27 Songs In C-Standard Tuning

“Comfortable Liar” by Chevelle

Tab

Chevelle is one of those bands that is a relic from the nu-metal/alt-rock era of the early 2000s. The band has a fairly heavy sound but utilizes more of a pop influence in the melodic vocal passages. 

During their heyday, Chevelle had the sound that many bands were striving to achieve. Their 2nd album, Wonder What’s Next, has most of their biggest hits, including the song, Comfortable Liar.

“Asteroid” by Kyuss

Tab

Before there was Queens Of The Stone Age, Kyuss was creating its unique brand of desert-influenced stoner rock. Because of Josh Homme’s involvement, you’re likely to hear some similarities in sound.

The song, Asteroid, begins with a low guitar passage that is both pensive and moody. Eventually, the track erupts into some straightforward riff-rock that combines single-string lines with power chords. 

If you’re an avid guitar pedal user, Asteroid gives you plenty of opportunity to stage a pedal freakout. 

“Riptide” by Sick Puppies

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The song, Riptide, by Sick Puppies, probably wouldn’t be the first thing you’d think of when thinking of C-Standard. This track plays more like a pop-punk song than what is usually played in this tuning.

Because of the nature of this track, any beginner can handle this without too many issues. 1-finger power chords are the norm here, but you will have to adjust the tuning of some strings beforehand. 

“A Nightmare To Remember” by Dream Theater

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Dream Theater is one of those groups in which even casual music fans know is full of world-class musicians. Every member is a virtuoso on their instrument in their own respect.

Because of this, Dream Theater is on many guitarists’ lists for songs and skills to aspire to. After all, John Petrucci is perhaps one of the biggest names associated with progressive metal.

A Nightmare Remember is a bit comedic, probably because the song is a nightmare to remember how to play. Its 16-minute track time is going to require you to remember what’s coming next in the song. 

“Sonic Titan” by Sleep

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Sleep’s album, Dopesmoker, might be one of the most iconic doom metal albums to ever be recorded. Just the album art alone is enough for anyone to easily recognize after seeing it only once. 

While the song, Sonic Titan, saw a new day with Sleep’s 2018 album, the track harkens back to Dopesmoker. Prior to The Sciences album, the only way to hear it was through re-issues of the Dopesmoker album.

“Venus Blue” by Acid Bath

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Acid Bath is a band that is known in certain musical circles, but whose music is hard to find. The group had only released 2 full-length albums during the mid-1990s. 

Venus Blue comes from their second album and is a sort of preview of how future music would sound. Imagine the sound of Creed mixed with some screaming elements from hardcore music and you’re not far off.

Kudos to you if you have this album sitting around. Unfortunately, this track might be too obscure for even semi-serious metal fans. 

“Skinny Love” by Bon Iver

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Bon Iver’s album, For Emma, Forever Ago, is the musical equivalent of Thoreau penning Walden in an isolated cabin. Even after all these years, the album is just as hauntingly potent as it was back in 2007.

Skinny Love is perhaps the most widely-known track on the album, even for casual listeners. As a song, it is almost a condensed soup of all the different characteristics present on this album. 

This track is one that uses a modified C-Standard tuning. In a way, it’s more akin to an Open-C tuning but fits here nonetheless.

Songs In C-Standard Tuning, Final Thoughts

If you’ve never played C-Standard before, you might notice something as soon as you detune your guitar. You might find that your trusted guitar just seems to feel completely different than it did in E-Standard. 

Detuning 2 steps on every string will decrease the string tension significantly. This has its benefits and its disadvantages as well.

If you wish to play primarily in C-Standard, it’s worth getting your guitar set up for the tuning. The guitar’s intonation and string height measurements will be off enough to notice.

Some people opt for a baritone guitar when playing in these lowered tunings. The baritone guitar’s slightly longer neck helps to accommodate the lower pitches without the slackened string tension.