound clips. Thanks for posting!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Great,great info., as always,
Thanks,

[QUOTE=Rick Turner]Watch out for BADDAD, BAGDAD, DADCAD, EEEGAD, DEDDAD, etc...[/QUOTE]



I was waiting for that...