Dropped D Tuning...


	I recently saw a post on a message board in which somebody was asking about dropped D tuning…what is it, how do you tune the gtr, how to play, if it’s easier to play in that tuning, etc…so, I thought I’d do a small feature on dropped D… I have one of my gtrs permanently tuned with dropped D tuning so that I can pick up and use that tuning whenever I feel like playing something alternative (my gtr is tuned half a step down so strictly speaking the tuning is dropped D flat). The notion of dropped D is to tune the low E string a whole step down so that it is tuned to low D. The tuning will therefore change from E, A, D, G, B, E to D, A, D, G, B, E… In a way, it does make playing some things a little easier…e.g. the classic “power chord” can be fretted with just one finger as per the tab below…

	However, like most thing, making something easier often makes something else a little more difficult. Although power chords are a little easier, using open chords like an open G becomes a little more difficult. Also playing straight scales has to be altered as well as the low E string is tuned a whole step down. In practice this means that if you were playing an A major scale shape, you’d have to start at the 7th fret on the lowest tuned string rather then on the 5th fret...


	There are benefits to the tuning though. The low D can be used as a pedal tone and a rhythm part played on the regular D string. A great example of this is the Ratt song “Lay It Down”. The song is in D but uses the low D as a pedal tone (a reference point). The lower tuning also adds a little more heaviness and depth if used properly…A lot of the 80’s metal and thrash bands used to use this tuning (Anthrax, Testament, etc). The tuning makes for some interesting sounds and composing possibilities. So, it has its benefits and drawbacks but it is an interesting tuning to use from time to time and can be a hell of a lot of fun to play around with…so grab your gtr, tune down and have fun! A note on tuning…on a fixed bridge gtr, or a gtr with a non-floating vibrato, tuning the low E string down a whole step shouldn’t cause any tuning problems. The same doesn’t apply on a gtr with a floating bridge though because tuning the lowest string down releases some of the string tension which causes the springs holding the vibrato in place (at the back of the gtr) pull back a little more. This causes the other strings to go out of tune just a touch (nothing major), so you’ll need to retune the other strings when you drop D tune. You can usually do this with the fine tuners, but sometimes you’ll need to retune with the tuners. Good luck! Enjoy! If you have any Qs feel free to mail me...info@jayparmar.com...