Why Do Metal Guitarists Tune Down?

Tune low, chug slow am I right? So why do we like to tune down so much anyway?
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#9StringGuitar #LowTuning

[@BaenaCarcosa]

OH HI

[@peteplaysmusic]

BAENA!!! :)

[@THEshaggyrogers]

Hello my son

[@downfallofmankind]

O HAI!

[@DavidNwokoye]

So you have joined the chat 😂😂😂

[@Bilbo_Swaggins0528]

Sup

[@peteplaysmusic]

If you're not sludging peoples faces off in drop Q with a guitar dragging across the ground are you even in a metal band anyway? :)

[@DavidNwokoye]

Did you even have bass on the track? Seems kinda pointless 😂😂😂

[@peteplaysmusic]

@David Nwokoye Yep there's bass on the track. It is in exactly the same tuning though, even in the same octave haha. Thanks for watching! :)

[@zacharyyoung2961]

Lol

[@DapperHesher]

*Torche has left the chat

[@paataland2.018]

Mmmh interesting, i never actually down tuned my 6 strings and my 7 string guitars. Keeping the E standard tunes. I don't like down tuning my guitars because they sounds... awful? Or too deep.

[@TKDFORCEART]

"This is so stupid, for real, so stupid" Kalium, djent kids,Doomers, sludgers and Andrew Baena: I kinda feel that's targeting me, a little bit

[@DapperHesher]

I see you left off sludge and doom bands there, sir.

[@TKDFORCEART]

@@DapperHesher mi bad gentleman

[@doomslayer_ch4280]

*doomslayer noises intensify*

[@fromtimesinkingdoms9144]

Batushka too

[@Sid-uc5ms]

@@TKDFORCEARTdjentleman *

[@Temporal72]

I have to admit that I'm married with standard tuning, even if I love a lot of rock/metal bands that play in lower tunings, I just find a really cool challenge to make everything sound aggressive and cool in standard tuning

[@metfan4l]

3:42 Djentica!

[@gangrel_76]

Hello Pete, my name is Joey and I watch your videos.

[@peteplaysmusic]

Thanks for watching my videos Joey! :)

[@matt79hz]

Hello Joey, my name is Matt- and I read your message.

[@gangrel_76]

@@matt79hz Nice to meet you Matt, I shall reply to your message.

[@skflwphgaawfas7402]

@@matt79hz work your way up from 22 up to 50 bmg?

[@DavidNwokoye]

*ANDREW BAENA HAS JOINED THE CHAT*

[@dehasim]

And the video

[@santiagomurillo3714]

I stand with the point that Mark Holcomb once said "changing tuning helps creativity"

[@alexandrosvavatzanidis4850]

He was referencing alternate tunings though... not necessarily standard down tuned. He made the point of it destroying your pre-learned boxes and shapes.

[@Quusikko]

@@alexandrosvavatzanidis4850 This I can sort of relate to. I've used one stupid tuning every now and then (tuned lowest 3 strings to C-G-D). It really makes you think and play different.

[@JokerCat9]

Alexandros Vavatzanidis exactly!

[@TheLemonKiller]

Well actually.......Page and anyone else said this exact shit........

[@Forest_V19]

TheLemonKiller “um actually” *removes fedora and sunglasses*

[@aimplified6319]

What opened my eyes to “heavy” was hearing some opeth riffs for the first time. Could t believe they made standard tuning sound so heavy. It was the I learned it’s more about what you play and how you play it. Going low only works for so long

[@timg2727]

I was really surprised to learn that most Opeth songs are in E standard. Something like Heir Apparent is heavy as fuck without needing to tune down (which, let's face it, can be really gimmicky in a lot of cases).

[@pietandersen6120]

Right, but at the same time, imagine Opeth riffs a whole step or two lower? Shit’d be wild

[@AgainstTheeWickedlyMusic]

I think tuning low, especially into 8 or 9 stting territory, is pretty dependent on what you are playing, and I think tunings have a threshold. For example, I think Black Tongue, Humanity's Last Breath, and Meshuggah would sound pretty bad if they tuned up to anything higher than G or maybe A, whereas Anthrax and Metallica would sound bad if they were any lower than B, and you can see where this is going. Just how I see the downtuning thing. I write death metal mostly, and I play between B standard and A standard on my 7 string. I think any lower would muddy up the riffs I play, and any higher would make them have way less punch

[@ThorsShadow]

I agree. It all depends on what you play. I mean, if you want to play Metallica riffs on an 8-string tuned one whole step lower to 8-string E Standard go on, everyone. No one should tell you what to do with your art and how to express yourselves. While I think it sounds ridiculous in a fun(ny) way it isn't that usable. Just like a lot of Meshuggah stuff would sound off in 6-string E Standard (with exceptions of course). I personally use my 8-string as my main guitar, tuned a whole step lower. I mainly use it as a 6-string tuned a whole step lower and occasionally go to string 7 and 8 to punch faces in. Added bonus: the 4 lowest strings are tuned like a bass in E Standard (E A D G), which is cool, as I now have 2 instruments with 2 different, commonly used tunings in one.

