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Silent Steel
New Member
USA
23 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 05 2005 : 19:48:59
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If you've ever tried to play heavier rock songs, you may have run into the problem that your songs just sounded too... well... happy. You hear on the CD that the guitar sounds low and throaty, but yours sounds like a yippy little dog. You're sure you're playing the chords right, you've got your chord chart right here... What's wrong? Most likely, it's your tuning. In standard (EADGBe) tuning, most power chords and 5th chords (the basis of just about all hard rock songs) are played high on the neck on the 5th, 4th, and 3rd strings; with the 2nd and 1st (light)strings played open or muted. Because of the use of these high strings and the lack of a 6th (bass) string, standard powerchords often sound high and whinny, even with heavy distortion.
The solution? Retune your guitar to Drop D tuning (DADGBe). In Drop D, you bar the top three (bass) strings to form the power chords. The top three played open (DAD) is a D power chord (or D 5th, with the distortion, it's hard to tell), so to change chords, just move up the neck the number of frets equal to the number of half steps you want to go from your base D chord. Be careful to always mute your high strings (GBE) as they will be out of tune with most of your chords.
Not into heavy rock? Drop D is still a great choice. You can turn off the distortion, play a barred chord, and hammer on the 4th string with your pinkey to get an awesome transition when fingerpicking or strumming. Here are several examples of riffs with and without distortion. These tabs are not on this site, so if you want them, or want other Evanescence tabs, email me at big_red_strat@hotmail.com. Enjoy!!
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-The Fallen will rise- |
Edited by - Silent Steel on Dec 06 2005 17:24:53 |
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webmaster
Forum Admin
USA
53 Posts |
Posted - Dec 06 2005 : 11:07:42
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Several other Christian bands that use a lot of drop-d tuning to create their "sound" are: - Stavesacre
- King's X
- Glisten
There are, of course, many other bands that use drop-d tuning, but these bands make a great deal of use out of that tuning in order to create their signature "heavier" feel.  |
The WebMaster
www.christianguitar.com
No trees were killed in the posting of this message, but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced. |
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Silent Steel
New Member
USA
23 Posts |
Posted - Dec 06 2005 : 17:27:45
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Hi all!
Thanks to the Webmaster for pointing out some changes that needed to be made to that post (namely the innapropriate tabs, lol). To replace the ones I posted previously, here's Switchfoot's "Meant to Live." This song is almost exclusively heavy riffs, so I'll try to post a softer one soon for the more sedate of you out there...
ROCK FOR JESUS!!!
TJ
big_red_strat@hotmail.com
Meant To Live Tab by Switchfoot, www.Ultimate-Guitar.Com
Artist: Switchfoot
Song: Meant To Live
Tabbed by: ultimatecrow
Drop D
b=bend
r=release
Intro
e:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
b:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
g:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
d:--------4b--4r---------4b--4r---------4b--4r--5--5-5-5-7---------|
a:-2-2-2----------0-0-0-------------------------5--5-5-5-7---------|
D:-------------------------------2-2-2----------5--5-5-5-7---------|
|______________________________________________________|
When playing the intro again after the second chorus dont play this
e:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
b:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
g:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
d:-4-4-4--4b--4r--2-2-2--4b--4r---------4b--4r--0-2-0-0-0-2-2------|
a:-2-2-2----------0-0-0----------2-2-2----------0-2-0-0-0-2-0------|
D:-------------------------------2-2-2----------0-2-0-0-0-2--------|
e:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
b:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
g:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
d:-4-4-4--4b--4r--2-2-2--4b--4r---------4b--4r--4-4-4-4-4-4-5------|
a:-2-2-2----------0-0-0----------2-2-2----------4-4-4-4-4-4-5------|
D:-------------------------------2-2-2----------4-4-4-4-4-4-5------|
Hold
Verse
e:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
b:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
g:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
d:-4-0--0-2-0--0-4-0--0-4-5-4--4-0--0-2-0--0-4-0--0-4-5-7--5-------|
a:-4-0--0-2-0--0-4-0--0-4-5-4--4-0--0-2-0--0-4-0--0-4-5-7--5-------|
D:-4-0--0-2-0--0-4-0--0-4-5-4--4-0--0-2-0--0-4-0--0-4-5-7--5-------|
Hold
e:---------------------------------------------------------|
b:---------------------------------------------------------|
g:---------------------------------------------------------|
d:-4-0--0-2-0--0-4-0--0-4-5-4--4-0--0-2-0--0-4-0--0-4-5-7--|
a:-4-0--0-2-0--0-4-0--0-4-5-4--4-0--0-2-0--0-4-0--0-4-5-7--|
D:-4-0--0-2-0--0-4-0--0-4-5-4--4-0--0-2-0--0-4-0--0-4-5-7--|
Chorus 2x
e:--------------------------------------------------------------|
b:--------------------------------------------------------------|
g:----------------------------------------------------0---------|
d:-5-5-x-x-x-x-x-7-7-x-x-x-x-x-9-9-x-x-x-x-x-0-2-2-2--4b--4r----|
a:-5-5-x-x-x-x-x-7-7-x-x-x-x-x-9-9-x-x-x-x-x-0-2-2-2------------|
D:-5-5-x-x-x-x-x-7-7-x-x-x-x-x-9-9-x-x-x-x-x-0-2-2-2------------|
e:---------------------------------------------------------------|
b:---------------------------------------------------------------|
g:------------------------0--------------------------------------|
d:-5-5-x-x-x-x-x-0-2-2-2--4b--4r--5-5-x-x-x-x-x-0-2-2-2----------|
a:-5-5-x-x-x-x-x-0-2-2-2----------5-5-x-x-x-x-x-0-2-2-2----------|
D:-5-5-x-x-x-x-x-0-2-2-2----------5-5-x-x-x-x-x-0-2-2-2----------|
|____________________________|
2nd time dont play this
2nd Verse
e:--------------------------------------------|
b:--------------------------------------------|
g:--------------------------------------------|
d:-4-0-2-0-4-0-4-5-4--4-0-2-0-4-0-4-5-7--5----| 2x
a:-4-0-2-0-4-0-4-5-4--4-0-2-0-4-0-4-5-7--5----|
D:-4-0-2-0-4-0-4-5-4--4-0-2-0-4-0-4-5-7--5----|
Hold
e:---------------------------------------|
b:---------------------------------------|
g:---------------------------------------|
d:-4-0-2-0-4-0-4-5-4--4-0-2-0-4-0-4-5-7--|
a:-4-0-2-0-4-0-4-5-4--4-0-2-0-4-0-4-5-7--|
D:-4-0-2-0-4-0-4-5-4--4-0-2-0-4-0-4-5-7--|
Bridge
Strum these chords(Listen to the song for struming pattern)
e:-x----x----0----x--|
b:-3----3----3----1--|
g:-2----0----0----0--|
d:-0----0----2----2--|
a:-0----x----2----3--|
D:-0----5----2----x--|
Outro
slide slow
e:-------------------------------------------------------------|
b:-------------------------------------------------------------|
g:-------------------7-7-7-7-7-7-7\--/11-11-11-11-11-11--------|
d:-------------------------------------------------------------| 3x
a:-------------------5-5-5-5-5-5-5\--/9--9--9--9--9--9---------|
D:-------------------------------------------------------------|
|________________Second guitar plays this part________________|
First guitar strums this
e:-x-
b:-3-
g:-2-
d:-0-
a:-0-
D:-0-
e:------------------------------------|
b:------------------------------------|
g:------------------------------------|
d:-4-4-4--4b--4r--2-2-2--4b--4r---2---|
a:-2-2-2----------0-0-0-----------2---|
D:--------------------------------2---|
Intro 1x
Verse 1x
Chorus 2x
2nd Verse 1x
Chorus 2x
Intro 1x
Bridge 1x
Outro 1x
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-The Fallen will rise- |
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Gods_Fingers
New Member
USA
34 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2008 : 07:07:39
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Just an aside, I use a Drop D capo and then I'm able to keep basic tuning on the guitar. The capo leaves the E string open, so just capo 2 and you have drop D in the key of E, then you can double capo to your heart's desire.
Well, I guess since you're capo'd it's drop E playing D  |
I waited patiently for the Lord, He gave me a new song, He placed my feet upon a rock.  |
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Drop D tuning for that heavy, electric sound...
