Guitar Players: Have You Tuned to A432hz?

I've got something to add here as a vocalist and lead guitarist/keyboardist that I dont think many realize.

There are some nights on a tour where the singer has a cold, sore throat etc. And that makes it hard to sing those screaming high parts without killing your voice further.

So, by tuning down to D-(E/D A/G D/C G/F B/A E/D) youre able to play all the right chords and "licks' and "hooks" to a song so to one watching...it looks as though its the normal E chord etc. Un-beknown to the audience, all the songs are down a whole step and appear visually to be "just like the recording". Its done all the time.

After say 20 or so years of screaming...some nights singers need a little help, you know?!!

Ever gone to a concert, sang along and thought "Hey! I could never sing it like that before?" Now you know why. It was dropped either a whole or 1/2 step.

First video...Nazis were "against nature?" Would that be the same Nazis who planted trees along the Autobahn and were against smoking? Not saying they were good people, just think they may have been more natural than that video claims.

Second video is cool, but what does it prove?

Not much science here.

mysterioustranger
I've got something to add here as a vocalist and lead guitarist/keyboardist that I dont think many realize.

There are some nights on a tour where the singer has a cold, sore throat etc. And that makes it hard to sing those screaming high parts without killing your voice further.

So, by tuning down to D-(E/D A/G D/C G/F B/A E/D) youre able to play all the right chords and "licks' and "hooks" to a song so to one watching...it looks as though its the normal E chord etc. Un-beknown to the audience, all the songs are down a whole step and appear visually to be "just like the recording". Its done all the time.

After say 20 or so years of screaming...some nights singers need a little help, you know?!!

Ever gone to a concert, sang along and thought "Hey! I could never sing it like that before?" Now you know why. It was dropped either a whole or 1/2 step.

edit on 09-22-2013 by mysterioustranger because: grammar

WHISTLE BLOWER!!! We can't just divulge all our secrets...

exdog5

mysterioustranger
I've got something to add here as a vocalist and lead guitarist/keyboardist that I dont think many realize.

There are some nights on a tour where the singer has a cold, sore throat etc. And that makes it hard to sing those screaming high parts without killing your voice further.

So, by tuning down to D-(E/D A/G D/C G/F B/A E/D) youre able to play all the right chords and "licks' and "hooks" to a song so to one watching...it looks as though its the normal E chord etc. Un-beknown to the audience, all the songs are down a whole step and appear visually to be "just like the recording". Its done all the time.

After say 20 or so years of screaming...some nights singers need a little help, you know?!!

Ever gone to a concert, sang along and thought "Hey! I could never sing it like that before?" Now you know why. It was dropped either a whole or 1/2 step.

WHISTLE BLOWER!!! We can't just divulge all our secrets...

Is that also why when you see a live show a lot of the songs will be uptempo like 4bpm? I think increasing tempo creates the illusion of a higher pitch.

reply to post by exdog5

Sorry! Please dont kill the messenger! When I was on keyboards with some bands (and before there were transposers on keyboards)...it made me a better player to play something normally in "E" Major..dropped to Eb (Flat) Major! Even when I was playing guitar. You could tune the guitars down whole and half-steps sure. But the keyboardist would be "flying by the seat of his pants!".

Also..with horn bands...songs in the key of say "C" Major, are for them in "Bb Major". That'll make you a better player for sure....

But, we have digressed from the original topic here...but thanks!
MS

reply to post by mysterioustranger


Y'all can talk about whatever you want on threads I make.

Sometimes conversations break out, and that's what I'm here for anyway. If someone starts talking about the price of produce in inner cities on a thread I make about underground military bases, then at least they're talking! (resisting temptation to insert square smiley)

I've made noise and music with a guitar for 45 years. Most of what you are all talking about with the frequencies is unfamiliar to me, but just in case it makes a difference, I've had a lot of fun with DADGAD tuning. Also, CGEGBD and DGCGCD, the former which Michael Hedges used and the latter which Jimmy Page uses(d) for The Rain Song.

There you have it.

I just had something interesting happen. When I got home from work this evening I tuned my guitar to A/432. It sounded okay - it wasn't all that heavenly sounding. But the weird part is this... My guitar has a Floyd Rose bridge with a locking nut. I played it for a little while in 432 tuning and then I put it down and had some dinner. I went back in and the thing was way out of tune, and I when I checked, almost all the strings had retuned themselves back to 440. The high E was in perfect pitch to 440 tuning, as were a couple other strings. The rest were pretty close. It's as though the guitar has been used to 440 tuning for so long that it has a memory. I know that is unlikely, but it was weird just the same.

reply to post by ScientiaFortisDefendit


Did you tune it down to A432 with the fine tuners, or did you unlock?

I don't use floating bridge systems any more. As a sort of discipline. I just couldn't not freaking throw a dive bomb in like, everywhere. I had to cut myself off. I've even only picked up an electric about 3 times for 15 minutes to an hour in the last two years. I got an acoustic and haven't gone back yet. But floaters always just seemed more hassle than they were worth to me.

reply to post by Mon1k3r


Concerning which 'standard' pitch to adopt, I strongly recommend sticking with A440, the international standard. Makes life easier for everybody.

Concerning the 'conspiracy', it doesn't exist. There was a thread about it recently, on which I posted this.

reply to post by Mon1k3r


There is no "magic frequency", "magic tuning" or "magic note".

Most people have relative pitch, they don't even know if you've tuned to slightly below the standard. Only people who truly have perfect pitch would ever know, anyway (and there are very few who have perfect pitch).

As has been previously noted, tuning down can help singers who are having "off" days.

reply to post by argentus


I like to play with DADGAD and do a lot of Steven Stills stuff with drop D.

Try C,G,C,G,G,E, and play something like

reply to post by Mon1k3r


Or, for a different example of what can be done with that tuning,

reply to post by Astyanax


Beautiful!

I did not know that. This just made the set list!

reply to post by Mon1k3r


I unclamped, tuned down, rinse, repeat, then fine tuned. The guitar just did not like it. I had to tune it up/down about 8 times before clamping. Then it went back to 440 anyway.

I hear you about the floating bridge. I have had this guitar for about 30years. The bridge is that old, too but is still 9.5/10. They made those right the first time. My next build will be a hardtail strat, definitely. I started out on them and I barely use the whammy these days, although I do use in on occasion. I use Warmoth, by the way. I build the guitar from their body/neck.

reply to post by Astyanax


Very true Nazi's are not to blame for us using 440hz, it was implemented prior to nazi germany

reply to post by exdog5


Haha No doubt, but, who else but musicians are going to understand that or even read this thread? I think its safe to say our guarded little secret is pretty safe here \m/

reply to post by Mon1k3r


Yes, great, isn't it? Argentus mentioned it before, though.

reply to post by Mon1k3r


I think there might be something to it. A couple of years ago I bought a Line 6 Pocket Pod and was using it to tune my electric guitar. I noticed one day (when fiddling with the knobs) that I could change the Hz, but the default number it was always on was 432Hz. When I used other standard tuners I found I really disliked the sound of it, so now if the option is there I tweak the Hz on tuners.

Astyanax
reply to post by Mon1k3r

 

Concerning which 'standard' pitch to adopt, I strongly recommend sticking with A440, the international standard. Makes life easier for everybody.

Concerning the 'conspiracy', it doesn't exist. There was a thread about it recently, on which I posted this.

That is a really great post.

Everyone reading this thread would probably be interested to read it.