# Which 7 string bands play in BEADGBE normally?



## mEtAlORc (Aug 17, 2007)

Off the top of my head, i can only think of dream theater, maybe amon amarth as well. 

I'm looking mainly for 7 string songs in standard tuning. thanks


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## telecaster90 (Aug 17, 2007)

All Shall Perish


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## sakeido (Aug 17, 2007)

Amon Amarth don't play 7s, they play Gibson Explorers. I have never seen them without an Explorer, actually.


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## Naren (Aug 17, 2007)

Unearth, Mercenary, and Scar Symmetry all play standard tuned sevens (BEADGBE).

And, as sakeido said, Amon Amarth play sixes.


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## distressed_romeo (Aug 17, 2007)

Steve Vai's sevenstring material is all in BEADGBE if I remember correctly, as is Adagio's.


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## Metal Ken (Aug 17, 2007)

Hypocrisy does. When they play 7s. A Lot of times, Peter uses a Gibson tuned to B, other times he actually does use a 7 string. it just depends. If you catch them on the "Hypocrisy Destroys Wacken" DVD you can see him with an all black 1997 Universe.


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## musicboyy (Aug 17, 2007)

Epica


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## spinecast213 (Aug 17, 2007)

as if anyone gives a shit, my band spinecast does. all of our recorded material is in b standard.

although i now play in dropped a


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## Desecrated (Aug 17, 2007)

just transform them to your tuning


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## Rick (Aug 17, 2007)

Flaw
Through The Eyes Of The Dead
Apartment 26(RIP)


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## Loomer (Aug 18, 2007)

Emperor.

And Atheist, Cynic and Pestilence


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## ZeroSignal (Aug 18, 2007)

Lacuna Coil (my favourite band).


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## Rick (Aug 18, 2007)

Gizmachi.


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## jaredowty (Aug 19, 2007)

Jag Panzer, I'm pretty sure...


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## Metal Ken (Aug 19, 2007)

jaredowty said:


> Jag Panzer, I'm pretty sure...



Chris Broderick does. the other guitar player tunes to drop D.


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## Clydefrog (Aug 19, 2007)

Metal Ken said:


> Chris Broderick does. the other guitar player tunes to drop D.



How does THAT work?


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## Mastodon (Aug 19, 2007)

Uhh...why wouldn't it work?

It's only one string, and they don't have to play the same thing as each other all the time.


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## Naren (Aug 19, 2007)

Mastodon said:


> Uhh...why wouldn't it work?
> 
> It's only one string, and they don't have to play the same thing as each other all the time.





When I was in a band with TDW on this forum, he played a seven in FCGCFAD and I played a six in EADGBE. How would THAT work? If you had heard our music, you probably would have thought, "Wow. That's impressive stuff there" and would no longer wonder how it works. It's similar to playing two different instruments together. A piano and a guitar are not in the same tuning, but they can play together. Or what about a saxophone or a flute or a harp?


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## zimbloth (Aug 19, 2007)

It definitely can work, it can be really fun and cool. I personally would be really annoyed if my other guitar player didn't play in the same tuning as me though. Doubling up on rhythms sounds really cool sometimes  

[action=zimbloth]knows you can play 4th chords which sound lower but it's not the same [/action]


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## Naren (Aug 19, 2007)

zimbloth said:


> It definitely can work, it can be really fun and cool. I personally would be really annoyed if my other guitar player didn't play in the same tuning as me though. Doubling up on rhythms sounds really cool sometimes
> 
> [action=zimbloth]knows you can play 4th chords which sound lower but it's not the same [/action]



Yeah, it really depends on the band. In my current band, it wouldn't really work if we didn't use the same tuning because we have a lot of songs with parts where the rhythms are doubled up or where we're playing certain parts in complete unison, which wouldn't work in a different tuning. However, in the band I was in with TDW, 80% of the time I was playing something different from him. And, even when we were playing the "same" thing, we were oftentimes playing it an octave apart. With tunings that desperately different, even playing something at the same pitch isn't going to sound the same as when playing it in the same tuning.


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## Aris_T (Aug 20, 2007)

Loomer said:


> And Atheist, Cynic and Pestilence



Cynic never used 7 strings. Even in the reunion tour, Paul used a modded headless guitar and the other guitarist a Jackson 6 string.

Dream Theater use standard tuning with the 7 strings


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## mEtAlORc (Aug 22, 2007)

which songs of steve vai does he play a 7 string? i know in FTLOG but anyone can play it with a 6 string too?


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## Axel (Aug 22, 2007)

Novembre  

...the first Aghora album haha


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## VforVendetta00 (Aug 22, 2007)

Axel said:


> Novembre
> 
> ...the first Aghora album haha



hahaha! shameless plug right there!


