Drop B/E and Drop B Tuning

[Underalus]

Can anyone help me here with tuning my guitar to Drop B/E from either standard or Drop D please? I left a similar post in Prison Sex about Drop B tuning requesting that it not be so difficult. It would be pretty nice if you guys could help me out with this. Thanks tool fellers.

hey, does anyone know of a really simple way to tune a guitar to drop B, either from Drop D or Standard tuning. If someone has a really easy or at least not very complicated way to tune Drop B, it would be cool if you posted it. I am a beginner and don't know shit about guitar so please keep it simple.

[mesa-b]

hey,

Well, I'm guessing that you know the little 5th-fret tuning trick. If you want to tune to drop B, just tune your E-string down so that when you play it at the 10th fret it is the exact same pitch as your A-string.

An even easier way would be to invest in a tuner, they're like 50 bucks and will help you out a helluva lot

happy riffing -James

[Marius]

Tuning Drop-B is simple. You just tune down the low E-string (the thickest string). That string should sound the same as the A-string (the one next to it), if you play the E-string in the 10th fret, and the A-string open. Then the guitar is tuned BADGBE, or "drop-b", if you like.

Drop B/E is a little harder, but easy if you start out in normal tuning (EADGBE). First, tune the A-string down, until it sounds just like the E-string.

Then you tune down the low E-string, until it sounds the same as the A-string, when you play the E-string in the 5th fret, and the A-string open.

This is an easy way to do it. Another way is to just tune down the string(s), while constantly hitting them open, together with (first) the B-string, and then the high E-string. But if you're a beginner, I don't know how good you are at listening to tones and stuff.

I know I suck at explaining, but you should be able to understand it anyway :)

[holy reality]

learn to tune with your eyes, i don't mean that you can take a completely 100% out of tune guitar and tune it up using your eyes (though that is what you should strive for if possible) but i mean, be able to hit an open D string, then tuen the E down till it matches that pitch, and be able to do it fast

it's so conveniant and not too hard to learn

as for drop b well that's a bit harder, as you have a long way to drop, but just hit an open b string then tune the low E to that.

then for drop b/e tune the low a to the high e.

if you get what i'm saying.

[conical johnson]

learn to tune with your eyes, i don't mean that you can take a completely 100% out of tune guitar and tune it up using your eyes (though that is what you should strive for if possible) but i mean, be able to hit an open D string, then tuen the E down till it matches that pitch, and be able to do it fast

it's so conveniant and not too hard to learn

as for drop b well that's a bit harder, as you have a long way to drop, but just hit an open b string then tune the low E to that.

then for drop b/e tune the low a to the high e.

if you get what i'm saying.

I don't. Perhaps you mean ears?

One could tune with one's eyes, by holding your strings in between your line of vision and a tv/computer, then using the wavelengths to match E to E, B to B, etc. Theoretically. I suspect, however, that that's not what you meant.

[holy reality]

I don't. Perhaps you mean ears?

One could tune with one's eyes, by holding your strings in between your line of vision and a tv/computer, then using the wavelengths to match E to E, B to B, etc. Theoretically. I suspect, however, that that's not what you meant.
you're absolutely right

damn freudian slips....

and damn me for calling them freudian slips.

[TheTemperamentalGoat]

Just out of interest, what songs besides prison sex and parabol/parabola use this drop B tuning?

[Marius]

Just out of interest, what songs besides prison sex and parabol/parabola use this drop B tuning?

No other Tool songs. I can't actually think of any other songs by other bands that use those tunings, either.

[conical johnson]

No other Tool songs. I can't actually think of any other songs by other bands that use those tunings, either.

There are plenty of songs that use 7-string guitars and 5-string basses, and drop B/E is pretty much 7-string tuning minus the A string. I think it's a little silly that they don't just use 7s and 5s for those songs, but, to each his'er own.

[Apoc]

I highly recommend that you buy a digital guitar tuner. They're not that expensive and they will help you get a completely accurate tuning in no time. It has helped me change to all kinds of weird tunings whenever i want to pretty much.

[elevate]

I highly recommend that you buy a digital guitar tuner.
Ditto. I'm just a lowly drummer who masquerades as a guitarist, but, when I was in a band, I was constantly amazed at how many guitarists and bassits don't have tuners. It's like they spend gobs of money on nice guitars, amps, pedals, rackmount effects, etc... but somehow overlooked one of the most critical pieces of equipment. A piece of shit guitar that's in tune is always going to sound better than a PRS that's out of tune.

I have this freeware app at home that shows you all the chords, scales, and notes on a 'virtual' fretboard. It lets you select from various tunings, or alternatively, you can increment the tuning of each string to whatever you'd like. As a novice guitarist [at best], this thing has come in incredibly handy when trying to find octaves, or just to figure out which notes I was playing so I can get a better idea of which notes would work in a synth line, or whatever. Anyway, if anybody is interested either post here or PM me and I'll host it somewhere.

[Underalus]

Can someone give me a really easy way to tune my guitar to Drop B, I really wanna play this song so please reply.

[mud_soul]

Can someone give me a really easy way to tune my guitar to Drop B, I really wanna play this song so please reply.

you can drop D tune riight?, just keep going further down, the probl;em you will find is your strings will be too loose to play . you are going to need some seriously heavy gauge strings and probably a little customising to strengthen the neck etc

the easiest way i can tell you to drop B is to buy a 5 string ( or 7 if its a regular guitar )

[mesa-b]

Can someone give me a really easy way to tune my guitar to Drop B, I really wanna play this song so please reply.

uhhh...unless I'm mistaken, we've already told you how to do it without a tuner and with one, what else do you need man?

Oh and Mud_soul, I use a standard 6-string strat with regular light strings and they don't flop around that much.

-James

[conical johnson]

you can drop D tune riight?, just keep going further down, the probl;em you will find is your strings will be too loose to play . you are going to need some seriously heavy gauge strings and probably a little customising to strengthen the neck etc

the easiest way i can tell you to drop B is to buy a 5 string ( or 7 if its a regular guitar )

According to this (http://toolshed.down.net/articles/index.php?action=view-article&id=September_2001--Australian_Guitar.html) interview, Adam uses standard gauge strings. Justin uses a five-string set to get the B, as most bassists would. Though I'm not much of a guitar player, I've played a friend's Ibanez in B/E with standard gauges and it was floppy, but not unplayable.

[GernBlanston]

DropB from standard (EADGBE): tune 6th string (E) down until it matches 5th string (A) at fret 2 (B). Thats it. If already in DropD, do the same thing.

DropB/E from standard (EADGBE): tune 5th string down to exacly match 6th string (E). Now do an octave tuning for the B. That is, lower 6th string to match 5th string at fret 7 (newly B).

DropB/E from DropD (DADGBE): just tune the 6th and 5th strings down until they match strings 2 and 1, respectively.