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What’s new at Zystrix? Read on… June 09, 2025 Guitar Tunings for the Metal Guitarist In the last issue we looked at the best bang-for-the-buck guitar strings for metal (click here for a refresher). This time we’re looking for the best guitar tunings for the metal guitarist. Many are common, but some of the extra tunings listed here are interesting and you may want to try them for the extra creative spirit. So sit back and relax. Welcome to Zystrix, the heartbeat of the universe. Where creativity and free-thinking have more value than conformity. Background Artwork The colorful artwork that surrounds the edges of this website is invisible to many cell phone users. It’s included here for your enjoyment. Multiple copies are tiled together for a cohesive and seamless background seen all around this page. Enjoy. Guitar Tuning Introduction There are so many guitar tunings available that I’m sure a person could write a comprehensive book listing many of them. However, when a person starts playing guitar it’s nice to have an auditory starting point – a firm tuning foundation for your ear – before moving on to other guitar tunings. Most guitarists would probably agree that standard tuning would be the correct starting choice, although I can’t honestly say that’s the only choice. But to play with other musicians standard tuning may be the easiest place to begin. The advantage in knowing how you are tuned helps in knowing where you are going musically. It’s all about your ears. If your ear is used to hearing what the guitar should sound like when it’s in tune, or at the least a relative tuning or pitch point, then getting there is much easier. There are many recordings where the guitar is “out of tune” but it’s tuned to a relative pitch. Some musicians, especially purists, are more sticklers on this relative tuning notion, but to me if it sounds good it is good. Besides, if you have the note A-440 memorized – if you can hum it – you are well on your way to a guitar tuning foundation in your head. Of course, modern guitar tuners do this job very well and to have it memorized may seem useless, but if it’s in your head you are farther ahead of the game, and then you can also tune your guitar on the fly in a live situation. Here’s a pop quiz… OK, let’s hear you hum the note A. No cheating. Did you do it? When standard tuning and relative tuning becomes embedded in your auditory memory then it’s much easier to tune quickly and move on. And all that being said, for guitarists standard guitar tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E) is a wonderful place to start. Once you have this tuning in your head, so you can roughly tune a guitar without a tuner (although using a tuner is nice too), then you are ready to experiment. And experimentation can be exciting. Most guitarists use standard tuning as a starting point for their sound, and how you approach the instrument (tuning included) has a large bearing in how people perceive your music. On another note, many people hear what they see, and so bands often take advantage of this fact by dressing to the tune. Surprise. Anyway, let’s move on to some of my favorite tunings. Try them in your DAW. Maybe they’ll become some of your favorites too. Guitar Tunings for the Metal Guitarist Standard = E-A-D-G-B-E As I said, this tuning is a great starting point for learning guitar. There are many variations on this theme like tuning all strings ½ step lower (D flat standard Ala Jimi Hendrix) or D standard (D-G-C-F-A-D) all the way down to B standard (B-E-A-D-F#-B). If you’re tuned that low you may want to consider heavier gauge strings to avoid sounding like your guitar strings are too flabby or loose. Another easy but cool variation on this and one of my old time favorites is tuning the third or G string an octave lower for some strange and unpredictable solos and bends. Hawaiian slack key or drop D = D-A-D-G-B-E I know this may come as a surprise, but this tuning can even be found in 200 year old classical guitar notation including Carulli (1770-1841), Carcassi (1792- 1853), and my favorite, Fernando Sor (1778- 1839). It is basically standard tuning with the low E tuned an octave lower than the 4th or D string, and it’s an excellent start for a lower guitar tuning of the same string tuning intervals. Many guitarists use this tuning with all the strings a half step lower to D-flat (Ala Van Halen) (Db-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb) or even lower to a C (C-G-C-F-A-D) (Killswitch Engage, Periphery), and even lower yet to a B (B-Gb-B-E- Ab-Db) for a massive metal sound. This tuning also makes 5th chords easier because all you have to do is bar your finger over the lowest three strings on any fret and rock. So that’s it for the more traditional metal guitar tunings. Let’s experiment with some other cool ones... Non-Traditional Metal Guitar Tunings You May Enjoy Open D Tuning = D-A-D-F#-A-D This tuning is common in folk, old acoustic blues, and old country, and it also offers some interesting options in