[@AgainstTheeWickedlyMusic]

@@ThorsShadow Absolutely. And yes, it's very fun, as you said, to play riffs downtuned or uptuned, but the practicality is definitely not there. Also, whole step down would likely be the way I would tune an 8 string too, with the same intent as you, essentially cut it into 2 instruments. Also, EAEADGBE is a great tuning too, lots of octaves

[@k-ondoomer]

Notes are notes. You can cover messugah on an e standard guitar you might not be able to maintain bottom end chugs/ rthym against the drum and bass but you can add to the song in other ways such as lead or chords etc

[@AgainstTheeWickedlyMusic]

@@k-ondoomer Yes, that is true, but like... E standard doesn't djent 😆

[@thygod]

You don't have to play the lowest couple of notes all the time, you know. When I was in a death metal band I had my 7-string in drop F# most of the time, but I busted out the low notes rather sparingly. That restraint might've been aided by the other guitarist playing a 6-string in C# though.

[@klaymeister]

I think the silliness of an 8 or 9 string is that people play on 2 or 3 strings.

[@Livesinashack]

I'd think there would be more demand for 30" scale 6 strings rather than 8 string guitars. It would be much more practical.

[@PureJadeKid]

A 9 string is better than a 7 string because with a 9 string you get 6 pristine unplayed strings, whereas with a 7 string you only get 4 unplayed strings. 😆

[@CoalWorxDiesel]

I tune down because there’s something about drop A chugging on my 7 string that makes people involuntarily move their heads in ways only known to the likes of crackheads and contortionists. There’s something beautiful about watching a seemingly unsuspecting metalhead release their inner groove-demon to the heretic-esq sound of pure dirt funneling from my fingers through the guitar, through my metal zone, through my amp, and right to their noise organs

[@nodnarB14]

This is a beautifully constructed comment

[@antenna7002]

I use Drop A on my 6 string :)

[@incongruous4]

When I hear a boss metal zone I start violently thrashing too. Not in a good way though

[@PureJadeKid]

You sir are a poet.

[@Lukos0036]

Caution: Too much low chugging makes your palms hairy, and your guitar green.

[@oiman5733]

E standard is too bright for me. D standard is perfect though.

[@BRIDKIE]

@Louis Frost I think all strats sound so much better in Eb, Jimi Hendrix also did it.

[@BRIDKIE]

@Louis Frost I agree, nothing wrong with E standard. When i play with my band we usually play in E standard, but when i am at home i sometimes tune down to Eb, and for some reason it just sounds so much better to me. It might just be because some of my biggest heroes did it, it sounds more.. "familiar" to me..

[@ripit.3457]

@@BRIDKIE to be honest, when i’m with my band, i’m 80% in e standard, and 20% d standard. when I’m alone, I usually stick to c or b standard, because i like lower tuned pieces. that being said, e and d standard are probably my favorite tunings if I’m being real.

[@rakzparkingu2353]

C# for me. Really has the "sinister" vibe that Black Sabbath brought to light.

[@brianbergmusic5288]

I like D-standard too, but then my favorite inverted power chords get more muddy. ---- ---- ---- 4-5 2-3 2-3 Sounds better in E-standard than D-standard to me, especially if you want a bass to follow them.

[@TheHewai]

My guess would be that metal became more and more rythmitic over the years, and lower frequencies are more suited in that regards.

[@AlphaStormMusic]

Down tuning also makes riffs sound a shade darker. I had a song and I couldn’t decide between D standard or C# standard, but I chose C# because I liked how it sounded darker than D.

[@groovy_9633]

the cool tuning. C#. for when you wanna see sharper edges on a table

[@sinisavuco7931]

C# standard is so underrated, love this tuning

[@tobiasteichmann5882]

That # tunings always sounds happier than the normal drop tunings :D

[@sinisavuco7931]

@@tobiasteichmann5882 i think it's quite the opposite it sounds more evil and sad. I mean it depends how you play, but behemoth, my dying bride and suffocation utilize this tuning lol

[@tobiasteichmann5882]

@@sinisavuco7931 I mean like c# sounds happier than drop c and a# sounds happier than drop A ^^

[@ShallieDragon]

"Maybe I could call my friend and do a collab video. Nah, he's probably busy." That is such a mood.

