i played several times in open g, and i love it, but then i want to make a minor chord and aaaaaaaarggh.

I like:
DADABE
just tuning down one half step,
Sometimes dropping down to CADGCD

baritone with dropped A, basically
AEADf#A

I've got a short scale bass that's tuned like a uke: GCEA. The G string is at the top, but it's skinny, so it's pitched higher than the C. The strings are all wacky-slacky. Fun!

Big John wrote:Isn't that "Drop D" tuning

"drop D" refers to when you have all the strings tuned normal (EADGBE) and then you tune the 6th string one whole step (2 frets) lower. Then you're tuned DADGBE. It makes it so you can play power chords on the 3 lowest strings just by using a single finger instead or two or three. And the highest strings all stay normal, so your solos don't get all fucked up.

Drop-D has been really popular since at least the 90's, if not before then. Many of the modern metal kids use it, cause it makes heavy riffs with moving power chords a piece of cake. I use this technique for one or two songs on my baritone, but 90-smething percent of the time I just have it tuned normal. Guitar is a different story.

Wow I stand corrected. Good to learn something new.

I use DGCFAD most of the time, and tune my bass down to it. I play around with tunings on my cheap, old squier, but it can't hold more than standard.

My new thing, that I will likely roll with for awhile, is to simply drop the two E strings on a standard tuning, and then add a little extra detune on the high E.

this is a great thread i just wrote a load down, for my part, I always play bass tuned DGDG, i just got so used to playing guitar in, DGDGBD that it was easier to play like that when I switched back to bass. Guitar wise I like CGA*GA*C, and DAC*F*AD, although I have tended to find that once I start playing in those tunings I get a bit stuck on chord shapes and tend to write things that all start sounding the same, even with open G, I've just started doing the old DADGAD thing as well which I'm into for both fingerpicky stuf and some nice droney shoegaze things too.

I like to tune open to my voice, just hit a note and tune my lowest possible string to it. It's typically an open C.

I do worry about fucking up the truss rod and warping the neck, though.

my "clank" tuning


D Down
A normal
D normal
A down so it is flaping
A flat down just a touch
E normal

the lower end string are for big riffs as they are just drop D. I sometimes take that lower pitch 5th string and tune it to G. the higher pitched strings are for clanky/leads and riffs that sound kind of off. Just baring the bottom 3 strings with a overdriven amp can get you some very weird sounds.