Drop C tuning
Drop C tuning can be used to refer to two different alternative guitar tunings:
- CGCFAD - The most commonly intended meaning of Drop C,[1][2][3] though the term is incorrect. This can be described as "standard D tuning with a dropped C", or "drop D tuning transposed down a whole step", where the entire guitar is transposed to the key of D, then the low D is moved down an additional whole step to C.[4] For usage and benefits, see Drop D tuning.[5]
- CADGBE - This is the technical definition of dropped C tuning - there is no other way to describe this tuning other than "dropped C", and it is achieved by taking standard tuning (EADGBE) and dropping the low E to a C.[6] This tuning is used by the band Muse on the song "Map of the Problematique". John Mayer also implements this tuning on his song "Neon". Coldplay use this tuning for their song "A Rush Of Blood To The Head" on their album of the same name.
Bands who have used CGCFAD:
- 12 Stones - e.g., "The Way I Feel", "Photograph"
- A Day to Remember
- Adelitas Way
- The Agony Scene
- Alter Bridge - on some songs such as "Isolation" [7]
- Anberlin
- Arsonists Get All The Girls
- As I Lay Dying
- Asking Alexandria
- At the Gates[8]
- Atreyu – on their song "Storm to Pass" [4]
- August Burns Red
- Between The Buried And Me
- Bullet For My Valentine
- Biffy Clyro
- The Black Dahlia Murder (only on the Unhallowed album)
- Black Stone Cherry
- Breaking Benjamin - On most songs from We Are Not Alone, as well as "Blow Me Away" and 3 songs from Dear Agony.
- Carcass[8]
- Children of Bodom
- Chimaira
- Converge
- Cradle of Filth
- Dååth[3]
- Darkest Hour
- Decyfer Down - On Crash
- Deftones - On White Pony
- Demon Hunter - On their self-titled debut album.
- Disturbed
- Dope[9]
- Drowning Pool (on most of Sinner, rarely used afterward)
- Dry Kill Logic
- Enter Shikari
- Escape the Fate
- Evanescence
- Evans Blue
- Five Finger Death Punch (On the song The Bleeding)
- Godsmack
- Gojira (on most of The Way of All Flesh)
- Go Radio
- Hatebreed
- I Set My Friends On Fire
- Ill Niño
- Kalmah
- Killswitch Engage[8][10]
- Lamb of God
- Lostprophets
- Lovehatehero
- Mastodon
- Metallica - On St. Anger[11]
- Miss May I
- Mudvayne - all albums since The End of All Things to Come and all live performances.
- Murderdolls - Since Women and Children Last.
- Nirvana - "Something in the Way" [12]
- Nickelback
- Nonpoint
- P.O.D.
- Papa Roach
- Periphery
- Pillar
- Poison The Well
- Prong
- Protest The Hero (On most songs off their debut album Kezia)
- Rammstein - On Reise, Reise, Rosenrot, on some songs from Liebe ist für alle da and on Mein Land
- RED - on some songs
- Brad Richter - on the piece "Flirtation"[13]
- Savatage - on the songs "Power of the Night" and "Hall of the Mountain King"
- Saving Abel (on Miss America)
- Seasons After
- Seether
- Shadows Fall
- Sick Puppies
- Skillet
- Skindred
- Slipknot - On Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.
- Slo Burn
- Stone Sour - On some songs from Audio Secrecy. These songs are played live in Dropped B tuning.
- The Sword - On "Freya"
- System of a Down[8] - On their self-titled album, Toxicity, Steal This Album!, Question! and Dreaming.
- Taproot
- The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
- Theory of a Deadman - also on live performances of songs originally in Drop B.
- Three Days Grace
- Thrice
- Trapt
- Zakk Wylde - with Black Label Society and during his later career with Ozzy Osbourne
References
- ^ Perry, Megan. Wired: musicians' home studios : tools & techniques of the musical mavericks. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 79. ISBN 0879307943, 9780879307943. http://books.google.com/books?id=qR_GKWABvkoC&pg=PA79&dq=CGCFAD+-wikipedia&hl=en&ei=ObTNToDhLsSMgwecz6m_DQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=CGCFAD%20-wikipedia&f=false. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
- ^ Guitar Player Magazine (1989). Jim Hatlo. ed. Hot Licks. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 101. ISBN 0881889105, 9780881889109. http://books.google.com/books?id=6onJiexCIqMC&pg=PT96&dq=CGCFAD+-wikipedia&hl=en&ei=ObTNToDhLsSMgwecz6m_DQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=CGCFAD%20-wikipedia&f=false. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
- ^ a b Emil, Werstler (7 August 2008). "Emil from Daath Talks Guitars". Roadrunner News. Roadrunner Records. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/EMIL-FROM-DAATH-TALKS-GUITARS-19424.aspx. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
- ^ a b Aledort, Andy (7 April 2010). "Atreyu: Prior Convictions". Guitar World. http://www.guitarworld.com/atreyu-prior-convictions?page=0,2. Retrieved 23 November 2011. "...drop C tuning, which is like drop D but with all of the strings down a whole step [low to high: C G C F A D]. Drop C sounds a little more brutal."
- ^ "Drop C Guitar Tuning: C G C F A D". http://www.howtotuneaguitar.org/tuning/drop-c/.
- ^ "Drop C Tuning for the Guitar". http://www.dropctuning.com/.
- ^ Freed, Nick. "Album Review: Alter Bridge – AB III". Consequence of Sound. http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/12/album-review-alter-bridge-ab-iii/. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
- ^ a b c d Cope, Andrew L. (2010). Black Sabbath and the Rise of Heavy Metal Music. Ashgate Publishing. p. 123. ISBN 0754668819, 9780754668817. http://books.google.com/books?id=AfdTGdVhp7AC&pg=PA123&dq=tuning+drop+OR+dropped+%22system+of+a+down%22+-wikipedia&hl=en&ei=tKnNToCbM4KKgwf4lM3kDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=tuning%20drop%20OR%20dropped%20%22system%20of%20a%20down%22%20-wikipedia&f=false. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
- ^ Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation (1 April 2002). Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation, Jeff Kitts, Brad Tolinski. ed. Guitar World Presents Nu-Metal. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 132. ISBN 4032879, 9780634032875. http://books.google.com/books?id=3VyrVOjMcOQC&pg=PA132&dq=%22dropped+c%22+guitar&hl=en&ei=9LvNTrrcEYWngweuoMmgBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CEQQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22dropped%20c%22%20guitar&f=false. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
- ^ Chamberlain, Rich (24 June 2010). "Justin Foley's Guide To Metalcore". Guitarist. http://www.musicradar.com/rhythm/justin-foleys-guide-to-metalcore-256595. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
- ^ Tolinski, Brad (18 September 2008). "James Hetfield: The Guitar World Interview". Guitar World. http://www.guitarworld.com/james-hetfield-guitar-world-interview. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
- ^ "How to play Something in the Way (Drop C) by Nirvana the easy way on guitar". actiontab.com. http://www.actiontab.com/actiontabs/something_in_the_way_drop_c_by_nirvana. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ^ Richter, Brad (3 October 2005). Brad Richter, Solo Guitar Collection. Mel Bay Publications. p. 6. ISBN 0786667443, 9780786667444. http://books.google.com/books?id=-jvQHT4mCCYC&pg=PA6&dq=%22dropped+c%22+guitar&hl=en&ei=9LvNTrrcEYWngweuoMmgBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CFMQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=%22dropped%20c%22%20guitar&f=false. Retrieved 24 November 2011.