[@ChiAeNima]

IMO, I'm a 49 years old guy who started at guitar at 15, do whatever inspired you to play and to write music. Personally, the downer I've ever tuned is a seven in Drop A. Six in Drop B, but I normally use sixes in Drop C. Now I'm trying to Uptune. I've tuned one of my sevens in Drop B with the first in F# instead of E. It will probably work for me. Playing a six in standard tuning from time to time it's also enrichment. Cheers from Spain.

[@RainMakeR_Workshop]

That song had my head bobbing and literally pulling the "fuck yeah, that's nasty and I love it" face... You know the face I mean, the one that looks like you just ate something so sour that your mouth caved in on itself as well as being a little too spicy for you and now your angry about it. Immediately followed by doing a stern face Judge Dredd impression. If you don't know that face from how I described it. Then you've never loved a nasty riff first time hearing it.

[@TheDeadmandillon]

Soooooooo much truth to that dude. It's that moment in time when the riff chugs just right... Mmmmnh~👌 Fucking raw and I love it.

[@andrerenault]

Ah yes, the stank face.

[@RainMakeR_Workshop]

@@andrerenault This guy gets it lol.

[@internetguy1260]

I call this the angry constipated samurai trying to take a poo face.

[@RainMakeR_Workshop]

@@internetguy1260 That's the one.

[@CottonInDerTube]

Dude! Your riffs are always so sick!

[@peteplaysmusic]

Thanks! :)

[@juliodefreitas157]

I love the chug of drop tuning 😂😂😂👍. Awesome video and thanks for sharing your tips .

[@snarehit2230]

Rediscovered eb tuning after everything sounding too muddy, it's fun, thrashy and clear. Love the fact opeth and chaos ad era sepultura sound heavy af without downtuning.

[@countinwermsuwu]

Isn’t chaos AD in D standard?

[@sashabagdasarow497]

If it sounds muddy, it's your intonation, not tuning

[@7thwave42]

I first started down tuning to b standard in the early 90's because of Carcass and Type O Negative when I got a seven string around 2004 I still tuned to b standard, but with the low f#. I enjoy the way it sounds, other tunings can be heavy too and in some ways heavier or at least more aggressive. Though the just play bass argument holds no water, a low tuned guitar doesn't have the same timbre as a bass at all. Ok enough nonsense from me cheers all.

[@DapperHesher]

Was gonna say this. Type O Negative and Crowbar were the first ones I remember hearing.

[@cmd_f5]

Nailed it. The Guit and bass have a totally individual sound and purpose. Even 9 strings are primarily a midvoice instrument. As a lad I remember Rob Zombie and Cannibal Corpse really pushing it. I mean Superbeast is in B, or at least the main riff is. At first it was just awesome. BLS also played around with lower tuning (see Worship Me). It just sounds cool. Maybe I'm oldschool, but 9s are just pushing it into flubland. JMO. Peace

[@7thwave42]

@@DapperHesher Crowbar is another great example. The more I think about it the longer the list gets, Morbid Angel were tuning to Bb and I think Entombed were tuning to A on Left Hand Path. It seems like some folk thing tuning low is a modern thing but it's really not, just the number of strings has increased haha.

[@7thwave42]

@@cmd_f5 Aye I agree entirely, regardless of someone liking the sound of a 9 string or not they don't sound remotely like a bass. I think going as low as a nine string occasionally for effect can be cool. But its way easier to do with a pitch-shifter than buying bridge cable strings haha.

[@jonathancharlesbass]

DEP have to be one of the heaviest acts of all time and they played in E-standard throughout their whole catalogue 😍

[@andytrox]

The track One Of Us Is The Killer is in Drop D but yeah, they're the best.

[@fgcapps72]

Pardon the ignorance, who’s DEP?

[@mateo-seekthevoid1321]

@@fgcapps72 Dillinger Escape Plan: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3K3amSrZtWphKM

[@stikdik]

Awesome jam 🤘🏼

[@Hypnotize4578]

It's about how the riff is played, is what makes it heavy. Not always the tuning.

[@axelovingguy]

Yeah Opeth played in standard for all their heavier albums and Vektor tune UP? (Edited)

[@Hypnotize4578]

Exactly.

[@qerzuk]

@@axelovingguy death and gojira are not standart but 2 steps down. Vektor is a step up yeah. Snapped my high f the first time i tried to bend that fucker.

[@Forest_V19]

Great job with getting the clarity on that low C#. A ,lot of bands try to use 9 string tuning and it just sounds too muddy. Great work.

