Hey everyone, I am really looking into building/starting to play a 7 string guitar. I was just wondering what that 7th string is all about? It seems like if you play drop D alot (which I do) you dont have to drop it anymore and just have the 7th string? Also how is chording once you have that extra string? I guess im just wondering how the jump is, as I really would like to make it. Thanks!
7 string basics.
- Thread starter rapfohl09
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I'd suggest you go to a local store and play one before you try and build one. They can be quite tricky to adapt to. I played one, didnt get on with it and never been back to one since.
It's mainly metal and shred players that play them, though I have seen jazz and fusion players use them too.
It's mainly metal and shred players that play them, though I have seen jazz and fusion players use them too.
TonyFlyingSquirrel
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R.
I've been playing 7 string for about 8 years now. The 7th string is an added low B. So, say for instance when you normally play and open D chord on your 6, now you want to beef things up a bit on that 3rd verse after the solo, take it down and octave & play a Low D by fretting the 7th string at the 3rd fret & doing a normal power chord.
That's how I made the transition. I started playing the 7 string just like a six, ignoring the 7th string until I got familiar with the wider neck and added string, then I started incorporating it into my songs that were written and recorded on the 6 string. Once I got to where it just felt natural to be on a 7 string all the time, I started writing more from the 7 string. It does take a bit of adapting, but one thing that I love about the 7 string that you do not get by simply tuning down is the added range, rather than transposed. It's not necessarilly for Dropped D as we know it. That requires tuning one string differently. This is added range.
I feel as comfortable and natural on a 7 string as I do a 6 string. I use it for a variety of styles too, so dismiss those misnomers about it's only good for music like Korn or Dream Theater. Think of it as adding 5 extra notes to your existing guitar, because that's really what it is about.
I've been playing 7 string for about 8 years now. The 7th string is an added low B. So, say for instance when you normally play and open D chord on your 6, now you want to beef things up a bit on that 3rd verse after the solo, take it down and octave & play a Low D by fretting the 7th string at the 3rd fret & doing a normal power chord.
That's how I made the transition. I started playing the 7 string just like a six, ignoring the 7th string until I got familiar with the wider neck and added string, then I started incorporating it into my songs that were written and recorded on the 6 string. Once I got to where it just felt natural to be on a 7 string all the time, I started writing more from the 7 string. It does take a bit of adapting, but one thing that I love about the 7 string that you do not get by simply tuning down is the added range, rather than transposed. It's not necessarilly for Dropped D as we know it. That requires tuning one string differently. This is added range.
I feel as comfortable and natural on a 7 string as I do a 6 string. I use it for a variety of styles too, so dismiss those misnomers about it's only good for music like Korn or Dream Theater. Think of it as adding 5 extra notes to your existing guitar, because that's really what it is about.
TonyFlyingSquirrel said:
Thanks for that, Tony. I've thought of getting a 7 string as there are times when I'm down on the open E chord and want to go down to a D then back to the E. All I can do on a 6 string is hit the A and D strings open, then come back to the E. A 7 string would give that D a much thicker sound. It seems a baritone neck might also give that option, albeit with much thicker strings.
I've thought a lot about 7 strings before too. I don't play metal or jazz, but as long as I don't put in EMG InfantBoiler pickups, no problems there. I wonder about the transition. I think I should be able to do it because I am comfortable on banjos, ukes, tenor guitars and the like. But of course, those have FEWER strings, not extras. Though the tunings are different and I adapt to that ok. So we'll see. I am definitely interested it trying it some day. Maybe one of the W 7-string carve tops. Those look pretty nice.
BUT I don't want a Floyd and I think those types of hardtails look ugly. So I am stuck!
BUT I don't want a Floyd and I think those types of hardtails look ugly. So I am stuck!
TonyFlyingSquirrel
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DocNrock said:
Although the Baritone 7 is a viable option for some, I haven't found that to be a need for me. I can still solo on the standard scale, whereas on a baritone it would be a little more difficult for me. I do have a Bari-Tele in the works, but it's primarily for songs that do not have solo's, and it's gonna be one of those quirky projects anyway.
I used to have a ESP/LTD H207, with a tunomatic, and on some songs I used to tune the Low E & B down a wholestep to D & A. I would finger a low B power chord on the second fret with the fifth (F#) on the 4th fret of the E string while the D and B strings would be fingered at the second fret. I called it "Double Drop" tuning, or as some refer to it, Dropped D/Dropped A. It served a purpose, and allowed me the full range of the instrument.
From what you can access from my soundclick and myspace link in my siggy, you can see that my music is not Korn, nor is it Dream Theater, yet the 7 string adapts to it well. I would just say, try it using the adaptation method I listed above, & experiment. Even if you don't end up writing on the 7 string, you can adapt it for use in your current repetoire by beefing up parts of songs simply by dropping the chords an octave, then going back to the standard playing method. It really adds the ability to change the dynamic of a song in a very unique way. It's not just for Jazz, Prog, or Drop-Core music. It can be used in anything. I use my 7 string all the time for Church Worship Music & it pairs up with a 5 string bassist quite nicely.
TonyFlyingSquirrel
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It makes total sense, 7 strings for the 7th day!!!
Wana_make_a_guitar
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Me and my friend thought it would be cool to have a baritone 7 string guitar and tune it close to bass guitar octaves, then have another one tuned to normal 7 string tuning and play some awesome solo at the same time.
TonyFlyingSquirrel
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I find the standard scale 7 string much easier to solo on, but the baritone is awesome for just rythym work.
I play seven-string a lot too. I like it for the hand positioning - it seems more comfortable to me on the top six strings, too. It forces what's called "classical" positioning, with your thumb behind the neck and your fingers coming down straight on top of the strings. There's a pretty strong tradition of seven-string jazz players going way back too, George Van Eps, Bucky Pizzarelli etc. I don't have a classical background or play "jazz", exactly, but I do try and keep track of two or three melodies at a time sometimes and the seventh string makes all that work better. Sooner or later some Atkins/Travis type picker will get ahold of one, look out.
I loaned a seven-string to a good country player I know and he said "It's like breedin' with three nuts" - so there. :hello2:
http://classicjazzguitar.com/artists/artists_page.jsp?artist=30
http://classicjazzguitar.com/artists/artists_page.jsp?artist=23
I loaned a seven-string to a good country player I know and he said "It's like breedin' with three nuts" - so there. :hello2:
http://classicjazzguitar.com/artists/artists_page.jsp?artist=30
http://classicjazzguitar.com/artists/artists_page.jsp?artist=23
TonyFlyingSquirrel
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I agree about the hand positioning reference.
I just got back from playing on the worship team tonite, and the only guitar I used was my 7 string, I had my TFS6 there as a backup, but the songs just lended more range to the 7 string.
I just got back from playing on the worship team tonite, and the only guitar I used was my 7 string, I had my TFS6 there as a backup, but the songs just lended more range to the 7 string.
