Should You Tune Down Your Guitar? 

Scariest part is when you are tuning up to standard again. It feels as if the strings are gonna snap,flying straight into your eyes😅😐

I played standard e for about 10 years, after that i played eb for another 10 years and now i keep my guitars to standard d tuning, it really fits well with my singing range. it just feel comfortable for me

I've been using D standard tuning on all my guitars for years now. It's heavier, darker, and richer than the E standard. Also easier to sing. Never going back to E standard!

Did this recently and it is as if I got a new voice, the singing is so much easier, relaxing, which improved the overall performance!

I like to keep my acoustic in Eb because every morning I do lot of technique exercises (scales, arpeggios, etc) on it and that way it's a bit easier to play. Also, if I want to play by myself a song that's in E standard it's not such a big deal... I do it anyway. Also, if I feel like playing some Purple Haze, I have th F***ING Eb MOJO already there. But then again, I suck at guitar so you wasted your time reading this comment.

I like D standard for acoustic. Sounds nice and full, and sounds great on 12 string. I'll even still play songs in the original key, but transpose the chord voicings. Makes things sound a little more interesting and unique, and it sounds cool too if someone is in standard or with a capo. And then I can just put a capo on the 2nd fret if I want to be in standard.

If I'm not mistaken the main reason for the change in timbre is that wood tends to resonate naturally with certain frequencies. So when you change the tuning so that the open chords have more notes that don't resonate as much it will lead to less overtones. I think a huge part of what's responsible for the changes in chord voicings is which octave the notes played are in and what notes are played more than once. The open chords in particular have different voices which would lead to different notes being doubled than the open chords you're used to. (heck, the chord might not have the same amount of strings being played.) Another thing is caused by equal temperament. When you play a C chord in equal temperament the third is naturally going to be sharp. In reality, the frequency that results as an overtone and that would resonate better with the C is a little bit flatter. By adjusting the open strings, the scale degrees are going to be sharper and flatter than you're used to because the notes might be on different strings. You're used to the guitar being slightly out of tune in standard. When everything is shifted to a slightly different out of tune, it sounds different. This is inherent to most instruments being slightly out of tune, even the piano. This can be changed by microtuning, but that's kind of a lot of effort.

This is how I have my guitar set up. I learned in my own, like you did Sean. Using the power of the internet. No one told me not to down tune. I just play like playing some songs that are either turned down a full or half step. To play a song in standard tuning or half a step down, I don't have a problem slapping a capo on. Takes but a second to "tune". Also, my string gauge preference is thin. So, having my strip down tuned to D Standard, the strings don't break as often due to less tension. I know, comments will come about how crappy it'll sound not replacing my strings often. But, to combat that, I am constantly learning. My guitar is for me to learn, not so much as to perform. I've been learning on my own for 3 years, and there's no end in sight. If I ever perform or anything, I'll be sure to change my strings before hand, and do everything to make sure it'll sound good. But all in all, that's why I have mine downtuned to D Standard :) II'm glad you brought this subject up. Good discussion topic, and it shows that there are more than the usual ways to use a guitar

I tune my 12-string guitar down to D. 1) I don't break the 3rd high string so often. 2) My economy guitar doesn't warp (bridge lifting as mentioned in previous comment) so much below the bridge; 3) I can bend the strings much easier; 4) I get a cool swampy tone, especially if I tune one of the pair in sets 1 and 2 slightly off; 5) It matches my vocal range better for some songs. I play some stuff in double drop C (double drop D) like Cinnamon Girl. Nasty! Hey, since when do you want to sound like everybody else in Standard E? When I play with my buddies I capo up to E or transpose the chord patterns.

This video was straight to the point w good content. Love ur stuff!

Thanks man this is a great video just what I was looking for. Professional player needing to get back into acoustic after years of electric for gig reasons.. This was really helpful thank you.

As some one who's been tuning to D-standard on my acoustic for ages, I prefered the sound of that. Though, I'll admit there were some blemishes. Both tunings have their pro's and con's in the end, I guess.

Can also be good for older guitars where you might be worried about the bridge lifting, especially a 12 string do to the increased tension

Thanks sean for the guidance, so does one need not worry about any possible damage to guitar or truss rod warping issues if you are only downtuning 1 whole step like D standard?, I find it very comfortable playing in this tuning yet I haven't taken it to any professional guitar tech and wonder if it is necessary?, I am worrying about causing damage in the long run to my electric guitar but Is D standard fine? Thanks again.