metal. It lends itself not only to the bass line but to the melodic aspects of a composition. This tuning can also be down-tuned (Ala Blind Willie McTell) for a massive chordal effect. If you prefer an interesting darker variation tune your guitar to D minor (D-A-D-F- A-D) instead of D major. And tune that down a step or two and write some serious demonic funeral music. “Alas, poor Yorick”. Open G Tuning = D-G-D-G-B-D This is another tuning that’s common in folk and old acoustic blues. Keith Richards uses it a lot (Rolling Stones) as did Robert Johnson. This tuning is great for slide guitar and also lends itself to bass and melody types of playing. Like above, you can play darker stuff by tuning down to the minor version (D-G-D-G-Bb-D), or tune it even lower by a step or two. This tuning tends to sound huge. Open E Tuning = E-B-E-G#-B-E This tuning is great for slide and for some interesting solo sounds. Duane Allman used it to great effect as did other southern rock guitarists. For a long time I had no idea how some of the solos were so complex to play until I stumbled upon this tuning. And then it hit me – an ah-ha moment – and it was instant gratification. And this one also works in a minor tuning (E-B-E-G-B-E). Tune all the strings down a step or two to create even more music with painful massive psych-med dread. Nashville tuning = E-A-D-G-B-E This strident and happy sounding tuning is basically standard tuning with the low E, A, and D strings replaced with the same gauges as the first three strings, and then those three strings are tuned an octave higher. Chords played in this tuning are very full and bright, and solos become very interesting and unpredictable because of the sudden octave change at the 4th string. I’m not sure how this tuning would fit in a metal situation except that the solos would sound unpredictable, and they’d be tough to figure out. Byzantine tuning = D-A#-D-G-B-E This tuning has been one of my favorites for the last three years, and I keep a guitar tuned to this all the time. It’s excellent for playing all the notes in the Byzantine scale with the option of any open strings for drone. If tuned down at least a whole step it can sound downright evil with strange guitar solo note choices if you stay within the scale confines. But that’s the trick; staying within the confines of the scale. The Byzantine scale I use is in C# and it’s C#-D-D#-F#-G-A- A#, and the guitar is tuned ½ step down from the above open string tuning to accommodate these notes. Click to hear Dangerous Neighbors using the Byzantine tuning. Guitar Tunings Conclusion Using other guitar tunings is a great way to venture out away from your home tuning, and they definitely expand your guitar experience. Use them to create intense powerful riffs, adventurous solos, aggressive slammin’ chords, and rumbling low end that makes the speaker cabinet beg for mercy. Different tunings can make the mundane same-old-same-old seem new, it can get the creative juices flowing again, and it can make a real mood difference with your own original iconic heavy sound. When tuning lower you may want to use heavier gauge strings, although for me I prefer a plain instead of a wound third string, and nothing ever thicker than an eleven for my first string. But that’s just me. And if it turns out that you are the type of guitarist who uses a lot of different tunings, be prepared to tote around a lot of different guitars. Ah yes, exposing the nightmares of different tunings for stage use. Anyway, I hope this short tuning list has given you the inspiration to take the time to try them all, because different tunings can add lots of different sounds and emotions. And unlike pedals and other guitar gear, tunings don’t really cost anything. Don’t touch that dial… Stay tuned next time… We’re going to look at guitar picks for the metal guitarist, and there might be some you never thought about. Maybe I’ll see you then. I always use my step-ladder because I never knew my real ladder.

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ZYSTRIX POPULAR FREE DOWNLOADS The Best Free Synthesizers of 2024 It’s another epic issue, and there’s lots of FREE downloads here. And the Honorable Mention Synthesizer List might surprise you. This list is long, so prepare yourself. And if it seems like too much to take in, I warned you. Click here for the official list of The Best Free Synthesizers of 2024. The Best Free Mastering Plugins Your DAW (digital audio workstation) will be so happy. And so will you. Here are the best of the best for EQ, compression, limiting, tube and tape emulation, reverb, delay, and honorable mentions. This list is a must have with lots of downloads. Check out The Best FREE Plugins for Mastering 2024. Here’s a free download of almost one and a half hours of original neo-classical solo piano by Dangerous Neighbors. This full length album called Piano Top to Bottom consists of 18 original piano pieces with the final piece in two movements. There is a bonus track making 20 files total. 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