[@zacharyyoung2961]

You’re right. Tony Iommi tuned his guitar down after the accident and had fingertip prosthetics. The lower string tension was the ticket.

[@konkey-dong]

He probably only figured out it would be helpful after the first two

[@ChrisBlackLabel90]

I grew up with it just like you. I've never gone lower than drop G though. Great video as usual dude. \m/

[@shanewalton8888]

Why not just get rid of the three treble strings? It is not like they get played at all

[@Demonstormlord]

Because then, they'd have to admit that they're playing bass.

[@ryanbollinger1759]

Hey, if you’re writing Djent or Deathcore, those strings are important for alien noises or dissonant notes!

[@antenna7002]

@@ryanbollinger1759 that can still be achieved on a 6 string! (I think)

[@imraanakollo-arenz1449]

Given the fact that everyone is tuning lower and lower, it's only a matter of time before we get Drop B pop songs. But why I tune low is because a lot of the songs I learned were in drop tunings and I enjoy the low sounds. To this day, Drop A# still holds a special place in my heart

[@Dr.Failtastic]

3:56 Don't really know anything about guitars or music but it just sounds like a bass with distortion or whatever you call it

[@rangamsarmah2061]

I was tuning down my E string that day to drop D to play some tool. Then I dont know why, I went down to C to play neon by John Mayer, i had no idea I even did it. Suddenly, I dont know what got over me, I couldn't stop. After a few minutes, I was playing Periphery songs. 5 minutes passed, I was way past the point of playing meshuggah and animals as leaders songs. Just I was about to reach the doom eternal stage, my friend pulled me out of it. Any further and I would have almost bought a 20 string from stevie T or something. Terrifying true story.

[@gqfiend]

Thanks, DISTROkid!

[@joebrooks3638]

Metal dudes have to tune lower and lower so they can reuse the same riffs over and over without ripping off other bands or even themselves.

[@Herobox-ju4zd]

Never went lower than D on my six strings, but then again: I''m an old school kinda guy.

[@TheDjfranco100]

Great duo!!! Also, something that I learned listening to Loathe, is that you only need a long baritone guitar instead of more strings. And it depends of your preferences of course

[@jcugnoni]

Great playing and collab with Andrew. Cool riffs. This seem so much fun to play... To be honest Mick Gordon's style Doom riffs are probably the main thing that might push me to try this one day.. More reasonable down tuning from nu-metal era is so common today.. Drop C or Drop A are kind of the new standard today... Crazy.

[@hyalinamusic18]

Part of it is just because a lot of my favorite guitarists downtune. I was first introduced to the concept with drop-D riffs from Led Zeppelin, Muse, and especially TOOL. Then I got into more progressive metal like Dream Theater and Ayreon who both regularly use 7-string guitars. The other reason is because I'm also a vocalist and I can sing much more comfortably in B or C than I can in E (though it does depend on what I'm singing in a specific key). Usually I don't go lower than drop-A on my 7-string.

[@nikkmorse]

How low can ya go, another epic performance from pete 🤘🏼😈🤘🏼

[@Pericles777]

I have an Agile Sceptor 827, I tune it UP a half-step to C-standard/Drop F. So glad to see someone else playing an Agile 8 lol

[@live2sk8777]

Almost all the music I got into in my early years as a guitarist was down tuned so it was only natural. My new favorite tuning to mess around on my 7 string is DDGCFAD where the low D is a full octave down. You can get some nasty octave riffs and the classic octave power chord which sounds soooo good that low.

[@oblightinized7811]

the double harmonic major is an amazingly trve kvlt key. I love it

[@theunholysacrament]

I typically don't down tune much but I love the different chords you can get out of Drop D and things similar. It adds a different dynamic to writing.

[@brxken_bvtterfly]

For me when I was younger I was always intrigued by how different certain guitar tones were produced, and the first song I ever learnt was Smokahontas by Attack Attack which is in Drop B and my first riff Crazy Train which was in standard E. Just learning about the different tunings and how they sounded was just fascinating and now it's just a part of life.

[@twisstedriffs]

This sounds evil! Makes me want a 9 string now! Damn you Pete! Awesome video dude!

[@TheRolvaag]

Because it sounds fucking awesome, Pete

[@colincolin7237]

I actually addressed the lower tuning with a short scale bass outfitted with ridiculously huge guitar strings. It worked pretty damn well because scale length with thicker strings landed me with the same problem you talked about. String popping out the back. Ibanez src 6. Only like $700. Worked out better then I could've hoped.