It depends on the type of guitar, I've always said it. Acoustic guitars often come with the frets a little badly placed, when the neck is extremely straight the frets should also form an extremely straight line, it happens that from the factory many times they are not placed when the neck is extremely straight, these minimal differences cause that the tension of your guitar is greater no matter if you calibrate it with a low action. The most important thing is to take your guitar to a luthier as soon as you buy it to check that the machine that placed the frets did it on the extremely straight neck. In case the frets have not been correctly placed, they will have to be placed as straight as possible to just calibrate. Many people feel hard on their guitar and it is for that reason. Once the neck is aligned with the frets you can calibrate your guitar with 10 strings and it will be smooth to play. My current guitar has the problem described above and it is the reason why I have to use 0.9-gauge string tuned in D. It doesn't sound bad because the tension continues to hold even though they are low-gauge strings since the guitar came with the frets not aligned to the mast.

Sounds lovely with the capo on the 2nd, it moves everything up as well so you don't need to stretch your fingers quite so much on the smaller frets. I keep my electric in d# standard, confuses the hell out of my sometimes when i have think about theory though!

Most of the time, you would put heavier strings on an acoustic when you tune down a full step so you still get the same string tension and top movement you would with lighter strings tuned standard.

I had a beautiful Yamaha all set up, evened frets , bone saddle etc.....usings 12's nanos , the action was now good, but the string tension was a bit tight for me, and I was choking off a lot of difficult chords, so I dropped it to D Standard and threw the capo on fret 2, the guitar has ~amazing sustain~ as it was,so... this is working for me like a charm! Plus the fret markers still line up ( Eb , not so much) Thanks for the video!! I really dont care what fret Im playing on, as long as its comfortable, I loved capos anyway, as I play sort of fingerstyle, and 1st position chords low on the neck..Thanks Again Sean

Are you play twelves in standard on you acoustic? I tried that. It's hell.

I tune down to C at the moment. It fits my music and my voice. I think I am going to keep it that way. The downside is that I have to relearn where all the notes are suppose to be and that they don't sell thick nylon strings in the music store so my sixth string is buzzing if I don't play gently.

I'm literally going through all your videos just for the glory that are your opening lines

I have a question. I tuned down my guitar from standard tuning to full step down because I can't sing some songs in standard tuning but some I can but I like the full step down because it given me some advantages for doing simple chords and if I want standard tuning, all I can do is put a capo. The problem that I had is a fret buzz. So I kind of raise my strings a bit to avoid fret buzz but I felt the guitar is keep going back to fret buzz again and I adjust again the truss rod and it feels like the nut or the truss is very loose like it is soft to counterclockwise. What should I do with these. I don't want any fret buzz and I want to maintain the height of my strings without those fret buzz.

So my voice has dropped over the years and even a 1/2 step is no longer enough, I need a whole step. Baratone acoustic is way too low. I usually use medium gage acoustic. But when I tune down a whole step, it is too thin sounding. What gage of heavy string should I use to get my feel and volume back being a whole step down on my acoustic?

I crushed all my fingers on my left hand years ago. 27 fractures average per finger . I tune my guitar a whole step down then use my capo to bring it back to standard so I'm able to apply enough pressure on the strings. I can no longer bend my fingers enough when playing normal but with the capo up the neck makes me able to play

Hey sean, great video, i was wondering what your thoughts were on the new john mayer album

I'm using size .011 GHS Nickel Rockers strings. They are RollerWound strings specially made for low tunings (model# 11-58 1300). Love it. One downside is the tension is high on my strat and it actually moved the whammy bar to the point I cannot use it. Reason is that I only have 3 Springs on the back. will be fixed when I add 2 more springs and adjust tension. I like it for all the things said in the video plus I can wrap my head around being down a whole step vs. a half step. If I want to play an A, I just move up to the B position. I like the capo trick. Allows me to play cowboy chords and I personally like the sound better.

when you compensate for down tuning with a capo, you're basically making your guitar a shorter scale. I like doing this with my dreadnought if I want to accentuate my highs. great lesson as always.

so after 25 years of playing my strat with 10/13 17 26 38 46 and suffering many months years of elbow tendonitis ( ulner nerve inflamation)I tried tuning down two whole steps and I discovered that not only are all the chords easier to play as less pressure is required,, but also I discovered that I was able to impart vibrato on each string in a chord which would require immense ( impossible) pressure in normal tuning,,,,,,, also when it comes to squelies now , again I can impart a tremelo to the screaming squelie giving it much more character

The jokes always makes me laugh! Thanks for the lesson! Cheers from Brazil man!

