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Baritone Guitars, Part 2 of 3: Creative Uses and Why Every Songwriter Should Have One

The baritone guitar isn’t just a novelty item for niche genres or extreme tunings—it’s a versatile tool for songwriters, arrangers, and performers looking to break musical boundaries. In this post, we’ll examine how to best use a baritone guitar, from rhythmic foundations to melodic leads, across genres from metal to ambient pop. We’ll also discuss how baritones can enhance songwriting, live performance, and even help recordings stand out in the mix.

The Sonic Role of a Baritone Guitar

Before diving into genre-specific applications, it’s essential to understand what a baritone guitar can do sonically.

A baritone guitar lives between the traditional guitar and bass registers. This “middle ground” gives it power, presence, and flexibility. It can:

  • Reinforce low-end without doubling a bass part
  • Add percussive punch to rhythm parts
  • Deliver ominous, droning melodies
  • Offer fresh chord voicings due to the altered string tension and pitch

In short, it’s a bridge instrument—and one with enormous potential.

Baritone in a Band Setting: Integration Without Conflict

One common concern: won’t the baritone clash with the bass?
Not if it’s used wisely. Here’s how to make it work:

1. Know Your Frequency Space

Baritone guitars typically sit between 60–400 Hz. That overlaps with both bass and standard guitars, so arrangement is key.

  • Avoid overly bass-heavy tone settings—cut some low end
  • Use midrange-friendly pickups (P90s or articulate humbuckers)
  • Dial back gain to prevent muddiness

2. Use for Texture, Not Just Rhythm

Baritones don’t need to play rhythm guitar roles. They’re great for countermelodies, droning notes, and arpeggios that run parallel to standard parts.

3. Tuning Considerations

Use contrasting tunings to avoid clashing. If your rhythm guitar is in Drop C, try keeping the baritone in B standard and writing in parallel motion.

4. Live Setup Tip

Run your baritone through a separate amp and EQ it like you would a bass guitar—cut around 250–350 Hz to eliminate muddiness, and boost around 800 Hz for attack.

1. Best Uses by Genre

Metal and Heavy Rock

In metal, baritone guitars are often used for:

  • Low, tight rhythm riffs that retain clarity at aggressive gain levels
  • Drop tunings without the intonation issues of standard guitars
  • Djent and sludge tones, where precision and power are key

Bands like Gojira, Mastodon, and Periphery have incorporated baritones or extended-scale instruments to brutal effect. The baritone maintains definition in tunings like B Standard or Drop A, where a normal guitar would flub out.

Songwriting Tip: Use baritone for rhythm guitar and standard guitar for lead to create contrast and fullness.

Indie, Alternative & Post-Rock

Baritone guitars offer a new flavor in alternative genres:

  • Layer shimmering chords with dark overtones (think Failure, Hum, or Nothing)
  • Use clean delay and reverb to build ambient textures
  • Create melodic hooks that sit between guitar and bass

In shoegaze and post-rock, a baritone can anchor a song’s structure while traditional guitars wash over it.

Arrangement Idea: Try looping a baritone arpeggio and building layers on top with standard guitars or synths.

Country, Americana, and Surf Rock

The baritone was born here. In these genres, it’s great for:

  • Twangy leads that echo western movie scores
  • Doubled basslines with extra punch
  • Chord stabs that punch through a mix, often drenched in spring reverb

Players like Duane Eddy, Brian Setzer, and more recently Daniel Donato have used baritones to add bite and low-end presence without overloading the arrangement.

Recording Tip: Pan a baritone rhythm part to one side and a standard guitar to the other—it opens up the stereo field in a beautifully gritty way.

Ambient, Experimental, and Cinematic Music

In ambient and film-style composition, baritone guitars are a goldmine:

  • Extended range is perfect for slow, brooding drones
  • Heavily modulated effects (reverbs, shimmer, granular delays) turn simple chords into moving textures
  • It blends beautifully with synths and strings

Baritones are heavily used in modern scoring by artists like Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross and ambient players like Chihei Hatakeyama.

Composition Idea: Use an Ebow or volume pedal with a baritone tuned to B minor for instant dystopian dreamscapes.