[@vikekhatsu5234]

I just came across this thumbnail on I.G feeds, I thought I was the first but lol... Sed life😂💔💔 Great content bruv🙌🏻✨

[@StuntcatTV]

Metal has always been about being extreme, but has now reached a point were the extremes have been fully explored. And that endless downtuning, combined with the hyper excessive aggression and the speed of light tempoes kinda show that in my opinion. The most brutal stuff has been done, the fastest thing has been done, the slowest thing has been done et cetera and so forth. Time to get some fresh air into that scene.

[@xXEmbracetheMetalXx]

There’s no fresh air to add in to the scene. IT’S been done. Whatever it is... some form of it has been done before. Metal guitarists just need to tune to what they want and play what they want at this point, instead of continuing to try to push the limits. Just go out there and bring teh metalz! 🤘🏻

[@freq9939]

Agreed. We need real creative original ideas. Listen, no matter what people will always hate and always go towards trendy things 🤷‍♂️ we have to challenge the status quo.

[@loustaehle2447]

I got into down tuning really after getting into Crowbar when I was a kid, I just loved his tone & how those down tuned riffs sound & even feel at the appropriate volume. So, 25 years later, I now play a Baritone Tele with a 27" scale tuned to A\Drop G...

[@Gh0stDiaz]

Great Vid Pete As Always. I'm A Bass Vocalists, We Play In Drop C Works Great For Covers We Do Of 80's Snyth Pop Metalized Ofcourse.

[@artokujala]

Super nice song! My third(ish) guitar was a 7-string after two years of playing so I might say that grew up with low tunings and after finding out that one can play Meshuggah I felt like there is no limit of how low you can go 😀 now I play mostly 7’s in drop G and 8’s in F# standard and every now and the I visit the Doom soundtrack low D stuff 🔥

[@brianconnor5343]

I've always assumed the appeal in downtuning has something to with the way that in nature, low frequencies are usually made by the largest version of things. For example a tiny yappy chihuahua vs the boom of a doberman. So the lower you tune the bigger the "creature" your lizard brain hears is. And the listeners experience probably varies but when you are playing a down tuned instrument you know that you are in control of that "creature" which is quite a powerful feeling. Disclaimer though: This is based on 0 research and nothing other than gut feeling but either way is my two cents x

[@wtglb]

I like your reasoning though, it makes sense looking at it that way 👍🏻

[@aixide]

That's exactly how it works, yeah.

[@purpleman1719]

i like the way you compared it really opens your thoughts on musical theory

[@Wind-nj5xz]

It's probably also helped by the fact that the brain percieves rythm more clearly with lower frequencies, so down tuning often works for more rythmic stuff.

[@bencampbell5468]

Nice to see Wes Borland mentioned in this regard. He really is very underrated, and was tuning down to F way before it was cool lol.

[@jeffleecust]

I just got Billy Gibbon’s 8-40s and tuned a full step up from standard and dropped the low E back down to E for a Drop E on my S style with a single EMG 81. It’s pretty fun

[@denverrandy7143]

Sign of the times in the late 90s...sometimes I'd be in A sharp,sometimes in E. Depending on my mood.I notice I usually stay in C sharp these days.But hey,what ever gets people playing.🤘Love the Channel.👍

[@mikejones-vd3fg]

I grew up on eb and standard, drop D was edgy none of the older guitarist seem to know anything about so that was cool, but essentially a simplified power chord it didnt leave much to the creative imagination so i never used it in my own playing, only to cover the popular songs of the day. Years later the tuning snuck into my own music albeit a modified version of it. And maybe thats the thing, your own style may end up being nothing like you grew up idolizing sometimes, yet the influence is still there.

[@SaleMen09]

I tune down mostly to fit the riffs I/we write to my vocal range. But also sometimes to experiment. I tried many different tunings like Drop d - Drop G, the architects tuning (F#-F#-B-E-G#-C#), open tunings for acoustic and stuff like that. Most songs end up in Drop B because that fits my voice the best. I recently learned new vocal techniques to go higher and different screaming techniques so now we could probably go to Drop C or maybe Drop A for heavier stuff.

[@charlesdavid5137]

Thanks Pete for another cool video. It's probably just me, because I see a lot of love here for sub low tuning, but I feel music loses a bit of energy beyond a certain frequency. Any ways cheers, carry-on.

[@thinkingape7655]

It’s so muddy alone, but it sat real nice in the mix. 🤘

[@rathoquarter]

Because it's bloody great fun!

