Q. for guitarists: is it okay to tune down?!
Question: I like the string tension and lower notes when I tune my acoustic guitar down....say from E to D.
Is that a cardinal wrong to avoid?
Answers: I like the string tension and lower notes when I tune my acoustic guitar down....say from E to D.
Is that a cardinal wrong to avoid?
nope - just make sure you got decent strings - probably a slighty thicker guage than if you were using the std concert pitch tuning. As long as something sounds good it cant be wrong!
Its not wrong so to speak,
most metal guitarists tune down to drop c tuning
(C,G,C,F,A,D)
it will just effect the tuning when or if you begin to play with other musicians
Hope it helps:D
there are many artists that tune down for a song but not as a usual practice
Not at all ; many guitarists have their favourite tunings they use to give them a distinctive sound.
But you will have to work out for yourself all the new chord shapes.
In the 90's Grunge movement a LOT of bands tuned down to D: Weezer, Presidents of the United States of America, and Nirvana to name just a few.
The Foo Fighters are a recent example of a band that will often times tune to D.
There is nothing wrong with it at all, and you don't need to learn new chord shapes. You don't even need thicker gage strings. I use 10 gage strings on my Gibson SG, and use that to tune down to D on some gigs without an issue. I also do that with standard light acoustic strings and LOVE the sound I get on that when tuning down.
Its OK. There's many different tunings you can try as well other than tuning down a step or two, or "drop-d". Try open tunings such as E or G. Each can insipre you to produce and create music than you might not in standard tunings.
i tune down to G and A on a six string. i use 14-70 guage strings and it is one tone below full tension
14 - A
18- E
24- C
36- G
52- D
70- A or G (drop D style tuning)
heavier strings may change your intonation so set up your guitar after changing guages. have fun playing with new tunings just don't go too many tones without changing guage and you will be fine.