Why do professional guitarists frequently tune down half a step?

[Duke]

As it says in the title. I've been told by numerous people that professional guitarists usually tune down half a step when they record.

Do they do this live, too, or is it only for recording, so they can speed the tape up a bit for crisp tempo without making the guitar parts sharp?

 

[Specialized]

Ive not heard about this for recording purposes but i have heard about it when bands go on live tours. They tune down the guitars half a step as it eases the stress on singing as the vocalist can bring their voice tone down during the tour period, this may be the case when they record in the studio too.

Spec....

 

[ExigeEvan]

But if they do it on stage and in the recording studio, when exactly do they play "normal"?

 

[Bram Turismo]

That's a good question although I haven't noticed it with the bands I heard live so far. Usually, they replace the crazy solos they have on CD with something more simple when they play live. What could be an option is when they play an open note, they maybe turn it down to get a lower note then that string allows when played open so that the player doesn't have to practice other positions for his hands then he's used to.

 

[Flerbizky]

Don't know, but I believe it was the bass player from Type 'O Negative that claimed his bass was "Tuned down into hell"....

 

[exigeracer]

It depends on the vocalist, I think. I play many songs in a different key than written just because it's easier to sing. That's also a reason why people use capos, either because it is easier to harmonize the vocals, or it just sounds better when in a different key.

I actually just learned a song that was tuned down half-step, Sponge - Molly (Sixteen Candles). I play and sing it tuned regularly, only because I am too lazy to retune everything for one song (but then again, I've said that for a good half-dozen songs lately, so maybe I should for a couple days).

www.spongetheband.com to check out the song and band, it's worth it.

 

[ceiling_fan]

E-flat Tuning: Eb-Ab-db-gb-bb-eb'

This tuning is achieved when all the strings are flattened by a half step. Bands that use or have used this include The Smashing Pumpkins, Jimi Hendrix, Thin Lizzy, Motörhead, AFI, Simple Plan, Taking Back Sunday, Poison, Rhino Bucket Guns N' Roses, Led Zeppelin, Coheed and Cambria, Relient K, Weezer, Nirvana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Iced Earth, Green Day, Eskimo Joe, Stone Sour, KISS, Dashboard Confessional, Van Halen, Alice in Chains,CKY , The Wildhearts and Yngwie Malmsteen. This can be combined with other tuning techniques such as dropped D tuning and makes no difference to fingering. Often the key will be considered by the players as if played in standard tuning. This tuning can be used for a number of reasons: to make larger strings bend more easily, to make the tone heavier, to better suit the vocalist's range, to play with saxophone family more easily, or to play in Eb pentatonic minor formed by the black keys of a keyboard.

It's also worth noting that two handed tapping is easier with less than standard tension on the strings. This could explain Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen and others' choice to use this tuning.

 

[Diego440]

They tune down the guitars half a step as it eases the stress on singing as the vocalist can bring their voice tone down during the tour period, this may be the case when they record in the studio too.

Woooo! Answered in the first post!

You also see this on bands with older members (Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Aerosmith)... they'll tune down the guitars and maybe play the whole song in a lower key to avoid stressing the musicians (or junkies, your choice )

 

[Spock]

The only real reason i found for tunning down is to relive tension on the strings, mainly on really low gauge strings (i use .9-.39 D'adarios)
I play a complete step down because of this, due to the fact i play my strings really hard, and it sounds a bit darker. same thing on bass, except i tune down to C on bass.

 

[Zrow]

Personally, I think that for some reason, e-flat tuning just sounds better for some reason. Maybe because I'm sick of standard tuning by then, but for whatever reason, I generally like it more.

Also it gives you more range - you can always stick a capo on the first fret if you want to put it back in standard tuning. This is just my opinion kind of, so maybe there's a reason I don't know about.