The Pros and Cons of Drop C Tuning for Guitar
Why use Drop C tuning and what is it? This video explains what this popular guitar tuning used primarily in metal music is and its benefits and drawbacks.
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Drop C is a tuning I have all but a few of my six strings in and have used it extensively in my music career, for longer than any other tuning. It has many of the advantages as the drop D tuning has with the added bonus of being tuned down one whole step beyond. While a six string guitar tuned to drop C doesn’t have quite as much range as a seven string guitar in standard tuning, it does come close, allowing the player to have the familiar feeling of a six string while playing lower and having more possibilities than standard tuning may offer. And of course, drop tuning a guitar down low sounds really cool.
The guitar pictured in the thumbnail is the Ibanez RG5121 Prestige.
Review: https://youtu.be/K27Dly6U_l4
00:00 Intro and not sponsored
What is Drop C
00:29 Drop D as a precursor to drop C
01:04 What drop C is
Pros
01:37 Sounds cool
02:03 Easy power chords
02:17 Advantage over drop D
02:24 Avoids acoustic beating
03:07 Sound demo to showcase difference of thirds between one octave
03:22 Power chord adding intervals
04:04 Drop C with distortion
04:20 Extra range and why it’s important in playing music
05:45 Low tuning without resorting to a seven string
06:29 8 strings and beyond
07:13 Overview of advantages of drop C
Cons
07:23 Drop C isn’t standard
08:29 Relearning the fretboard might not be worth it
08:53 Many other drop tunings besides drop C
09:30 Lose a little range up top
09:46 Other guitarist might not be using this tuning
10:06 Different setup and string gage required
10:49 Extra range won’t work for songs written for specialized other tunings
11:24 Why I use this tuning on almost all of my 6 string guitars
12:13 Outro
12:39 Cat
#Pros #Cons #Drop #Tuning #Guitar
Originally posted by UCaCB1AkvopTF8dg_U77ZgwQ at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T0EI2T59f4
Drop C on a guitar also puts you in a nice place to play along with a viola or cello depending on what you’re doing. I found it to be an easy way to write cool parts for multiple instruments before I actually studied any theory. It’s important to come to grips with the lower register if you’re ever even in passing thought of going the eight or nine string direction which truly does become entirely new instrument. And if the only other instruments, you have addition to your guitar are your childhood recorder, a kazoo and a cardboard box there’s still plenty of fun to be had. Recorder also plays in C, and viola and cello are C, G, D, A. A cardboard box, a table or any other object has something called a resonant frequency, which will be the note. It seems to amplify. I found a lot of things over the years tend to favor C.
, so experiment.
YOU HAVE TO BE HEAVY IN ANY DROP TUNING!!!!
i have one guitar and i am tuned E standard i play d standard ,drop c, c#, god bless Neural DSP plugins transpose option ????
One thing I take advantage of for heavy guitar tone is intermodulation distortion: If you play an inverted power chord, e.g. G and C on 3 fret of the low E and A strings in standard E tuning with distortion, there is am extra low C harmonic to complete the C power chord.
So as long as you are playing power chords, especially with palm muting which accentuates the low harmonics, you can get very similar heavy tone in standard tuning if you need to.
Drop C up to standard E is always my go-to tunings. Always still clear and get your heavy ranges. Drop B is cool when thinking of bands like Chevelle, Slipknot, or Machine Head, but it varies on what style you want to go for. C# is very crisp though.
how many guitars are there behind you? ???? you can make a presentation of them
I have my low end tuned to drop C while my higher end set to drop D. I love the low end while being able to solo in D since that is the tuning I'm most comfortable soloing in but nothing beats chugging on those top 2 strings in C tuning ❤
I absolutely love how you formatted this video, and your explanation. Got my sub.
I usually stay in c# if I don’t have my pitch shifter so I can play riffs in drop c and drop d and not compromise it too much it’s just easier that way
i usually tune my squire strat down to drop g
Amazing trend of 90s angular hardcore and mathy rock bands (Shiner or Molly McGuire occasioanlly) using drop Db.
