Guitar Tunings Series - Part 4 (Drop A Tuning)

Drop A Tuning is an extremely low-sounding tuning that is used in metal. From standard tuning, the guitar is dropped 4 whole tones with the sixth string tuned down another step. The strings will be very loose and will most likely get out of tuning as you go higher down the fretboard, so you'll have to get your guitar intonated, (adjusting the length between the bridge and the body of the guitar)  Drop A is commonly played on a seven string guitar, but on a six string guitar there are several variants to drop A tuning. One common tuning is AADGBE, with the sixth and fifth strings an octave apart. This can be used play different types of octave chords, which can also make your power chords sound a lot fuller. British rock band Muse uses Drop A tunings in several songs. Other popular bands that use Drop A tuning include: A Day To Remember, Five Finger Death Punch,

Muse plays in Drop A Tuning in their song Liquid State. It has a metal feel to it with the muted, down-strum power chords, but most metal songs are slower. I like how the synth rolls alongside the guitar in the verses, it fills in the high range spectrum in the sound mix. Muse songs have a large sound to them -  these songs are meant to fill giant arenas and are written with hooks that are meant to be chanted by large crowds of fans.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of Drop A Tuning. I think it sounds sloppy, especially when it is mixed with heavy distortion and effects. If you want to play a guitar at such a low tuning, then why not buy a bass guitar? Mixers and engineers need to be careful when dealing with bands who play in Drop A, because chances are high that you'll be hearing a muddy mix (an unbalanced mix heavy in low notes) This problem can be fixed by boosting vocals in the mix, having guitar leads that utilize the higher end of the guitar neck, or adding synth riffs.