TUNE DOWN FOR WHAT?!

Bro, I need to play The Beatles's "Something" for grans funeral. I can't sing it in C on stage in church so do you think dropping Standard E to Db would work (so I'll be singing it in A)?

For me I play electric and I have to downtune half a step (with gloves _and_ 7 gauge strings) due to a skin condition. Thankfully there's pedals out there that can actually correct the tone so it sounds genuinely identical to what normal or even different tuning would sound like so I don't have to adjust my playing all that much.

I used to tune my 12 string down a whole step to alleviate bridge tension. But a few years ago I bought a Rainsong JM3000. It's an all carbon fiber jumbo 12 string that's built like a tank so tension is not an issue and it sounds great. I do tune to open tunings often for some slide playing although I find more and more I use a Pinky slide to free up the first three fingers for fretting and just leave the guitar in missionary position.

Hey Sean I would love another D standard lesson on the electric guitar if you could! this is the exact tuning I have on mine and its like re-learning the fretboard sometimes. I have my guitar set up with 11-54 strings and I love it...I can play Drop C no problem. Your vids are great thank you.

i'm using C standard tuning to break some writer's block. it's REALLY helping. suddenly singing on open strings feels fresh

Im a fan of DADGAD. Just sayin. E standard is great, but i love DADGAD

If you're playing in open G and it's a bit too high for your voice, is there anything wrong with using capo, eg around 4th fret, and singing an octave lower?

so like if i play open F pointer will be on the same fret as the ring now? i guess i mean the b string becomes a A or C ,i ahvent really looked at it myself perfectly ..

Cool video. Thank you for sharing.

yes same string tuning eadgbe but on the flat instead of the middle normal tuning :) cheers for reply saw your live feed on friday keep up the good work broskie !!!!

I just really like how one of my guitars sounds when its tuned down half step. It's the Fender Hellcat. I keep it half step down at all times. My Alvarez is kind of the guitar I like in all tuning cause its just a very versatile sound to that guitar. I also have a 12 year old Seagull S6 in standard tuning that I would never tune any other way just because its got so many little nuances and sounds I don't even hear in other guitars so I don't want to mess with perfection lol

As I've gotten older, my singing voice has lowered. I tuned down to D standard. It made all the difference although I also noticed the buzzing. Thank you for the video.

Sean Daniel Fun fact it works on both 6 & 12 String Guitars since it fits my vocal range alot better.

What is the whole point of the d standard if the capo is just going to make it high like normal tuning?

I’ve written a few tunes that (due to my comfortable singing range) suit lower tunings! D is far too loose in my opinion, even though it suits my vocal range much better! My question is this, would a baritone guitar help ?

Should i buy one 7th string and one more 6th for different tunings? :P

HUH? Someone please help me understand. . . Ran through your video a couple times. All the bits about tone, bending strings, choice of string thickness & matching vocal range are spot-on. Thank you for that summary & keep those informative vids coming -I mostly enjoy them. However, I’m confused. . . & perhaps I’ve misunderstood your video. Let me give my perspective and see what folks think. . . If I tune my guitar down a whole step to D G C F A D, and then capo the second fret, we now have: E A D G B E (or, in other words, standard tuning for a 6-string guitar). So, as I’m watching & trying to comprehend your video I hear you say that the capo is the “dropped tuning”, which may be clear to others, but I’ve lost the plot at that point. In other words -by my lights- no capo version would be the D tuning & then when you place the capo on the second fret you bring it to standard E tuning -right? Sean frames this correctly once while introducing the samples, but then something goes sideways for me and the heading on the screen contradicts what he is playing. . . Can someone help me understand? Perhaps it is semantics. . . but I want to avoid misinformation or misunderstanding. Thanks!

Since this video is about downtuning and metal relies heavily on down turning I'll ask this question here (great use of the transitive property?) Did you make it to the Maiden show in Tampa with Ghost opening? You did mention liking them and I'd be interested in what you think about Ghost. Also, I'm a huge Rush fan and someone in the music store told me that I need to check out Muse, since I'm a Rush fan. Do you, as a Muse fan, get told to check out Rush? Also, thoughts on that band?