In my ideal situation, I would like a guitar in Standard, Drop D, Eb Standard, Drop C#, and Drop C and to stay in those tunings/not have to set them up more than once. I don't really play any songs in D standard (that I couldn't play in drop C). I play in all the other tunings, though, and spend the most time in Drop C and Drop D and Standard E. I used to go lower but I feel like Drop C, maybe a half step lower, is "low" enough for me. I'm not playing djent or doom, anything like that. I play stuff like Black Dahlia Murder, Arch Enemy, KSE, The Haunted, etc, but also, I play shred lead and do some open chords mixed with licks that's sounds like a mix of Eric Johnson meets a Emo band from the mid 2000s. I'm all over the place, musically, and like to be able to play, whatever I'm feeling at the moment.
Also, I like to write music in different tunings because I feel like it gives me a different palette to paint with and I'm inspired, differently. There are riffs that just sound "better" in certain tunings ( I won't get into the music theory reasons) and sure, you can transpose any song but is it going to sound "right"? maybe, maybe not, maybe the vocals won't work in a certain tuning but will in a lower tuning, etc, etc.
I think if you're wanting to go lower, like B standard or something, than you're going to need an extended range guitar or more strings, otherwise, strings are going to get quite floppy on a lot of guitars. You lose a certain bit of playability, the lower you go, too, on most standard range guitars. So, the lower the tuning, the less "shred" you'll be doing.
Subbed! I think I've come back to your channel 3 times now, it's time lol. Really like your talking points here, I always learn something new. Thank you!
Just invested in a 7 string Jackson with 26.5 inch scale length for Drop G tuning. Never done this tuning on a 7 string guitar as I never owned one, until now – this should be fun and interesting
I personally like 6 tunings: Eb standard/Drop Db, C standard/Drop A# for 6 string and B standard/Drop A for 7. I'm experimenting to F standard or Drop F for the 7.
I recently swapped to G# F# B E G# C# to learn some Conjurer songs and it's been a lot of fun. I stopped using drop tunings like drop C or drop B in favour of C# standard and A# standard but this weird Conjurer tuning has made me think of my own riffing quite differently.
pros: you're no longer in a standard tuning
cons: you're no longer in a standard tuning
The biggest downside is that its not Drop G.
Drop C is the lords tuning.
What band were you in brotha?
I’ve been playing in Drop C for many years.
will wood reference?
''theres people who play in nines (guage) and they play in e flat'' not sure what point your emaking here but most people in e flat use 10s still, i think 9s should be the standard for e standard personally, or at least custom 10-9s half and half sets, that said i go all over the place in my custom sets, i can go down to drop b before it gets unplayable ???? i do have a floating trem tho so that helps even out the tension
With only one guitar I always felt like I had to stay in Drop D most of the time so I could play most songs. Now I just got a 7 string and bought strings for Drop G, which is like the Drop C of 7 strings and it’s awesome.
Aw, it's like the cutesy version of drop G.
Drop C and C standard are my shit
I've always been averse to tuning down. The idea of tuning down seemed more tedious than anything. I like alt tunings, but usually do something drastic. For example, I have a gretch setup just for F#-A-C#-E-G#-B, which is very fun, but also nowhere close to standard. D or c standard always seemed redundant. Recently however I started playing in C standard and some drop Bb (I know this video is about drop c, but I'm just generalizing about tuning down) and it's never been more comfy. I love thick strings. I started on upright bass, playing on strings that could support a suspension bridge, so fat strings make me feel more in control. Since getting my guitar setup in c standard, its been great. Nice fat strings, but so much less tension. I've never had a more comfortable playing experience.
TL;DR Tuning down is so much more comfortable, especially if you like your strings thick
D standard and B standard are the best tunings, since you also have a C tuning and A tuning with them, and those are imo best tunings overall
I used to play a lot in drop C and drop A (sometimes drop B). In my acoustic I use D standard or open D.
Drop C is so good, my guitar is always in drop C probably because I love metal, but its a great tuning to get a good melody along with the chunk!
Top G Tuning
I used to love drop C and it was my main tuning , but ive recently joined a 90’s cover band. Most of my stuff is standard and E flat. Our lowest stuff is C# (limp bizkit)
Pros: it's the best tuning, my cat said so
Cons: there are none, don't argue with the cat
I prefer a 7 string in Drop A.
Breaking benjamin is in drop c. I play in drop c
didnt know andrew tate could play guitar lmao