alternately-tuned basses?
 

I was thinking about sonic youth and how none of their songs (that I can think of at the moment) have bass that isn't tuned to standard. Then I started thinking about it some more and realized that I couldn't even think of a band (besides, like, Lightning Bolt) with bass that wasn't tuned to standard... anyone know why this is? Do basses not in standard just usually sound like shit?

Weird. I alt tune my bass all the time.

I watched Wendy Atkinson of Horde of Two (with David Lester of Mecca Normal on guitar) play a beautifully alternately tuned bass today at 1 PM on KPSU. It can be done if the bassist is into more than rhythm cliches. Hell, Chris Sqire did it in Yes at times...

Now that I'm thinking about it, there are definitely some alt-tuned basses in prog rock. Is the bassist in RUINS tuned to standard? I don't think so...

It's just not very prevalent, I guess.

Most bass players just play one note/string at a time, so I don't think there'd be much point to it, though there'll probably be exceptions. I've seen bass players tune down a tone or a semitone, though I don't consider that an alternate tuning.

Yep, same.

maybe Lou Barlow. He plays bass like a gtr.

a bass is tuned like a guitar

This

There's also the fact that bass players aren't really musicians.

But more seriously, what often surprises me is that you don't get more people using 'cello tuning (CGDA). Bigger spread, and easier for power chords. Doesn't really fit jazz too easily, but otherwise I'd say it was easier for most rock music. Unless a bassist can tell me why not. Obviously, I'll dismiss whatever they say because BASSISTS ARE NOT REAL MUSICIANS.

Actually, I've just realised it's because the bass guitar is modelled on the double bass, and the stretch for the double bass is pretty prohibitive when it's tuned in 5ths. Still, I can't see why that's a problem these days.

I use DADG on a few songs. not really "alternate tuning", but, hey..we have less strings than a guitar :p.
Glice, that could be also coz bass strings "respond" to different tensions differently from cello strings, and frets could give some problems too.
I'm not really a musician, btw...

Yeah, obviously, you'd need different gauged strings. I suppose the main thing would be a problem with distributing weight/ tension without a support strut - I presume that contrabass have an off-set sound peg in the sounding chamber, but I'm not entirely clear. But then, I'm presuming that, like the violin family, the neck of the electric bass sustains its tension with the strings, which it doesn't necessarily have to.

I use f#f#f#f#












not true.
I don't know any to be honest..sometimes I use the CGDG.

Mike Watt used different tunings didn't he? He must've, some of his lines sounds downright obtuse. The dude from Eloe Omoe also used some strange tunings I believe.

On the first song off contemplating the engine room he uses drop d

what do you mean by obtuse?

My girlfriend plays bass and she told me that the reason you don't hear much alt-tuned bass is because bass usually is used for the purpose of holding down the rhythm or holding down the melody (like Joy Division) and therefore most bands use it simply for that purpose, and it would be distracting if there was an alt-tuned bass in the middle of the other instruments.

I guess that's true, even if it's a bit obvious of an answer.

The more I thought about it... I think Girls Against Boys used alternate bass tunings (they had two bassists also).

black eyes?

Were those basses alt-tuned?

I'm really interested in bands with two basses. Ned's Atomic Dustbin had one great album, though you can barely tell they had two bassists. Then again, Black Eyes had only one good album (I thought Cough was TERRIBLE).

dos
and spinal tap had a song with three basses

haha.

I'm going to tune my bass to SLACK for my next album.

Dianogah

and yes, cough was pretty terrible.

not sure those ( BE basses) where alt-tuned, but it's possible...

yeah, I don't feel like editing old posts, OK???

SOME BOYS LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE

They had this one song that I thought was incredible, it was called "shut up i never" or something like that.

aaaaaaaaah and fuckin' MORKOBOT, adam! they're the shit!

you're really taking me back

im almost positive one of the songs on dirty had an alt tuning.

dude from morphine had a 2 string bass tuned to a fifth a think.

the bass on tom tom club genius of love is DGDG

usually there's no need to tune differently although some things are impossible to play in standard tuning

batreleaser:

Has anyone mentioned Rothko yet? They had 3 basses.

For the most part, Kim stays in standard tuning on her bass. However,
at times I think she tunes down to Drop-D (though I can't think of
any instances), and she uses F#F#GA on Drunken Butterfly

via chris lawrence i think.

I smtimes tune my acoustic bass to DADF# and a few other similar tunings, nothing to drastic. I accidentally bought some meaty heavy gauged strings a bit ago and warped the neck of it slightly, but it didn't seem to cause any long lasting damage after I put the correct gauge of strings on it.

I meant he STRUMS a bass as he would STRUM a gtr, which is not conventional bass playing at all,dumbass.

yeah but then it wouldnt need to be tuned differently would it?

velvet velvet spice rack started out with two bassists but when one of the guitarists left (to join Does It Offend You, Yeah?) one of the bassists moved over to th' lectrik geetar.

correct.

I often play chords on the bass so alternative tunings let me experiment in the same way as on the guitar.