Proficiency/learning in different tunings

[Sebastian Lane]

Does anyone have any thoughts/advice on getting proficient and learning new things on guitar in a different tuning other than standard tuning like Drop B, Drop C or another kind like Open D tuning?

I play major and minor pentatonic and major and minor scales in the lower tuning, you just have to play in different frets because the notes are different and the 6th string you bring up the notes up 2 frets because of the lower tuning. I want to get better at memorizing notes on fretboard, learning scale patterns, theory, and generally get more proficient in the lower tunings like Drop B or Drop C.

I like to play in Drop Tunings more as I like to play metal and hard rock as my main focus. I usually have things set up in Drop C or Drop B and sometimes Drop D.

I find that most theory/general guitar lessons out there all teach stuff in standard tuning which I find a bit hard as I don't want to have to switch tunings every time I'm practicing something new that the lesson is in. I was tuning between Drop B and Standard tuning most days I'd be playing and that wears the strings out a lot faster.

I now just practice the lesson stuff in the Drop Tuning without switching.

I know 1 solution is to get a 2nd guitar for additional tunings and such which I'll probably do later this year but right now I feel like I might be missing something or maybe over thinking it.

What are your thoughts?

 

[idssdi]

I think it's really important to know which note belongs to which fret and how the fretboard works. Take for example the low E string, in standard the 5th fret is an A, in drop D a G, drop c a F and in drop B an E

 

[Sebastian Lane]

Yeah knowing the fretboard notes is important, but maybe I'll focus in 1 tuning for now as I already have a decent knowledge of some notes in Standard tuning.

 

[Calvin Phillips]

Syn records every solo or almost every solo in standard. Just remember the d and d string are the exact same pattern when dropped.

 

[Lindsey]

I think learning the note order is more important than learning the fretboard. It’s more or less the same thing but fretboards change with different tunings.
First you need to realise it’s just the beginning of the alphabet, then remember where the sharps and flats are.

 

[idssdi]

I think learning the note order is more important than learning the fretboard. It’s more or less the same thing but fretboards change with different tunings.
First you need to realise it’s just the beginning of the alphabet, then remember where the sharps and flats are.

You still need to know where to find them in whatever tuning

 

[Lindsey]

You still need to know where to find them in whatever tuning

You only need to know the open string for that, for the rest it's following the alphabeth.

It worked for me at least.

 

[Sebastian Lane]

Syn records every solo or almost every solo in standard. Just remember the d and d string are the exact same pattern when dropped.

I didn't know he recorded most solos in standard. Wonder what he does for playing the solos live? Maybe just plays it in the guitar tuning that the rhythm guitar is tuned in.

And yeah I've played in a lot of Drop D tuning so remembering the the 6th and 4th string are the same note helps a lot.

 

[Sebastian Lane]

You only need to know the open string for that, for the rest it's following the alphabeth.

It worked for me at least.

I think for me being able to very quickly identify what note I'm playing when fretting a note so when I do improvisation or songwriting then I can be more efficient and precise with what I'm doing.

I already know the E standard tuning 6th and 5th and 1st string notes pretty well. But I'll have to spend time with note memorization in a tuning I want to focus on to get better at it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about it.

 

[Lindsey]

There's a trick in finding notes. The same note can be found two strings up and 2 frets to the right. It's like that with every string except for the B string. That's 3 frets to the right.
I'm not good at explaining it, I'll send a picture

 

[Lindsey]

This is from Troy Statinas book

 

[idssdi]

There's a trick in finding notes. The same note can be found two strings up and 2 frets to the right. It's like that with every string except for the B string. That's 3 frets to the right.
I'm not good at explaining it, I'll send a picture

That's true until you get to drop tunings and open tunings, also g string to high E string is 3 strings to the right too.

 

[Sebastian Lane]

This is from Troy Statinas book

I'm guessing that is from his Fretboard Mastery book. I have that one so I can review it again, thanks for sharing Yeah I remember the octave trick and the other trick is a note on 1 string is the same as the next string 7 frets up (exception with 2nd string of course)

 

[Lindsey]

I'm guessing that is from his Fretboard Mastery book. I have that one so I can review it again, thanks for sharing Yeah I remember the octave trick and the other trick is a note on 1 string is the same as the next string 7 frets up (exception with 2nd string of course)

No, it's from his metal lead guitarist book. The second one I guess but the other book must have it in it too

 

[Edward John]

Not a fan of those tunings, but that's just me.

 

[Sebastian Lane]

Not a fan of those tunings, but that's just me.

Do you mainly play in Standard tuning then or something else? It comes down to what you like to play really.

 

[Edward John]

Do you mainly play in Standard tuning then or something else? It comes down to what you like to play really.

Yes, its mainly standard. But honestly you can play anything in standard. Plenty of metal bands use standard!

 

[Calvin Phillips]

I didn't know he recorded most solos in standard. Wonder what he does for playing the solos live? Maybe just plays it in the guitar tuning that the rhythm guitar is tuned in.

And yeah I've played in a lot of Drop D tuning so remembering the the 6th and 4th string are the same note helps a lot.

Yeah it was mentioned last year? Id assume he just relearned them in rehearsal its only the bottom string that changes..how many of his solos really hit that string?

 

[Calvin Phillips]

There's a trick in finding notes. The same note can be found two strings up and 2 frets to the right. It's like that with every string except for the B string. That's 3 frets to the right.
I'm not good at explaining it, I'll send a picture

You just need to go up 2 over 2.. equaling 12 frets. Obviouslyn the higher octave is one more to the right.

 

[Sebastian Lane]

Yeah it was mentioned last year? Id assume he just relearned them in rehearsal its only the bottom string that changes..how many of his solos really hit that string?

Well they do change tunings in a bunch of songs so it's not the just the bottom string that changes for some songs. Most solos wouldn't use the 6th string much or at all but it's more of a matter of being able to play rhythm guitar for when there isn't any lead guitar parts.