Learning notes on the guitar fretboard with different tunings easy? ?

Question

Well I have been playing guitar for almost 2 and a half years. I've been working hard on learning some guitar theory hoping that maybe that would open new doors and allow me to make up my own music more easily. Not that it really matters but I listen to a lot of heavy metal bands that use drop tunings . My fav (drop b). What I wanted to know is ; Is there any easier way to learn all the notes in a different tunning than having to memorize them? Perhaps Intervals or something? It seems unbelievable hard to have to memorize all the notes >__< when I like so many guitar tunings. If any one has any tips on how to make it easier or maybe some pattern or something familiar in all this mayhem ^__^ I would appreciate it very much.

Also I really have no problem with memorizing its just I was hoping on something to make it easier or maybe learn one tuning and relate that one to the other or something along those lines. I hope I made it clear.

Any websites or free programs that have good theory lessons for guitar would be much appreciated as well

Answer 1

only from my experience:

haven&#039;t found one. i play mostly in E standard, but have explored some open tunings, and i can&#039;t think of note names on the fly as i can in E. the two approaches i take are pretty straightforward.

1) just follow the notes right up the frets...takes time

2) more likely to use this...think of what the note would be if the guitar were tuned to standard, and then subtract (or add) the interval.

ie. low e string tuned down to &#039;B&#039; as you said. 10th fret would NORMALLY be a D, but because the string is tuned down a perfect fourth the new note is an A.

either way, it&#039;s not very quick. i think most people would find it a little time consuming to figure out every note for a piece in an alternate tuning if they were only really used to standard.

Answer 2

Well there&#039;s a few things you can do:

Try tunings where you drop the same, such as a 1/2 step down.  All the strings drop equal amount.  This will make it to where you can still use the Modes when creating stuff.  And all the Scales within Keys are going to remain the same, but they just move a certain # of frets down.  

Also alternate tunings can be whatever you want.  Even though it&#039;s not really your flavor of music, but Johnny Reznick of the Goo Goo Dolls has come up with some of the most unique, awesome alternate tunings.  Basically he&#039;ll tune the open strings to play the root note Major Chord of the Key he&#039;s playing in.  This allows all the open strings to be used.  It opens up a lot of options for complex chords and solo&#039;s.  

But when you do go to an uneven (drop strings at different stops) tuning, then you are alternating the the steps on the guitar, so things will change and there&#039;s no real trick to memorizing it.  You just have to realize what the scale looks like now, that you have messed with the tuning.