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## Aris_T (Aug 22, 2007)

mEtAlORc said:


> which songs of steve vai does he play a 7 string? i know in FTLOG but anyone can play it with a 6 string too?



Well, he uses the 7 string for riffing. Check the fire garden suite.


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## Metal Ken (Aug 22, 2007)

Aris_T said:


> Cynic never used 7 strings. Even in the reunion tour, Paul used a modded headless guitar and the other guitarist a Jackson 6 string.
> 
> Dream Theater use standard tuning with the 7 strings



He was implying you can play them in standard 7 string tuning, cause theyre in... standard tuning on a 6


Also, the band AEON uses standard 7 string tuning in their blasphemous hymns.


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## Aris_T (Aug 22, 2007)

Metal Ken said:


> He was implying you can play them in standard 7 string tuning, cause theyre in... standard tuning on a 6.



Eeeemmmmm, sorry... I just couldn't see the use of a 7 string for a song that's written for 6string standard tuning. Unless he means that you can transpose from E to B, so that you can play new, heavier versions.
Either way, my bad.


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## Naren (Aug 23, 2007)

Aris_T said:


> Eeeemmmmm, sorry... I just couldn't see the use of a 7 string for a song that's written for 6string standard tuning. Unless he means that you can transpose from E to B, so that you can play new, heavier versions.
> Either way, my bad.



Why would you want to transpose from E to B? 

I've done a lot of Metallica covers on my seven string, but I don't transpose the E down to B or the A down to E. I like how sevenstrings allow me to play songs in their original key. If I wanted to play them in B, I could do that with a downtuned sixstring.

My current band has a lot of original songs that are in B, E, A, C#, D, F#, G, and so on. The sevenstring allows me to play a variety of songs in different pitches. There are 2 songs that we sometimes cover for fun in practice, both of them originally played on standard-tuned sixstrings and we play them in their original keys on the same frets they were played. Sure, we don't use the low B string at all in those songs, but they wouldn't sound the same if you played them lower or higher.


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## Metal Ken (Aug 23, 2007)

Aris_T said:


> Eeeemmmmm, sorry... I just couldn't see the use of a 7 string for a song that's written for 6string standard tuning. Unless he means that you can transpose from E to B, so that you can play new, heavier versions.
> Either way, my bad.



Why not? If you can play it on a 6, you can play it on a 7 ;p


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## Aris_T (Aug 23, 2007)

Ok, to make myself clear.
The thread subject was "Which *7* string bands play in BEADGBE normally?"
All I wanted to say was that Cynic isn't a 7 string band. Neither are/were Atheist & Pestilence.


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## Naren (Aug 23, 2007)

Aris_T said:


> Ok, to make myself clear.
> The thread subject was "Which *7* string bands play in BEADGBE normally?"
> All I wanted to say was that Cynic isn't a 7 string band. Neither are/were Atheist & Pestilence.



True, but I have met a lot of people on this site who hear a band playing in B standard on six-strings and assume that they are playing standard-tuned sevens. This is, of course, an incorrect assumption, but it is a common enough mistake.

I don't really know too many 7-string bands. Of the ones I mentioned and can think of: Unearth, Scar Symmetry, Mercenary, Dream Theater, Nevermore, some songs by Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, Vince Lupone (on this forum) as well as his band: The Asylum... I can't think of much else. Most of the bands I listen to play on six-strings with a variety of tunings (standard, one step down, drop D, drop C, B standard, C standard, etc.).


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## Digital Black (Aug 23, 2007)

Symphorce
Planet x


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## Benzesp (Aug 23, 2007)

Transgression FF is in B...


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## Unknown Doodl3.2 (Aug 23, 2007)

Naren said:


> True, but I have met a lot of people on this site who hear a band playing in B standard on six-strings and assume that they are playing standard-tuned sevens. This is, of course, an incorrect assumption, but it is a common enough mistake.
> 
> I don't really know too many 7-string bands. Of the ones I mentioned and can think of: Unearth, Scar Symmetry, Mercenary, Dream Theater, Nevermore, some songs by Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, Vince Lupone (on this forum) as well as his band: The Asylum... I can't think of much else. Most of the bands I listen to play on six-strings with a variety of tunings (standard, one step down, drop D, drop C, B standard, C standard, etc.).



Nevermore has always been half a step down


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## Naren (Aug 23, 2007)

Unknown Doodl3.2 said:


> Nevermore has always been half a step down



Sorry. I don't listen to them, but I assumed they were in standard. My mistake.


