List of Dream Theater Songs and Their Tunings

[jonny108]

Well done! Only had a quick skim through. Out of Reach is a fretless bass.

[TheCountOfNYC]

I remember hearing an interview with JMX where he said for Untethered Angel his whole bass is tuned up a half step (CFBbEbAbDb). I also think there's Chapman Stick on Blind Faith.

[Metro]

Well done! Only had a quick skim through. Out of Reach is a fretless bass.

Thank you!

I would assume that's still down 1/2 step on the fretless?

I remember hearing an interview with JMX where he said for Untethered Angel his whole bass is tuned up a half step (CFBbEbAbDb). I also think there's Chapman Stick on Blind Faith.

Fixed!

Do you have a source on Chapman Stick being on BF? I went back and checked the Making Of video for SDOIT, and I don't see JM playing it, nor does he play it on Chaos in Motion.
I did see him tinkering with it during the Misunderstood part of the video, maybe that's what you're thinking of?

[Metro]

Updated to the remaining AVFTTOTW songs.

Any ideas on what JM's tuning is on ATM? Standard?

[Max Kuehnau]

Updated to the remaining AVFTTOTW songs.

Any ideas on what JM's tuning is on ATM? Standard?

no, not standard on bass as he mentioned in a recent interview. He uses a capo on the second fret. I'm sure John uses the 8 string standard tuning though, since they both need the F# to play the piece.

[porcacultor]

Metropolaris, it may be a red herring, but on Sleeping Giant, when it starts going crazy at the 09:44-09:51 mark, Petrucci either pulled out the 8-string for an overdub (notice how it sounds a whole octave lower than the riff he had been playing up to that point, reaching the telltale F#1 of the 8-string in standard tuning) or he had played it for the whole song (which would be disingenuous, because he doesn't use the lower register on the song other than for those 7 seconds as far as I can tell).

Thanks again for all the work!!

[Metro]

Updated to the remaining AVFTTOTW songs.

Any ideas on what JM's tuning is on ATM? Standard?

no, not standard on bass as he mentioned in a recent interview. He uses a capo on the second fret. I'm sure John uses the 8 string standard tuning though, since they both need the F# to play the piece.

Interesting, thanks! Wonder if he'll just tune up a whole step when they play it live.

Metropolaris, it may be a red herring, but on Sleeping Giant, when it starts going crazy at the 09:44-09:51 mark, Petrucci either pulled out the 8-string for an overdub (notice how it sounds a whole octave lower than the riff he had been playing up to that point, reaching the telltale F#1 of the 8-string in standard tuning) or he had played it for the whole song (which would be disingenuous, because he doesn't use the lower register on the song other than for those 7 seconds as far as I can tell).

Thanks again for all the work!!

I hear what you mean. It's hard to tell, but I think it might just be the bass playing that low note.

[Metro]

.

[Lax]

Apparently I've hit the maximum number of characters for a post in the OP so I'll continue it here.

A View from the Top of the World
The Alien
Guitar: E A D G B E (E Standard, 6-string)
Bass: B E A D G C (Standard, 6-string)

Answering the Call
Guitar: B E A D G B E (Standard, 7-string)
Bass: B E A D G C (Standard, 6-string)

Invisible Monster
Guitar: E A D G B E (E Standard, 6-string)
Bass: B E A D G C (Standard, 6-string)

Sleeping Giant
Guitar: E A D G B E (E Standard, 6-string)
Bass: B E A D G C (Standard, 6-string)

Transcending Time
Guitar: E A D G B E (E Standard, 6-string)
Bass: B E A D G C (Standard, 6-string)

Awaken the Master
Guitar: F# B E A D G B E (Standard, 8-String)
Bass: C# F# B E A D (Standard, 6-string w/ capo on the 2nd Fret)

A View from the Top of the World
Guitar: B E A D G B E (Standard, 7-string)
Bass: B E A D G C (Standard, 6-string)

Thanks for this great work !
Maybe you can merge songs like WDADU etc that are in the same tuning to gain 1-2 album's spaceq

[Metro]

Time to dust off this old thread.

