Usually if one guitar is in standard tuning, and the other guitar is in E flat, a quick fix is to put a capo on the 1st fret of the E flat tuned guitar to get into standard tuning. So now both guitars are in standard or base tuning.

This is only one remedy though. Another simple way, get two guitars! One in standard and one in E flat.

Baru rock star when you bring more than one guitars when jamming. Plus, it's an excuse to get a new guitar!

This is what you tell your significant other on why you need more than one guitar. Say that this particular guitar can only be tuned that way, and so on and so on!

Back to topic, I prefer standard or 'base' tuning for my guitar. Haven't learned to appreciate other tunings like Drop D or E flat.

But if you want to try drop D, play some songs from this band called "Billy Talent". The guitarist, Ian D'sa, is a genius when it comes to variations playing in drop D tuning. I highly recommend playing their songs like "Try Honesty", "surrender", "where is the line" and "the navy song" to name a few.

Hah! Finally found someone who also like Billy Talent!

To answer your question, it's better for the entire band to tune in the same key so they can play easier together as a band. You can mix up the two guitars one with standard and the other with drop D, but some chords can't be played on both guitars to have the exact tone and sustain. To illustrate:

Tuning: Standard

Emaj (bar chords)
e |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |---2-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A |---2-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E |---0-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

Tuning: Drop D

Emaj (bar chords)
e |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |---2-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A |---2-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |---2-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

So, if you want to play D#/E flat bar chord in drop D:

Tuning: Drop D

D#/E flat (bar chords)
e |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |---1-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A |---1-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |---1-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

The guitar in the standard tuning can't simply shift to the first fret like this:

Tuning: Standard

D#/E flat (bar chords) *Wrong way*
e |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |---1-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A |---1-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E |---0-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

As simply stated, the above is wrong way to play D#/E flat bar chord in standard tuning!

So the only way for the standard tuning guitar to play the same chords as per the guitar in drop D tuning is to go down one string, which is:

Tuning: Standard

D#/E flat (bar chords)
e |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G |------8-------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |------8-------------------------------------------------------------------|
A |------6-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Although the D#/E flat bar chord above is correct for standard tuning, you'll lose the heaviness of the tone if you had played it in drop D tuning.

The above is also the same for Bass tuning with a drop D guitar. Usually bass does not need to drop D since it can be substitute or replaced with a lower string, but again, you'll lose the heavy tone.

In the case of Billy Talent, the Bassist uses drop D tuning to get the heavy tones to match Ian D'sa's (Billy Talent's guitarist) guitar riffs.

Hope that helps!

Fuh, melampau the guitar tunings by those two guitarist! Will check the song out to hear how the guitar plays.

You should hear more billy talent songs. The guitar riffs are fun to cover.

This post has been edited by junky_man: Aug 19 2010, 02:11 PM