2. Creative Uses in the Studio

Layering and Doubling

One of the most effective ways to use a baritone is for doubling guitar or bass lines:

  • Double bass lines an octave up for punch
  • Layer rhythms beneath standard guitars to thicken choruses
  • Stack chords in octaves for cinematic swell

Writing in New Tunings

Lower tunings force you out of standard chord shapes and riff patterns. That disruption is often the start of a new idea.
Try this:

  • Tune to B standard and play familiar shapes—you’ll get entirely new voicings
  • Write in Drop A for easy power chords and crushing riffs
  • Explore open tunings like Open C or Open A minor for instant mood shifts

Creative Songwriting With Baritone Guitars

A baritone guitar can instantly change your creative process. Here’s how to harness it:

1. Rethink Chord Shapes
Basic shapes sound deeper and more open due to the lower pitch. Try:

  • Moving familiar power chord shapes to new root notes
  • Playing major and minor shapes higher up the neck for clarity

2. Capo It Up
Use a capo on the 2nd or 3rd fret to get back closer to standard tuning feel but keep the tone depth.

3. Hybrid Picking and Fingerstyle
Use hybrid picking on a baritone to bring out melody within chords. Especially effective in Americana, ambient, or prog.

3. Integrating a Baritone Into Your Band

Whether you’re in a three-piece rock band or a seven-piece indie group, a baritone can help in various ways:

  • As a rhythm guitarist: Fill in low-mid range, freeing up the bassist for more melodic movement
  • As a second guitar: Alternate standard and baritone parts for dynamic contrast
  • As a solo act: Use a baritone to combine rhythm and melody in a fuller-sounding arrangement

Live Setup Tip: Use a clean amp with lots of headroom (like a Fender Twin or Matchless) to let the baritone’s depth shine without getting muddy.

4. Tuning Guide and Applications

Let’s look at common baritone tunings and songs/styles they suit best.

B Standard (B-E-A-D-F#-B)

  • Most common
  • Great for metal, post-rock, alt-country
  • Songs to Try:
    • “Passenger” by Deftones
    • “Vicarious” by Tool
    • “Beautiful Ones” by Suede

Drop A (A-E-A-D-F#-B)

  • One of the heaviest, easiest riff tunings
  • Ideal for djent, hard rock, sludgy doom
  • Songs to Try:
    • “Oblivion” by Mastodon
    • “Bleed” by Meshuggah (7-string but mimics baritone range)
    • “Tempest” by Deftones

A Standard (A-D-G-C-E-A)

  • Ultra-low, warm and brooding
  • Great for ambient and score work
  • Songs to Try:
    • “Cicatriz ESP” by The Mars Volta
    • “Plainsong” (reinterpret with deeper chords)

C Standard (C-F-A#-D#-G-C)

  • Common in post-hardcore, grunge, sludge
  • Also used for stoner rock with fuzz-heavy tones
  • Songs to Try:
    • “Heaven and Hell” by Black Sabbath
    • “Dragonaut” by Sleep
    • “Them Bones” by Alice in Chains (drop variations)

Open Tunings

  • Open A minor (E-A-C-E-A-E) – Ambient & cinematic
  • Open C (C-G-C-G-C-E) – Post-rock, acoustic baritone

Top Pedals and Gear Pairings for Baritone Guitars

Baritones respond differently to pedals. Here are top choices:

  • Overdrive/Fuzz: EQD Hoof, Walrus Ages, Horizon Devices Precision Drive
  • Delay/Reverb: Strymon BigSky, Walrus Slöer, EarthQuaker Dispatch Master
  • EQ: MXR 10-Band EQ – essential for sculpting baritone tone
  • Compressor: Keeley Compressor Pro or Origin Effects Cali76 – evens out the heavy string response

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Using light strings – Causes flabby, unstable tone.
2. Running into small amps – You’ll lose definition and power. Use full-range cabs or bigger headroom amps.
3. Skipping EQ – Low tunings build up fast in a mix. High-pass around 80–100Hz, carve out 300Hz if muddy.

When to NOT Use a Baritone Guitar

Baritone guitars aren’t for every track. Consider skipping them when:

  • You’re stacking multiple rhythm guitars already
  • The bass player is using extended range or effects-heavy tone
  • You want a jangly or bright tone (baritones lean dark and moody)

Use them intentionally for impact, not just novelty.


5. Why Every Songwriter Should Try a Baritone

Even if you never take it on stage, a baritone guitar is one of the most inspiring tools you can own. It allows you to:

  • Break away from routine shapes
  • Develop contrasting parts for arrangement depth
  • Push your creativity through tone and feel
  • Add instant “weight” and vibe to any track

Think of it as the sonic equivalent of switching from oil paints to charcoal—it still tells a story, but in a different voice.


Baritone guitars aren’t just for niche players or heavy bands. They’re compositional secret weapons, perfect for expanding your sound, unlocking new riff ideas, and building lush, layered arrangements. Whether you’re chasing thunderous riffs, cinematic drones, or just a new way to write, the baritone deserves a seat at the table.