What's your take on 1/2 step down tuning ?

[Louis]

It's been a few  times now I go on stage with a group and I can feel,right away the tuning is not concert and some  times I'm in the bottom barrel to get the song done, and what saves me is I have 3 octave range, one time a guitar player started a song off in the wrong key, and apologized and told me he didn't know how I pulled through it .  When I get off stage  I say "what the heck are you tuned to"? and they say "we go down cause it's easier on the jammers ".  I tried to go down a 1/2 step like some do but it's not working very well and find myself having to capo up  and it's basically a pain so I'm gonna go back to standard tuning. 

[Earl]

Louis, I have some guitars that really like to be tuned down a whole step - they just come alive.  I put mediums on those, and drop by one-half step (Eb) or more often a whole step (D).  But I make sure to capo two and let others know that I am NOW at standard pitch and announce the key.  Tuning a whole step makes certain songs much easier for me to sing as I get older.  I have a two octave plus two note vocal range, from low F on the bass string up to an A (fifth fret on the first string).  More reliably I have a two octave range, from F to F, but if I am warmed up the extra notes come back. 

It is easy enough to capo up one or two frets, but if you are tuned differently, you have to transpose on the fly - it's hard to "capo down".       
Having played my 416 baritone a reasonable amount, I'm slowly getting used to thinking in terms of other keys and shapes.  But nothing is easier than following another player's hands on an unfamiliar tune.  It was unkind of your friends to not tell you in advance they are not tuned to standard.  Surprise!!  Now you know to ask ahead of time.  It gets nearly impossible if they tune to something other than A= 440 Hz.  Then you are not a discrete half-step off, but something in between.

[DupleMeter]

I hear you...

I tried the whole 1/2-step down thing (some call it A-415, some call it "baroque standard"). I have some guitars that absolutely love the lessened tension and really react well. My problem is that I'm a professional musician, and tuning down was a headache when I did pick-up gigs or any other situation where I had to read a chart (like studio sessions). Constantly transposing up the half step was annoying. So, I went back to standard tuning and haven't looked back.

I suppose if you're just paying for yourself or in controlled situations it would be fine...it doesn't work for me, even if some of my guitars really like it.

[Edward]

Hey Louis,

You're a fortunate and skilled man to have that kind of vocal range, friend!  I'm not so fortunate   I'd personally prefer to play everything in standard, but have to --have to-- go to Eb on some tunes (SRV, Tom Petty, Bon Jovi come immediately come to mind).  For me, my strat and 616 are the dedicated Eb guitars.  It just works for me.  But man, if I could hit the highs comfortably (and soundly!), I'd keep em all in standard, to be sure

Edward

[Guitar Cowboy]

My K26 pretty much lives  is Eb. It sounds great and its for those songs I cant quite hit vocally in standard tuning.

[Louis]

In this months Wood and Steel there's an article on Barritone 8 strings . I wish I understood these guitars cause if it could improve what I as a solo vocalist I would get one. At the Taylor show in Calgary last month I forgot to ask how these are a benefit , cause I just don't get it .

[warsmokeeagle]

In this months Wood and Steel there's an article on Barritone 8 strings . I wish I understood these guitars cause if it could improve what I as a solo vocalist I would get one. At the Taylor show in Calgary last month I forgot to ask how these are a benefit , cause I just don't get it .

The baritones are tuned B-B instead of E-E. So if you play an E chord on a guitar in standard tuning, you hear an actual E chord. If you hold the E chord shape on a baritone guitar, you hear a B chord. Hold a G on a baritone, and you're actually hearing a D. everything on a baritone is a fourth lower. Make sense?

[DennisG]

In this months Wood and Steel there's an article on Barritone 8 strings . I wish I understood these guitars cause if it could improve what I as a solo vocalist I would get one. At the Taylor show in Calgary last month I forgot to ask how these are a benefit , cause I just don't get it .

The baritones are tuned B-B instead of E-E. So if you play an E chord on a guitar in standard tuning, you hear an actual E chord. If you hold the E chord shape on a baritone guitar, you hear a B chord. Hold a G on a baritone, and you're actually hearing a D. everything on a baritone is a fourth lower. Make sense?

The benefit of all that is twofold:  1) In cases where your voice simply can't find a comfortable range on a standard-tuned guitar, and capoing up or transposing to another key aren't really good options, a baritone guitar will often provide just the place where your voice fits perfectly.  If, as you say, you have a three-octave range, then that might not be crucial to you.  And 2) A baritone guitar will simply provide a different sound, sitting as it does about halfway between a standard-tuned guitar and a bass.  Variety, after all, is the spice of life.  Or so they say.

[Louis]

Well I get it more now , but sure doesn't sound like its some thing a guy brings to the average jam session ha . Gonna have a serious look into them I think .

[Craig]

Variety, after all, is the spice of life.  Or so they say.

No, that's just an excuse to buy another guitar 

Craig

[Louis]

God your an intellegent young lad cause that's pretty well true ha

[Cooperro]

I tune my GS down a whole step to help my voice. A side benefit is it's easier on my aging hands