Taking Black Beauty's 'half a step down' advice
 

Was reading through a post yesterday from otis about Martin 00015m, and a guest called Black Beauty said that the 15 series sound fantastic tuned half a step down.

So I tried it last night on my Martin OMC15E - and it does seem to sound richer/sweeter and has more body, which I suppose is to be expected. I'm going to live with it for a few days and see how it goes. I'm liking it so far :)

I use a capo on many of my songs so if I think the semitone down key change doesn't sound right I can always just up the capo position by a fret.

A LOT of people play down a half step, been doing it for years, it even seems like a natural progression for players as we get older, easier on the fingers, easier on the voice............

It's funny when I have players over if we just fall into a song, all us older bucks will be tuned down a half step, and somebody younger hits that first chord in standard tuning..."ouch".

Glad you're enjoying playing down a half step, but it's nothing new, one of the older tricks for acoustic players, especially solo performers.

I've got a good friend that played in a band for 27 years. Sometimes they would all tune down a half step in the middle of a performance to save their voices, and if they were on a multi-night gig they'd start out that way. He says nobody ever knew the difference.

Thanks for the info rmyAddison and tamiller1952.
Feel a bit more comfortable with it now I know it's a pretty standard thing.

I only got back into geetar about 5 years ago and just didn't know that half step down tuning was a common practise.

Getting the feeling I'm going to stick with it because even when I use the capo a fret up if I want to play in the same key as before, the tone still sounds richer. Would that be because the strings are vibrating more with having lower tension?

The other 'benefit' is that the 'new' sound is quite inspiring for composing new tracks.

Onward and upward! :)

I tune two of my guitars half a step down to accommodate a singer I often play with. It's also cool to jam along tracks that were recorded with that tuning (plenty of bands).

But there are other situations where strapping on a capo on the 1st fret won't do -- so I've got guitars tuned standard as well.

I think the all mahogany guitars respond really well to the lower string tension. I often play my Martin 2-17 a full step down, it sounds so big, fat and warm :)

I think the difference in tone is because the string is not vibrating against the nut (plastic, bone, tusc, whatever, but soft(er)) but is vibrating against the first fret (hard metal). Many electric players use a brass nut to accomplish the same thing. I've been playing electric for over 40 years, just started to seriously play acoustic. Believe it or not, I've never used a capo before. I noticed a definite difference in tone using the capo. Always wondered how James Taylor got that tone - capo is the answer.

Oh yeah, first post on this forum for me, Hi everybody!

Not about guitars, but this thread reminded me of this. In the 60s, I spent some time in the studio with a major pop singer who was noted for his beautiful tenor voice. After the rhythm tracks were done, he and the producer would listen and map our three areas. When he recorded his vocals, one would be played slower, one faster, and one at speed. In this way he extended his vocal range by at least half an octave. Always wondered how he sounded live.
Brad

Lightning Hopkins usually was tuned down a 1/2 step. I keep my 00-15 there, but tune the others "regular".

1/2 step down for my 12-string is pretty much the norm for me. I've tuned some of my guitars down 1-2 whole steps with heavier gauge at times for variety. LOve the rich, rumbly fullness it brings—plus it makes it MUCH easier for me to sing along. :D;)

use Open "D" on my 000-15m with 12/53 Martin Marquis and the sound is resonate and full of sustain

Not to mention that my hearing is at least a "half step down" from where it used to be :D

:)When I was 18 -- so this is 46 years ago -- I bought a Harmony 12-string. The manufacturer said that it could not be tuned to concert pitch, that it needed to be tuned 3 or 4 half steps down. So I used this guitar tuned 4 half-steps down and I used a capo a lot, a pain on a 12-string, especially in those days.

Somewhere in the next few years I played a couple of Guild and Martin 12-strings that could be tuned to concert pitch, and I liked the brighter sound. I realize that not everyone prefers a 12-string at concert pitch, but for me, I liked it.

Consequently, I have tended to be stuck with the idea that tuning down means you have a cheap guitar. I know that's not the case for most people these days -- so please don't react. That was just my case 46 years ago. But ever since, I have wanted to have my guitars tuned to concert pitch, I suppose just to feel that I have finally escaped that restriction from that old Harmony -- which really was not a bad sounding guitar.

Recently at an AGF gathering I played a guy's 6-string guitar that was tuned 1/2-step down and I thought as I sang with it, whoa! that sure makes this song easier to sing. I thought, I wonder if I should be trying this???

I still haven't tuned any of my guitars down, but you never know... :)

- Glenn

Someone posted a similar tip last year which I followed and it's been great for me. My guitars sound richer and the string tension is lower as well. Plus, I can still capo, get standard tuning and make my guitar a shorter scale. I like the flexibility.

I actually find a whole step down more useful because when you put a capo on the second fret to come back to standard, the fret markers are in the correct places. And, if you want to do a song only down a half step (for singing purposes) you just capo on the first fret.