Printable Version of Topic
Click here to view this topic in its original format
GMC Forum _ PRACTICE ROOM _ Are Dropped Tunings Necessary For Heavy Riffs ?
Posted by: Opetholic Nov 9 2012, 07:50 AM
Once in a concert Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth (in a joking tone) said "Dropped tuning is a cheap trick for metal players to sound heavy." I think there is some truth in it.. Can you guys think of songs that you like that sound very heavy yet are played with standard tuning ?? Check this one out
One idea is to create contrast of low notes with high ones in a riff. Played in combination with high notes in a phrase I think even the standard E sounds very low..
I see nowadays some trend with players to have crazy dropped tunings. I don't personally think that a dropped Z tuning is necessary for sounding very heavy and tight with lots of balls 
What do you think ?
Posted by: Ben Higgins Nov 9 2012, 11:19 AM
There is truth in what Mikael is saying but only when applied to the context in which is true 
In the case of players who do use drop tuning as a way to compensate for heaviness then yes, Mikael speaks the truth. In cases where players just do it because it's the sound they like, then it's not necessarily true. So, the statement is only true sometimes depending on the context 
I used to look at how distorted the guitars were as a sign of heaviness. Thankfully I grew out of that phase. Nowadays I feel heaviness as an overall weight in terms of tonality of the recording, the depth and muscle of the rhythm section and how they work together. A rhythm section where the bass and drums don't really react to to each other or compliment each other isn't as heavy to me. Guitars can be low or standard, massively saturated or not.. if the riffs are chunky though with plenty of percussive muting allied to tight drums and 'thunk'ing bass then it's plenty heavy
Posted by: Slavenko Erazer Nov 9 2012, 12:02 PM
I could wrote the 66 pages of songs heaviness in standard tunnings
Posted by: SpaseMoonkey Nov 9 2012, 12:53 PM
Lots of heavier bands back in the day didn't tune unnecessarily low.
I believe Cannibal Corpse was Eb. Lamb of God tends to play in Drop D, as does Vital Remains.
I have noticed a lot of bands are playing in B lately. But in the long run that is standard tuning on a 7 string.
Posted by: Ben Higgins Nov 9 2012, 01:16 PM
I believe Cannibal Corpse was Eb. Lamb of God tends to play in Drop D, as does Vital Remains.
I have noticed a lot of bands are playing in B lately. But in the long run that is standard tuning on a 7 string.
Wouldn't it be funny to buck the trend and tune even higher ???
"I'm playing in F# !!!!"
Posted by: Opetholic Nov 9 2012, 01:22 PM
"I'm playing in F# !!!!"
lol.. That's a brilliant idea 
Posted by: SpaseMoonkey Nov 9 2012, 01:34 PM
"I'm playing in F# !!!!"
Curtis Mayfield: He taught himself how to play guitar, tuning it to the black keys of the piano, thus giving him an open F-sharp tuning—F#, A#, C#, F#, A#, F#---that he used throughout his career.
Posted by: PosterBoy Nov 9 2012, 01:51 PM
Just make sure the bass player has a distortion stomp box and a lot of the heaviness will come from them
Posted by: Yash Nov 9 2012, 02:53 PM
Oh please. Go ahead then Slav
Posted by: mroberts70 Nov 9 2012, 03:13 PM
I stay in F... Like when I F'n drop something F'n heavy on my F'n toe! There's a lot of F... usually throughout the entire show...
Seriously... What about Metallica, Megadeth, etc.... I'm no expert, but I don't they they drop tuned back in the day did they?
Posted by: TeoWulf Nov 9 2012, 03:20 PM
This.Is.Heavy.
D# if I know well
Posted by: Slavenko Erazer Nov 9 2012, 03:27 PM
This is heavier
Posted by: SpaseMoonkey Nov 9 2012, 03:58 PM
Seriously... What about Metallica, Megadeth, etc.... I'm no expert, but I don't they they drop tuned back in the day did they?
That's correct I'm not sure what the first song that is lower by them but off hand the earliest I can think of is Sad But True.
GAH! Thanks "I Am the Dog".. For this I am now stuck reading...
These!
Posted by: korblitz Nov 9 2012, 04:44 PM
GAH! Thanks "I Am the Dog".. For this I am now stuck reading...
These!
Posted by: Ben Higgins Nov 9 2012, 06:44 PM
Yes. And Slav, surely you meant 666 pages..
Posted by: Todd Simpson Nov 10 2012, 01:32 AM
He nailed it It's a quick and dirty way to make standard E Minor riffs sound heavy and fresh/new. Often even basic, semi boring riffs can sound quite chunky and spiff in B or C.