[@Raest_999]

I down tune my 8 string to Drop E. Because I love the sound, and because it fits with all my other instruments. which tend to be in E standard or Drop A. Also, Mick Gordon is one of my greatest inspirations, and his sound is perfect. And if you want to make that kind of music, you need to either get an extended range instrument, or use pitch shifters etc. These extended range instruments are actually hybrid instruments. Plain and simple, they are basses and guitars in one. And they can potentially sound so good with the right settings. and like you said, just fun. That song at the end was absolutely sick Pete. Keep up the good work, can't wait to see what else you come out with on your newly low tuned beast.

[@blaness13]

I started my detuned journey when i started working on a cover where tuning from drop D to drop Db made a riff i made up for the cover sound better cause i had to play it differently, then learning other songs i discovered Drop C which i think is my favorite tuning just because of the way it sounds and that's my go to on most of my standard length guitars, then i played with Drop B once on my LP and learned what Baritones were and why they exist, and got me one of those for Drop B cause that's probably a close 2nd for favorite tuning, and it just sounds fucking cool. then figuring what the hell i tried Drop A cause that would be a drop tuned 7 string and enjoyed that enough to buy a 27in scale 7 string, and another baritone, (because sweetwater was foolish enough (maybe not foolish they knew what they were doing)to give me a line of credit.) I haven't figured out how to get the exact sound i want out of drop A yet, but from a technical standpoint i don't see myself going any lower, because i like to keep the relationship between guitar and bass the relatively the same, and below A on a Bass the fundamental pitch isn't even audible to most ears anyway, (let alone most speakers can't get remotely that low) so even though i could tune the guitar lower i can't (in my eyes anyway) tune the bass lower. and from a player perspective anything lower doesn't really fit my playing style cause it gets into lower interval limits and what chords you can play with out it sounding like shit, With that last part said i fucking love your detuned stuff and Baena's stuff, it's just not my style.

[@steelberserk]

I have downtuned a few times but I always come back to standard E tuning for some reason. At one point I had a variax which let me tune using a knob and B standard was pretty fun.

[@immersivesinner3350]

First band for me was Smashing Pumpkins. THey did the entier Mellon Collie double album in Eb Standard. apparently that 1/2 step made quite the difference. For me the first band who I listened to constantly that downtuned farther than I was able to match with the guitars I used was A Perfect Circle. They played everything in Drop Bb, on a 6 string. I don't know that it was for any Metal Aesthetic but it did make them sound distinctive in the alternative rock arena they were in. Imagine what Judith woul have sounded like in Drop D instead.

[@siralfredofhorsiii]

From memory, first time I downtuned was just to play a slipknot song. So, took my strat down to c# standard/ drop b. Then realised things that were in e normally, sounded really nice in c# standard. Was great. Then later got a 7 string, cause I wanted to play trivium songs, so was b standard/ drop a. Then got another one, and decided I wanted that one to be half a step lower, for newer trivium stuff. Then had another 6, so figured eb standard, because some metallica, alterbridge and some other stuff. Then realised I could use the half step lower 7 for that, and sold the 6 at some point. So, current setup is; ormsby sx 6 in e standard ibanez rgir27bfe wnf 7 in... standard. (imagine learning the whole model number of an ibanez, amirite? I have no idea how I can remember it) ormsby hype gtr 7 in eb standard for a 7 (Bb?) squier strat 6 in c# standard. Fully plan to get another 7 at some stage, and depending on how it sounds, I'll either keep it as is, or change the tuning down low to like a standard or something, depending on who uses that/ if I find a band with songs I like in a lower tuning/ can think of some. In saying that, the ibby was my first 7 string. Absolutely loved it. Got the sqiuer how I wanted it, and that was starting to become the main guitar (though, I put the battery behind the pick guard, and used a normal jack socket, so now it just drains the battery, and I just cbf replacing the battery half the time. REally should fix that, and route out a battery box.). Then got the ormsby, so that was mostly the one, followed by the squier. Ibby still fairly regularly used. Then a few other guitars (a tele at one point. another squier. One of the best guitars I had tbh. But, stupidly sold it to a pawn shop, who more than likely still has it for about what they cost new), and recently got the ormsby sx carve 6, and that's been my main go to. The hype is a bit too sticky on the neck, so needs a bit of a sand. The ibby is, dunno. Something about it feels off atm. Think tuning stability is an issue atm, and probably old strings. Squier would get played more if the battery position didn't suck ass. But yeah, just got there to play songs, and then really liked the sound. Lower tunings playing standard tuning songs just sounds so nice. Like nothing else matters in c# standard just sounds so nice. I can't think of a good word for it, but it's just nice. Same with EDEN songs

[@hugetird]

I have found a love for drop F. My 7 string guitar sits perfectly in drop f with a nice 10-74. If You put time and effort into setting your guitar up properly for down tuning it's a blast. Plus drop F is the perfect down tune imo

