Which tuning to practice in?

[Drü]

I have a guitar with a floyd rose so changing the tuning is quite time consuming. Pretty much all theory learning resources and exercises use standard tuning but when playing songs like (A7X songs mostly ) . Its mainly things like fretboard memoristation exercises that make me feel i should stick to standard tuning. But if im gonna be mostly be playing in other tunings, should i not spend as much time on fretboard memoristation?
So basically should i spend more time in standard tuning or is it ok to learn in alternate ones, and if so what advice to you have to adapt learning to those other tunings.
Thank you!

 

[idssdi]

You should practice in the tuning you predominantly play in but also understand how the tuning relates to other tunings. For example if you practice in drop D you should know that the same notes can be found in standard 2 frets lower on the low E string.

 

[Dominik Gräber]

I have a guitar with a floyd rose so changing the tuning is quite time consuming. Pretty much all theory learning resources and exercises use standard tuning but when playing songs like (A7X songs mostly ) . Its mainly things like fretboard memoristation exercises that make me feel i should stick to standard tuning. But if im gonna be mostly be playing in other tunings, should i not spend as much time on fretboard memoristation?
So basically should i spend more time in standard tuning or is it ok to learn in alternate ones, and if so what advice to you have to adapt learning to those other tunings.
Thank you!

First of all if you don't want to tune a Lot I would recommend you getting the digitech drop Pedal. You can digitally drop tune your guitar Up to one octave! (Or down to?) And then what Ids Said. If you understand your theory the Tuning doesn't really Matter.

 

[Chris Johnston]

What @Ids Schiere said here. I'd personally recommend learning note memorization in Standard tuning, even if you play in Drop D - but still make sure you know how the tuning changes affect the note names on the string. Cause you never know when someone will hand you an acoustic/electric guitar that's in standard and want you to jam rhythm with them. So it's good to know your notes in Standard on that string for that kinda thing Mind you, the more you understand how your notes work on your guitar, alternate tunings won't be an issue!

 

[Jason Dunbar]

Been thinking about getting the Digitech drop Pedal, anyone have experience using it with an audio interface? Does it work just going guitar > pedal > interface?

 

[Lindsey]

I've thought about this too because when it comes to theory the notes change in different tunings but I'll still think in standard tuning. You've got to practice what you play but if you memorised the fretboard it's easier to transpose the notes in your mind.

 

[idssdi]

Coming back to this. You should practice in the tuning you play in most of the time but most importantly learn the notes on the fretboard so you can interchangeably go through tunings and still find your way on the fretboard(yes that's a little bit of theory)

What Iean by this, if You get asked to play a D chord in any tuning. Can you find it? Not a D shape but directly the notes D, F# and A because they are placed on different locations depending on the tuning. Effectively, you can practice everything in standard but try to understand what makes a different tuning different form standard in terms of intervals and where the notes are located and you will be good in whatever tuning you have to play in.

I have the three electric guitars inpredominantly use tuned to Standard, Eb and drop D and I could practice anything on either of them just takes some transposing at times

 

[Ed Seith]

Drop pedal will work directly into an interface, but without volume in-room or headphones on, it can sound terrible and throw off your playing (imagine hearing what you're playing AND the same thing ONE WHOLE STEP down at the same time! TERRIBLE!)

But yes, the pitch shift will "take" in the recording.

People who play in lower tunings tend to still "think" in standard tuning. A low E is still a low E in your head, even if you're tuned to C standard.

Drop tunings tend to be different only for those low chords and some single notes. Most guitarists that play in drop tuning don't solo in it. Even Syn, if I recall, does all (or at least most) of his soloing on a standard-tuned guitar, even though almost all A7X is in Drop D or Drop C# (or sometimes drop C!).