As far as heavy riffs in standard key, how about FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS? At about 1:00 minute in there is that BRUTAL chromatic riff. That tone is what inspired me to seek out heavy/chunky/metalic/grinding tone.
One idea is to create contrast of low notes with high ones in a riff. Played in combination with high notes in a phrase I think even the standard E sounds very low..
I see nowadays some trend with players to have crazy dropped tunings. I don't personally think that a dropped Z tuning is necessary for sounding very heavy and tight with lots of balls
What do you think ?Posted by: Alex Feather Nov 10 2012, 02:43 AM
Not really a lot of your sound is coming from your attack you can also compensate with the low bass notes there is a lot of bands that don't use drop tunings and still sound heavy
Posted by: enlo22 Nov 10 2012, 03:51 AM
In my opinion dropped tunnings just give it "fatness" idk how else to describe it, example Amon Amarth etc.. but the riffing itself can be heavy no matter what tuning.. this is one of my favorite bands and they use standard tuning and this is pretty heavy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-uM6oDkw8c&feature=fvst
Posted by: SirJamsalot Nov 10 2012, 08:34 AM
You guys are missing a key consideration for drop tuning that has nothing to do with sounding heavy - some singers' range (mine included) are strongest in the lower registers. Arron Lewis, Layne Staley, Curt Cobain, Eddie Vedder, Chris Cornell, ...
While they can all certainly sing in higher keys, their "pocket" is in the lower registers. I'm finding that's my comfort range too and am getting my band to dune down 1/2 a step with me. It's not so much the overall heaviness for us, but more along the lines of comfortable/relaxed singing. I'm finding my strongest vibrato is in lower registers.
cheers!
oh, the title is riff - not overall sound. Anyways - I like the heavy sound of anything in the D range - it seems to resonate really well in 12" speakers. when you get below C# on a non-baritone guitar, at least what I've heard live, seems a bit thin/flubby on guitar - but the bass usually covers for it well.
Posted by: Ben Higgins Nov 10 2012, 11:43 AM
Yes, good point about attack. I have a heavy pick attack when playing riffs and I've had people pick up my gear and they sound nowhere near as heavy as me.. it's also related to exactly how you hold the pick, where your hand is etc..
Another good point from Jams about down tuning for the singer's best range
Posted by: SpaseMoonkey Nov 10 2012, 12:38 PM
Another good point from Jams about down tuning for the singer's best range
So very true. Metallica actually plays lower than what they wrote some songs, because it fits his voice being lower now.
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Nov 10 2012, 01:22 PM
Well for me, it's a whole new sonic range and heaviness comes - as Ben pointed out in his post above - from a congregation of elements not just from downtuning. If you are downtuned and you don't write music in such a way so that it sounds heavy, it will not, even if you are in drop Z As Mert likes to say
I love playing downtuned nonetheless - even if its dropped or not Exploring and variating will bring out endless possibilities, but then again, limiting yourself to some specific elements can always bring out the creativity lying in there.
I guess its all up to each and every one
Cosmin
Posted by: thefireball Nov 10 2012, 02:58 PM
I find myself downtuning to try to sound heavy.
Posted by: Rammikin Nov 10 2012, 06:45 PM
For me, tuning down isn't about getting a lower sound, it's about getting a different sound. On a downtuned guitar I can use heavier gauge strings, which have a very different timbre than normal gauge strings. That distinct timbre gives the guitar a very different sound that is more than simply a lower pitch. fyi, I've been using Ernie Ball Cobalt strings on my drop C guitar and they sound great.
Posted by: waynedcoville Nov 10 2012, 11:22 PM
I believe Cannibal Corpse was Eb. Lamb of God tends to play in Drop D, as does Vital Remains.
I have noticed a lot of bands are playing in B lately. But in the long run that is standard tuning on a 7 string.
Black Sabbath tuned down to C
one thing that I know that makes heavy parts sound heavier is to juxtapose them with mellow parts. case-in-point: early Metallica, who usually were tuned to either standard are Eb, used delicate clean parts inter-mixed with the distorted parts. much like Opeth. its effective.
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Nov 11 2012, 11:55 AM
Well, hybrid tunings can always be interesting as well - how about this one? B F# B G B E which is basically a hybrid tuning of Dropped-B (low strings) and Standard E (high strings) used by the Australian band Karnivool on their debut album called Themata.
Powered by Invision Power Board (http://www.invisionboard.com)
© Invision Power Services (http://www.invisionpower.com)