Even as a metalhead, I prefer E standard. Great video!

can you tune the b string to match the strings so the patterns stay the same ,just different fingering, so you dont have to move up on the b string

I love open g but a lot of songs were just a little too high for me🤭Amazingly my voice come together tuning one step down! Thank you for conociese clear reasoning!

Speaking of tuning down; thoughts, if any, on punk rock?

I keep one of my acoustic guitars tuned to D standard, another one is in E standard and the third one is in Nashville tuning. I have my two electrics in E standard. My bass is 5 string, so it is tuned from B to G in fourths.

Do u think John's guitar is tuned down on hey jude. The strings sound really loose. I always thought that even as a kid listening to that.

Just curious as someone who is new to playing heavier metal, what chords translate to d standard? Any open chord and bar chords? They just played same shape, and it’s moved back a step, like d major open is now a c major?

thanks for explaining that Sean

Adjusting The action of the guitar or distance of the string to the bar will remove buzzing

Sean, What mic do you for recording these vids when you are just talking to the camera and playing a bit? (not when you mic up the guitar directly) Maybe you could do a quick rundown video on your youtube setup (Video/Audio/Lighting)? I'd like to make some a vids of acoustic songs I've written for youtube, so I could use some advice in that area. Thanks

What is the difference between Drop tuning and using Capo

Sean Daniel I have a question. I've heard people say if you are down tuning you should go lower tuning then tune back up. Like for example say you're tuning low E string from E to Eb that you you should go lower than Eb so you can tune back up to Eb. Can you tell me why? I've seen people saying this in comments occasionally on youtube.

thanks ... I thought it's not allowed to drop tuning all the strings..

How hard is it to tune down your enthusiasm for Kiss?

Paul Simon also tuned his guitar a lot by a half step or a step to accommodate his voice as with the boxer I believe this tune down a half step but he still plays the C chord . It’s a good trick to play regular major chords like C but you’re singing it in B-flat when you turn the guitar down a half step and you’re playing the C chord

love the way you make those chord voicings

Which is the Best Setting ??

These are just light gauge Strings 12's tuned down a step & if you think of a slackened Guitar string with the release of some of the tension from E Standard, it'll be easier to play.

My experience is that it is best to use a new set of (preferably heavier) strings when you want to down tune a guitar, and then only tune them up to the desired lower pitch - rather than tuning down a set that has been tuned up to standard pitch. Just a suggestion.

Hey Sean. I play a lot of blues and dont necessaily want to tune down to C standard. Would dropping everything a whole step work just fine?

Whats the name of the last song that he played? I wanna learn how to play

I use the D-standard tuning to play certain chords which I call "not suited" for E-standard tuning, for instance Eb, Bb or F. With the D-standard tuning these chords are way simpler. I have also never liked the "normal" D-chord on the E-standard tuning. Playing a D-chord on the D-standard-tuning, a "normal E-chord", is a much richer, deeper and better tone in my opinion. Check out John Fogerty who use D-standard tuning on some Creedence Clearwater Revival songs like Bad moon rising, Proud Mary and Fortunate sun. When John fogerty plays his black Gibson Les Paul, then it's D-standard tuning time.

Random thoughts: 1. Tuning down 1/2 step and putting a capo at the first fret allows you to play in E Major, but basically shortens your scale from 25-1/2 to 24-1/8. It's especially handy for electric players trying to transition from Gibson scale. 2. I keep two guitars tuned a full-step down because it suits my voice. At a full step down, though, It starts to sound just a touch muddy to me. Any lower, and I stop hearing the notes clearly. Maybe it's my ear, maybe it's because I use .011s.

I think it's case by case. I found it is very interesting to downtune, but my classical guitar's string tensions somehow loosened when I downtuned. There is some problem I guess. But once I play my favorite songs, not with standard tuning, I felt like really different and new. I mean I felt really warm when I played the Myers's "Cavatina", Wes Montgomery's "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face", Tarrega's Recuerdos de la Alhambra, with whole step down tuning..

Whenever i put my guitar is e standard tuning the high e string always breaking in a week or 2. But in D# it doesn't break. Can you please tell me what's the reason for that.

