Drop D...the worst thing that ever happened.

[Darin]

Ok, here's the story. My daughters player guitar and bass. They have friends that "play" instruments. So one of them is moving, a drummer kid. And they have a party yesterday. Everyone was supposed to bring there guitars and amps and "jam". Except, pretty much all the kids that play guitar only know how to D tune and use one finger.. on any fret. So of course jamming is out of the question, because they have no concept of what a Key is. My daughter knows a few scales, and how to play in key, but that's impossible with guys who get a LP copy, D tune, turn their cheap little combo all the way up, and play..nothing. The very coolest thing that happened was, eventually they all scattered. One kid who could almost play guitar, picked up the bass. I had him play a simple typical dropped D riff. This girl. 12 years old gets on the drums, and finds a groove. Unbelievable. So now I have a groove, a bass guitar playing in just one key, and I can start building around that and making music. Ohh it was a beautiful thing. The boy that was playing drums before, knew one double kick beat, and only how to hit as hard as he could. It was horrible. The girl wasn't strong, so she didn't play loud. After that song wore off. I started playing something different, she listened, took a moment and found a beat that fit. She's a natural and gifted. It was a major treat to watch her playing. As an older player myself, it's great to see young people that can make music, beyond just noise.
I've offered free guitar lessons to anyone that will take them. I just want to get these kids (12 to 18yo) a simple foundation of understanding of music, keys, and playing what 'fits'. And it wouldn't kill them to learn a few minor chords.

We drove away, and my daughters who play with me every Sunday in our worship band at church, were all equally frustrated with newbies that can't play. But have gear that's too loud. And think they can play. And it's ll the fault of the Drop D tuning and the index finger. arrrgh

chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka chunka chunka ckunka pleeeeaaasssseeee make it stop!!!


Of course, the flip side is. Drop D gets guitars in the hands of people that might otherwise be frustrated having to learn actual chords. Hopefully long enough to gain a genuine interest in guitar playing to move past the Drop D.


Thoughts?

[CalledToArms]

i agree and disagree. there are some cool chordings that are easier to make in drop tuning and can be used to make some good music (im thinking deftones 'white pony'/'around the fur' era). However in general, yes the kids I see using low string drop tuning (whether it be C drop A#, or E drop D etc) are usually the ones who are compensating for having a hard time fingering real chords.

[Darin]

I'm not saying you can't make music with drop "open" tuning. Just that it's too darn easy for a kid to think he is.

[IbanezFreak777]

Personally I wouldn't worry about Drop D tuning, any young musician who ends up sticking with learning the guitar and doesn't quit for the next new fad, will end up either getting lessons or just want to learn more than the Drop D 1 finger chords.

There will always be the select few kids who end up learning more and more and growing. the morons who don't, usually don't end up musicians. Music isn't about the easy way its about pushing yourself beyond your current capabilities and wanting to also.

Although it worked for Kurt Cobain, and look where it got him.

just a joke people "relax"

[supermau]

I didn't discover drop D until many years into my playing. In fact, I was so ignorant that I didn't realize just how many alternate tunings are available for a long time.

I can see how that experience would wear down your nerves though. Hopefully those kids had fun. Maybe one of them will actually get it one day and become a decent player.

[kennydoe]

Let's just drop it, ok?

[andy7jem]

Originally Posted by IbanezFreak777

Although it worked for Kurt Cobain, and look where it got him.

LMAO

It's a bit silly blaming a tuning!! It's not the tunings fault

At least the kids weren't out trashing the neighbourhood or something

Kudos for offering the free lessons to the interested ones though

[richard1973]

and this is one of the reasons i got bored of seeing local bands. guitars become just a wall of noise with nothing of interest going on, and watching an index finger move to about 3 different frets isn't that interesting. But least it drowns out the awful singing that goes with it.

[jwoods986]

Plenty of terrible music has been made with standard tuning too -lol. I can think of some great stuff in drop D:
RATT - You're In Love, Lay It Down
Rush - Stick It Out
RATM - Killing In The Name

And if you take it down a half-step to drop Db:
VH
Alice In Chains

But I hear you, it shouldn't be the only way you play. You should know your chords in standard tuning and how to play in key. Kudos for offering them free lessons!

[Inzane]

Originally Posted by jwoods986

Plenty of terrible music has been made with standard tuning too -lol. I can think of some great stuff in drop D:
RATT - You're In Love, Lay It Down

I gotta find some TAB for those songs. I was listening to that RATT album just the other day... sure brings back memories. Ah... 80s hair bands FTW!

[Jemwielder]

dropped D is useful. I just don't think it should be the fundamental base on which a kid learns guitar. I try to shy away from open tunings when possible. When I play slide I occasionally drop my High E down to D. That or when I'm messing around on acoustic are the only times I use open tunings.

[courtney2018]

I steer away from Drop D songs simply because I don't feel like hastling with the locking nut and retuning. I need to get a fixed bridge so that this would be easier to do.

[jb4674]

Kids these days have no concept of how music is made and all they want to do is play easy stuff and hang their guitars halfway down their legs. They don't bother to learn how to use standard tuning and, instead, take the easy way out so they can think they're playing something. Whatever happened to having a jam warmup session and its all played in the same key with everyone alternating different licks/solos, etc?

Jimmy

[Wild_Child]

Originally Posted by jb4674

Kids these days have no concept of how music is made and all they want to do is play easy stuff and hang their guitars halfway down their legs.

Err.. am I mistaken or was there something in the 70's called the punk revolution?

Some people want to play to look cool, and there aren't many instruments cooler than the electric guitar. You don't hear of downtuned, one-finger viola players, do you? Posers have been abusing the guitar pretty much since it's creation, if they don't want to take it seriously then that's not my problem.

There's been a lot of 'back in my day...' threads lately. Come on, guys

[CalledToArms]

And if you take it down a half-step to drop Db:
VH
Alice In Chains

they tuned their entire guitars down a half step tho not just the bottom string a la drop D tho correct?

I mean my band plays in C tuning but all the strings are dropped accordingly so chording is the same fingerings as standard just 2 whole steps lower