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## distressed_romeo (Aug 24, 2007)

I'm pretty sure Linear Sphere tune to standard on their sevens, but I'd have to check. Tom Kopyto mainly uses standard tuning, but drops his low B down a tone on some songs.


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## soldierkahn (Aug 26, 2007)

Lacuna Coil
Ra
Trapt
Flaw
Devildriver
Coal Chamber


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## MerlinTKD (Aug 26, 2007)

Trapt uses 7-strings? I didn't think they did when I saw them, but granted, that was... 4 or 5 years ago?

Apologies, I have nothing constructive to add to the thread


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## Mattayus (Aug 26, 2007)

I dont think Devildriver use 7s do they? i thought they were just on 6s tuned B, F#, B, E, G#, C#?
Which is funny, because i thought Unearth did that too, until i realised they play 7s lol


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## sakeido (Aug 26, 2007)

Devildriver plays sick ESP custom 6 strings


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## CasualFitzy (Aug 28, 2007)

Ohh Ohh no one's said Pagan's Mind yet.


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## soldierkahn (Aug 29, 2007)

yeah Trapt uses sevens for their first record (watch them perform Headstrong live, and youll see his ESP MH207) but for their second album "Someone In Control" he becamse a pussy and just detuned to drop A for "Stand Up".


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## zimbloth (Aug 29, 2007)

soldierkahn said:


> yeah Trapt uses sevens for their first record (watch them perform Headstrong live, and youll see his ESP MH207) but for their second album "Someone In Control" he becamse a pussy and just detuned to drop A for "Stand Up".



What do you mean "became"? It's Trapt we're talking about here


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## soldierkahn (Aug 29, 2007)

true, but if you single out his guitarwork, the first album was pretty on point and complex at the same time. it just seems that he wanted to be lazier this time around on SIC. I hold him and Einzeger from Incubus pretty high on the technical skills totem pole, but we all have our opinions, lol.


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## mEtAlORc (Aug 30, 2007)

Unknown Doodl3.2 said:


> Nevermore has always been half a step down



What tuning is Psalm of Lydia in ? It can't be half a step down (A#) ...


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## CasualFitzy (Aug 30, 2007)

mEtAlORc said:


> What tuning is Psalm of Lydia in ? It can't be half a step down (A#) ...



I learned the first lead from that based off the loomis demonstration and it's a half step down.


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## Groff (Aug 30, 2007)

CasualFitzy said:


> I learned the first lead from that based off the loomis demonstration and it's a half step down.



Actually I believe the Psalm of Lydia is played on his 6 string, which is in C# standard.

On the guitar one videos he plays his 7, but when I saw them live, he did whip out his old Warmoth 6 string for a few songs.






I love that guitar


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## kmanick (Aug 30, 2007)

Psalm of Lydia is tune to standard Drop D but down 1/2 a step.
so is Create the Infinite and Seed Awakening.


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## CasualFitzy (Aug 30, 2007)

kmanick said:


> Psalm of Lydia is tune to standard Drop D but down 1/2 a step.
> so if Create the Infinite and Seed Awakening.



Ah alright.. didn't touch the 6th string on the lead so I didn't notice.


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## mEtAlORc (Sep 1, 2007)

TheMissing said:


> Actually I believe the Psalm of Lydia is played on his 6 string, which is in C# standard.
> 
> On the guitar one videos he plays his 7, but when I saw them live, he did whip out his old Warmoth 6 string for a few songs.



so for these .. 



is he just not using the 7th string?


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## omentremor (Sep 1, 2007)

The James LaBrie solo album was all in standard, the godly Marco Sfogli plays on it.
Also a couple of Dino's tracks off Roadrunner United were


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## theROCKGOD (Aug 8, 2008)

Theres also Scar Symmerty and soilwork, both write mainly in standard 7-string tuning.


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## Naren (Aug 8, 2008)

theROCKGOD said:


> Theres also Scar Symmerty and soilwork, both write mainly in standard 7-string tuning.



Correct on one and incorrect on the other.

Scar Symmetry = 95% 7-string standard (the other 5% is drop A with one song in F#)

Soilwork = 6-string B standard (BEADF#B). They have never used 7-strings before.


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## Wiz (Aug 8, 2008)

I originally got a 7 so I could play a lot of my favorite material (originally played on downtuned 6s) on a standard tuning but then I realized that it really wouldn't work that well, mostly because of the open Eb or D that these bands play (and that you simply can't do properly by fretting the low B) and because of the high B string messing up chords or once again anything meant to be played unfretted.

In fact I came to the realization that it is practically impossible to avoid having multiple guitars for each tuning unless you own a steinberger or some other fancy scale transposition system, and even that never solves the dropping of the lowest string.


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