I tune my electric in d# and sometimes even c# to play black sabbath covers or just jam along, and noticed that you must be really gentle with the strings when you're down or else it sounds completly out of tune. Do you know why it happens, or have any tips that helps in that cases? Thx bro, cheers from Portugal

Not sure if you reply to old videos, but ill give it a try, i just bought a PRS with the standard tuning being drop c, can i have it in eb standard anyways?? Normally use that and i highly prefer it

Would a B1 or C2 string over a 27"/69cm scale be too quiet acoustically for those 11 or 15 feet/34 or 46dm away? There are a few companies on Just Strings which sell phosphor bronze strings thicker than .056"/1.42mm.

If you have not done so already, perhaps you might consider making an "alternate tuning with capo" video for dummies like me who do not get how a capo on the second fret gives a lower tuning.

Funny that you bring up that subject just now. I always kept my guitar in Eb standard but since two weeks I've kept my guitar in D standard because of my vocal range and harmonica choices (I like to play harmonica Dylan style when I'm playing). I think D standard sounds more "majestic".

I sometimes go to e flat standard, because many of my favorite songs are played in that tuning, and I like to play along with the original recording. However, alternate tunings can get you in trouble in a live setting. If you're going to downtune, make sure that you play all your songs in that tuning. If not, you should have an extra guitar in standard tuning. Stopping to retune your instrument isn't fatal in a live setting, but it can break up the band's flow even if you have a Snark.

Woulnt you want the capo removed so you could hear the difference and not match the same tones as the standard tuning? Cool video tho man!!

I liked the tonality of the D standard over the E tuning. The word I want to use is "fuller", but i don't know if that's right.

Came here to learn HOW TO EXPLAIN to some1 the theory. I am so bad at teaching.. so bad.. Thanks man, I will explain this litterally like you did here, nice job man. And yeah... I play 12 Gauge strings on my electric. And the action is arround 12 inch from the bottom of the strings to the surface of the fret. Tryed to copy SRV but turned out that is my style and i cant play any way different... Im a metal-head, but my first choice will always be the Blues.

I really want to go from standart to d standart for a song. Problem is, im afraid, my guitar gets hurt or i destroy something .. Its pretty new and i dont even know how to fix it, if a string snaps. is 1 step down much? I really like the sound though..

It was a revelation to me to discover that a lot of Creedence songs achieve the distinctive guitar sound through tuning down a whole tone-plus a lot of blues players also!

Standard or Eb tuning at the most for me - just personal preference.

Could the guitar be downtuned one whole octave?? Would that work?? Is there a guitar that is made that way??

However mine dosent sound like urs but it dose have a different good sound to it

it sounds the same when you put the capo on the second fret. isn't it standard tuning when you capo the second fret in drop D? won't you have to remove the capo in order to hear the different sound from standard tuning?

Did you need to change your strings?

Please can anyone tell me what it means,have a funny singing key ? for 43 years i have needed to tune everything down 2 frets so normal tuning but in D not E,that way i can sing everyone elses songs and still keep the rifs needed to make the song correct (yes i can play by transposing cords but i lose being able to add the songs riffs) ive just always wonderd why my singing fits to orchestral instruments,but not standard ?

All I play in lately is a half step down and the low e string tuned down to c.. it gives you access to a lot of cool sounding chords

String?13/56?

I am a beginner. The action on my guitar is high it really hurts. Should I lower the scale? But then wouldn't I have to learn it in a different way? Making it even harder for me to learn. Any advice? Would a capo help?

i tune my guitar down a whole step for a few reasons.. 1) it suits my voice better 2) barre chords are a bit easier 3) i like the increased bass register :)

Have you ever experimented with A=432Hz?

Playing for years now for the first time I am experimenting this

I just done it to my 12 string guitar today because of tension and stress on the bridge and neck just put a capo and back to normal tune.

I am going to tune my acoustic a half step to Eb.

lol pulkit, i tune down on the tuner to the flat :) i liked the sound ,but til today i didnt think it was a good thing :)

Couple of things. You are kinda using downtuning as a reverse capo' A great thing about downtuning is the change in chord voicings by using different shapes. For example using D shape licks to play in C ( a John Fogarty staple) Great for songwriting ideas. Also longer scale acoustics like Martins do better with downtuning than Gibson scale length Finally= I love a Baritone guitar-tuned to B standard-opens up a whole new world of licks and chord shapes with regular tension and fat strings