down tuning

Without a chromatic tuner, your life as an alternate tunings player will be difficult.

Find a keyboard that you can use as a tuning reference. Most of the old time players found a piano in a church or something.

Okay, but I will need to learn the keys on the piano.Maybe I should just buy a chromatic tuner.How much are they?

They're not expensive - loads of them on E-bay.

For the DGCFAD tuning you're after - this is standard tuning just down one tone.

Tune your first string down so that it makes the same sound as the 2nd string at the 3rd fret. OR tune your 6th string down so that it makes the same sound at the 7th fret as the open 5th string. Then tune the rest of the guitar normally.

To get back to normal, tune up your 6th string so it makes the same sound at the 3rd fret as the (downtuned) 5th string, and then tune the rest of the guitar normally

Best,

A :-)

Tune your first string down so that it makes the same sound as the 2nd string at the 3rd fret. OR tune your 6th string down so that it makes the same sound at the 7th fret as the open 5th string. Then tune the rest of the guitar normally.
I just tune my open 6th string to my open 4th sting and then tune the other strings down normally. Is that bad?

Back before there were inexpensive electronic tuners there were pitch pipes or tuning forks. I never liked these myself. I used to use favorite songs to tune. If I wanted to play in what I call E flat (all strings down one-half pitch), I would just put on a Hendrix record like Manic Depression. I knew that was in A and the solo scale played in the A Minor Pentatonic, so I would play along with the song using this scale. It was really pretty easy to hear when any string was off, I would quickly tune to pitch. This method actually works very well to tune your guitar.

You soon find out not all songs are recorded at 440. Some songs were a little higher or lower in pitch. For example, Revolution by the Beatles is not in A or Bb, but somewhere inbetween. Sometimes this happended when a recording was slowed or speeded up. But most songs were in standard tuning.

I had certain favorite songs I would use for different tunings like standard 440 or even open tunings.

Today it is easy. Go out and get a good chromatic tuner. Every guitar player should have a tuner today.

Till then, if you know of songs in this tuning, just play along with the recording. Play solos on each string. You will easily hear if that string is out of tune. This works well.

Tuners are cheap, you can get a good one for >$15. You won't regret spending the money.

Lots cheaper than a piano ;-).

Back before there were inexpensive electronic tuners there were pitch pipes or tuning forks. I never liked these myself. I used to use favorite songs to tune.

When I first started playing waaaay back in 1969 I learned to tune the guitar using a pitch pipe. In fact, I still have one of my father's old pitch pipes (it's about 50 years old or so, but the pitch is still true!).

But, nowadays I use a tuner!

Yes, I'm old. :wink:

Tune your first string down so that it makes the same sound as the 2nd string at the 3rd fret. OR tune your 6th string down so that it makes the same sound at the 7th fret as the open 5th string. Then tune the rest of the guitar normally.
I just tune my open 6th string to my open 4th sting and then tune the other strings down normally. Is that bad?

What, as in the two strings sounding the same note? Are you sure? The 4th string is almost an octave higher than the 6th

google AP Guitar tuner, free download, very accurate tuner. I use it all the time.

As Alan says, this is standard tuning, down a whole tone. All you need to do, with a guitar tuner, is to tune to the 2nd fret, rather than the open string.

However, I'll join the chorus and suggest a good chromatic tuner - the Korg CA-40 costs a little over $20 US and is very good value for money.

Tune your first string down so that it makes the same sound as the 2nd string at the 3rd fret. OR tune your 6th string down so that it makes the same sound at the 7th fret as the open 5th string. Then tune the rest of the guitar normally.
I just tune my open 6th string to my open 4th sting and then tune the other strings down normally. Is that bad?

What, as in the two strings sounding the same note? Are you sure? The 4th string is almost an octave higher than the 6th

What he means is that he tunes his open E string to his open d string but just an octave higher. That happens to also be the same method that I use to tune down.

What he means is that he tunes his open E string to his open do string but just an octave higher. That happens to also be the same method that I use to tune down.

Right. I tune the 6th to the 4th, but the 6th is an octave lower.

Tuners are cheap, you can get a good one for >$15. You won't regret spending the money.

Lots cheaper than a piano ;-).

And way easier to carry in your gearbag.

+1 to buying a tuner.

Just make sure that you are getting a chromatic tuner though. The word "chromatic" makes all the difference. :) There are cheaper tuners available that only deal with the regular E A D G B E. A chromatic tuner will give you a reading on whatever pitch you play and allow you to adjust accordingly.

You can 'make do' with the cheaper version by using different frets for reference, but a chromatic type is definitely a better tool to have. Useful for checking that other instruments are in tune too - I've even used mine to see if my voice was in tune (it wasn't of course...:( )