List continues here

[Metro]

Updated to include A Broken Man. Not sure about the bass tuning. Just cause JP is in D standard doesn't necessarily mean JM is as well. I'm open to suggestions, but we probably won't know for certain until they play it live next year.

[doctormeat]

Actually, the tuning for Panic Attack is Bb E A D G C with the D string tuned down to C for the bass intro.

Years late, but I think Panic Attack's just tuned a step down A D G C F Bb from live videos I've seen.91

[TheCountOfNYC]

Years late, but I think Panic Attack's just tuned a step down A D G C F Bb from live videos I've seen.91

I just watched a bunch of live videos (from 2005, 2008, 2015, and 2024) and it does look like he's playing his entire bass tuned down a whole step. I can't find any studio footage, but I've heard about two different tunings being used for the recording from multiple places, including my official Dream Theater bass tab book, so he either relearned the song with his bass tuned to ADGCFBb for live purposes or the studio tunings were incorrectly reported. If anyone close to the band could ask him about it that would be great, as now I need to know what the hell is going on.

[CraftyCaleb2483]

I just watched a bunch of live videos (from 2005, 2008, 2015, and 2024) and it does look like he's playing his entire bass tuned down a whole step. I can't find any studio footage, but I've heard about two different tunings being used for the recording from multiple places, including my official Dream Theater bass tab book, so he either relearned the song with his bass tuned to ADGCFBb for live purposes or the studio tunings were incorrectly reported. If anyone close to the band could ask him about it that would be great, as now I need to know what the hell is going on.

From what I know, one of the open strings has to be tuned to a C, the opening riff is practically impossible otherwise

[TheCountOfNYC]

From what I know, one of the open strings has to be tuned to a C, the opening riff is practically impossible otherwise

Yeah I know for a fact the D string is tuned down to C at least for the intro on the record, and video evidence shows the entire instrument is tuned down a whole step live, but the tuning he used in the studio is a mystery.

[Metro]

Interesting observations. I've looked at a few videos and he is definitely playing in A standard and has a separate bass for that tuning.
What's also interesting to me is that he doesn't use that same bass for These Walls, which JP plays in A standard. JM just tunes his main bass down to Drop A.

[TheCountOfNYC]

John Myung's alternate tunings have always been weird

[Jamesman42]

From what I know, one of the open strings has to be tuned to a C, the opening riff is practically impossible otherwise

Back when I was more into playing my bass, I tried to play PA in normal tuning by tapping the opening riff on the G string, holding my left finger on the 5th fret (C) (I have a 5 string). It's...not easy  but back then I didn't know better. 

Now I want to try it with the bass dropped down a whole step, I bet it will be smoother than what I was doing.

[Jamesman42]

As I Am
Bass: C E A D G C (Standard w/ lowest string tuned up to C, 6-String)

Yeah, just like Panic Attack, this makes things make so much more sense how to play. 

Cool thread.

[Metro]

Glad you like it! 
And yeah I think As I Am has to be played in that tuning because of the harmonics in the intro. You couldn't play them if the whole bass was tuned to C standard.

[DT89]

Guitar tuning for Midnight Messiah is C standard.

[TheCountOfNYC]

Glad you like it! 
And yeah I think As I Am has to be played in that tuning because of the harmonics in the intro. You couldn't play them if the whole bass was tuned to C standard.

Not the official tuning, but I tune my three lowest strings up a half step instead of just the lowest one like on the record so I can keep the perfect 4th interval between all of the low strings for easier fingerings on the riffs.

[Metro]

Guitar tuning for Midnight Messiah is C standard.

 

I'll once again the leave the bass tuning open until we see JM play it live.

[gzarruk]

Parasomnia
In the Arms of Morpheus

Night Terror
Guitar: E A D G B E (E Standard, 6-string)
Bass: B E A D G C (Standard, 6-string)

A Broken Man
Guitar: D G C F A D (D Standard, 6-string)
Bass:

Dead Asleep

Midnight Messiah
Guitar: C F Bb Eb G C (C Standard, 6-string)
Bass:

Are We Dreaming?

Bend the Clock

The Shadow Man Incident

According to a few reviews, the intro is the one with the 8 string.