[@DavidDecobert]

I started tuning down to D in the early 90's following Obituary tuning, then have tried to C and finally B like one of my favourite band at this time, Carcass. Almost 30 years after I am still use the B tuning but now with a 7 string. I still play a kind of old school death metal and for me this tuning is perfect to play this kind of music. If today I play on a regular 6 strings in E, I will have the feeling to miss something and I will not be comfortable. Try to play old Carcass or Gorefest songs on a 6 strings guitar in E and you will see the difference, B tuning really bring depth to the music

[@SleepingGiant45]

I primarily play in Eb Standard and C# Standard these days, but I got into low tunings thanks primarily to Devin Townsend, and it was purely because Open C was a really pretty tuning to play with and so different from what I was used to in a great way. It's only later that I realized how heavy the low tuning sounded.

[@mcswordfish]

I remember a letter in Kerrang (or possibly Melody Maker) during the early days of the ascension of Nu-Metal that advised any budding nu-metal guitarist to "Buy themselves an over-priced 7-string and downtune it till the strings are slacker than a 70-year-old Dutch hooker" I tend not to play downtuned myself - I'm still trying to master the songs I like in E/E♭ - but do enjoy the sound. However, I like it best when used sparingly (I bloody love the octave-loewr bit that Frogleap Leo has at the end of his Enter Sandman cover) and for that reason, I'm tempted to get a baritone but use it to play songs in E (only in the A position). I reckon using that to play some heavy blues or rock&roll, and only using the low B occasionally would sound mint (totally got this idea from your video about Bariton guitars - when you went from standard to low, I didn't hear a key change, I heard you playing a low V chord and thought it was an incredible composition/arrangement tool)

[@rossaodonovan895]

that was awesome

[@cjspot1]

Drop D opens the gates for great new chord flavors!! That’s what I play in primarily

[@nikolauselsner2564]

I mostly play drop C, I guess I like the resonant frequencies in this tuning. Recently I started playing a 7-string in drop A to cover standard E stuff and some heavy stuff as well. What i realised was that higher tunings suggest playing power chord stuff where deeper tunings rather suggest single string and string skipping stuff. So i frequently try same riffs and adapt them to these different tunings to play „outside of the box“

[@HomeGunMaker]

Because it sounds so badass!

[@shred5619]

I love dimebag Darell tuning❤️he experimented his tuning like C# and raised 40 cent❤️

[@dirtyhappiness]

I use several tunings both on the 7 strings and 6 strings guitar depending on the genre and the riffs. My take is that you need to find your balance, and change the tunings accordingly. I tend to us CGCFAD, ACGFAD, A#GCFAD and EADGBE or DADGBE on a six string. Also DADGAD, CGCEGD and many others. B standard or drop A on a 7 string, or standard tuning with a F# on the lower string.

[@CrutchExe]

I grew up listening to nu-metal as well, and I tried learning Eyeless in standard tuning before learning it was in drop B. Now I have a janky ass tuning that I use because it give nice and floppy chugging riffability along with some nice classy high textures without the need for an 8 string

[@GregJonson]

I most frequently use drop B and drop Bb. I feel like that is the perfect spot to bring out those mids.

[@evanmadginmusic4477]

I tune to D Standard/Drop C one for the vocal range of me and fellow band mates, but also for the tone of the guitar, especially acoustic, I feel like it adds a nice low end overtone sorta thing

[@mouldy7898]

For me low tunings started when i decided to get a 7 string thanks to bands like Dream Theater, Area 11, Tesseract and then eventually got myself an 8 string because I wanted to play some of Periphery's Juggernaut albums and some AAL riffs. Now I've gone back to mostly playing 6 string guitars because I find them easier to play and write music on however I still like the sound of low tunings so I mostly play in drop C or sometimes drop A. Also in general having the lowest string down a whole step so it matches the 3rd string makes so much more sense to me for chords and writing riffs

[@AphelionBlackMetal]

I LOVE that Cattle Decapitation tunes to E flat.

[@Timocracy]

Chiming in on the question; 1: Low screams/Growls go well with lower chugs. A trick I've heard on some records was using a 5-string bass dropped to A, and guitars chugging the upper 2/3 of an open A chord, which is your bottom two strings in a standard E tuning - sounds heavy af, even though you're omitting that baritone A. 2: Lower tunings just give the genre more sounds to work with, and go hand in hand with metal being a deliberately harsh and aggressive branch of music. Tuning down now is just like what speeding up used to be.

[@tylersilliman9888]

I started down tuning just to see what it was like I started with d standard and drop c then drop b then c standard but then I started tuning to c# standard and for some reason I just fell in love with it the way it sounded it's really heavy but there's still a little bit of tightness to it and then I discovered that a lot of bands that I listen to use c# standard Dying fetus, Suffocation, born from pain etc and so I just fell in love with it even more by the way like your videos man awesome!

[@riggamortis1969]

Never really thought of why. I just started trying to get the tones I was hearing in my head. From what my drummer friend says "I write really dark" sounding music, so guess it just works for me.

[@alexhueneman6505]

I love using 65 gauge strings on all my 6 string ESPs and down tune to drop A. Shit crushes but still not super low. I do the same with my 7 string and 9 string agile scepter just changing string gauge and tuning.

[@BassPlayer6392]

I played Tuba throughout school, so I love the low and contra notes.

[@Ryuu87]

I play in d standard or drop C because to me, sounds the coolest. I understand the appeal for some styles to go lower but I have the most fun on d.

[@haydenrix4287]

I started down tuning on my 6 string guitars to get a darker, warmer, and deeper sound. As well as being able to use a low B on my guitar. I got an 8 string now but I always go back to B tuning.

[@SerjBassist]

With my previous band, we started downtuning when we played The Pot by Tool, as it was too high for my vocal range. Then, out of laziness, we would finish practice playing our songs with the instruments downtuned (to D standard/drop C). We liked the way it sounded, so it stayed that way. To me and the style of music I make, that's the sweet spot, either D or C#.

[@Whydyoucare]

If i may... Down tuning probably has to do with tone, meaning that the oscillation of the string is wider when the tension is lower, therefore you have a variation in how the pickup outputs the signal and how the tubes/circuit react/s to that... Also thicker strings means something different is happening to the magnetic field of the pickup poles.. not exactly sure, but from an electronic guy and an amateur luthier POV, these might be some of the reasons why.. Best regards, Pete D.

[@Quusikko]

For years and years my only tunings were E standard and Drop-D. Those were the only ones I needed, drop-D already sounded super heavy to me. Then I bought a new bass which had 5 strings and welp, that didn't change much. But the day I joined a band that played in drop-B did. Tuning a 6-string to that tuning was pure bullshit, so I got a 7-string asap. Dropped that to Drop-A and used a capo, problem solved. It didn't hurt to get the 7-string even after I was kicked from the band; I found sludge and drop-A came in handy. Have wrote 31 songs in that tuning since 2016. Still though to this day, just like you, I mostly use the tunings I grew up playing with; standard and drop-D. Now I just have the option to easily go lower if I ever feel like it and that's nice option to have.

[@andrerenault]

I first downtuned my acoustic guitar a full step to be able to play old hymns which were written in F, Bb, Eb, etc. Those keys are harder to play in standard tuning, but by dropping a full step I can play in G, C, F, etc. I find capoing up is harder to think about and in the some cases it produces too high a sound. Nowadays, I leave it in D standard so I can play covers without destroying my voice. And drop tunings make it a heck of a lot easier to play power chords.

[@buffalothebison4850]

I have an .080 to a .017 all wound set on my 29.75" six string baritone tuned to G standard/drop F... i really don't even play much metal these days. It's an ambient monster.

[@januszo.2180]

Wow!!!! Great song

[@peteplaysmusic]

Thanks! :)

[@jawz3102]

Pete, fuckin song was killer.

[@bloodbullet20]

I'm thinking of buying that digitech drop pedal so I can play down tuned songs on Rocksmith. With limitations of course since I only have 6 string guitars. But I think that having a pedal like that is very helpful and avoids having to retune constantly.

[@WhiteWallMedia]

I have 5 guitars that I tune individually from standard to drop D, drop C to drop B, drop A, drop G to drop F, and an octave below standard/drop D. Used for more range and playability with open notes.

[@joshcheaney7322]

I started drop tuning because that is what the bands i listen to were doing. Also, i wanted to see how some of the riffs that i’ve come up with would sound in a dropped tuning. I like playing in everything from e standard on a 6 string down to drop g# on a 7 string

[@eliasfrojd6417]

For me it's a long story to why I like lower tunings but here is the short: I was a huge NWOBHM fan, especially a fan of Iron Maiden and went from that to sleaze (don't ask how and why, it just happened...). Well... We started a band me and a few friends, trying to become either the next Mötley or even the next Europe. And we got a singer who sounded like Lemmy. So at first we down tuned half a step, and did like three songs. And I just fell in love with the sound of a down tuned guitar. So I decided to tune down further and landed in drop c . So that half sleaze, half motörhead wannabee band found a cool sound. And even to this day, low tuned guitars just fills my heart with... stuff that is nice and stuff!