[Metro]

Kinda odd that that's the only 8-string song. I know he didn't get the 8-string till the end of the View sessions so that's why there's only 1 song with it, but I really thought he'd use it more on the next album.

[Metro]

So now that the album is out and about for some people, anyone know the remaining tunings?

[Metro]

I added View and Parasomnia to the OP. I guess character limits aren't a thing with the recent forum update? Or maybe the limit is bigger? Anyway, it's all there now.

Shadow Man Incident is on 7 string, I'm pretty sure. I swear I hear a low A in there in the section starting at 13:06? Am I crazy?

[DT89]

It's worth noting that the intro of In the Arms of Morpheus is an acoustic in standard tuning with a capo at the 8th fret.

Dead Asleep is in Drop Bb (Bb F Bb Eb G C), a new tuning for JP. The capoed acoustic is in the intro to this one as well, but in Drop D.

Bend the Clock is 6-string standard.

The Shadow Man Incident is 7-string standard.

I'll have tab videos up later today!

[genome]

It's worth noting that the intro of In the Arms of Morpheus is an acoustic in standard tuning with a capo at the 8th fret.

Dead Asleep is in Drop Bb (Bb F Bb Eb G C), a new tuning for JP. The capoed acoustic is in the intro to this one as well, but in Drop D.

That's really interesting. I was trying to figure out if it was 7-String or baritone 6 Bb standard like Paralyzed. But it's neither!

[Metro]

It's worth noting that the intro of In the Arms of Morpheus is an acoustic in standard tuning with a capo at the 8th fret.

Dead Asleep is in Drop Bb (Bb F Bb Eb G C), a new tuning for JP. The capoed acoustic is in the intro to this one as well, but in Drop D.

Bend the Clock is 6-string standard.

The Shadow Man Incident is 7-string standard.

I'll have tab videos up later today!

Thanks! Just curious, how do you figure it's Drop Bb instead of Bb standard?

[Metro]

Well, it was nice while it lasted.
There is still a character limit, it's just bigger, and I hit it again. 

So Parasomnia goes here



Parasomnia
In the Arms of Morpheus
Guitar: F# B E A D G B E (Standard, 8-String)
Intro has an acoustic guitar tuned to E standard with a capo on the 8th fret
Bass: C# F# B E A D (Standard, 6-string w/ capo on the 2nd Fret)

Night Terror
Guitar: E A D G B E (E Standard, 6-string)
Bass: B E A D G C (Standard, 6-string)

A Broken Man
Guitar: D G C F A D (D Standard, 6-string)
Bass:

Dead Asleep
Guitar: Bb F Bb Eb G C (Drop Bb, 6-string)
Intro has an acoustic guitar tuned to Drop D with a capo on the 8th fret
Bass:

Midnight Messiah
Guitar: C F Bb Eb G C (C Standard, 6-string)
Bass: C E A D G C (Standard w/ lowest string tuned up to C, 6-String)

Are We Dreaming?
No Guitar or Bass

Bend the Clock
Guitar: E A D G B E (E Standard, 6-string)
Bass: B E A D G C (Standard, 6-string)

The Shadow Man Incident
Guitar: B E A D G B E (Standard, 7-string)
Bass: B E A D G C (Standard, 6-string)

[DT89]

Thanks! Just curious, how do you figure it's Drop Bb instead of Bb standard?

The intro is built around open F and C strings, several other riffs utilize open strings as well, like the keyboard solo riff and outro.

[Metro]

Now that they've played Midnight Messiah a few times, can anyone figure out what tuning JM is using?

[TheCountOfNYC]

Now that they've played Midnight Messiah a few times, can anyone figure out what tuning JM is using?

Watching a few videos, it's hard to tell since people never zoom in on the bass player when filming (welcome to my eternal struggle), but it looks like he's using the same tuning as he does on As I Am (CEADGC). Hopefully someone gets better footage of John Myung specifically on this tour to confirm, but this is the best I can tell for now.

[Metro]

The intro is built around open F and C strings, several other riffs utilize open strings as well, like the keyboard solo riff and outro.

JP confirmed that its Drop Bb tuning in this video
https://youtu.be/H2vy5dPd274?si=VC86_iCPFWSCr71M

Although the captions for the video say "raw deep loud" tuning