Drop D and low tunings

[user 7737]

Dropped D dates back centuries to classical guitar.

+1... of course !!! **** i'm completely amazed 'bout what i read here :shock:

a lot of bluesman used open d or stuff like that !! sonic youth use a lot of different tuning...

 

[Turumbar82]

You are totally correct about country people using baritones a lot. Jazz players are the ones who really got the whole seven string thing going for bigger chord voicings...not for heavy brutal riffs like people did later.

Classical guitar does us dropped D tuning a lot. I use it all of the time and I play classical a lot.

 

[eldi]

I was first made aware of drop-d through bands like Soundgarden & Helmet. Anyone remember Helmet? I can't imagine discussing the drop-d tuning without mentioning Helmet...

 

[user 7737]

Anyone remember Helmet?

oh yeah... souvenir, souvenir... :roll:

 

[martinluckhurst]

Neil Young in CSNY :lol: :lol: :shock:

+1 for that.

Ohio, The Needle & The Damage Done, New Mama and countless others.

The 80s/90s grunge era was partly influenced by Buffalo Springfield & Neil Young with Crazy Horse so it makes sense that they began to utilise this tuning.

ML

 

[carlsoti]

Thank you mikey383. I was about to go on a rampage to discuss how we came about "standard tuning" and about how Un-standard it really is.

As far as the OP's question, soundgarden's "outshined" lead the barrage as far as the MTV generation is concerned. That was pre "man in the box", pre-"Smells like teen spirit", (I know those aren't drop d songs, but they were the first big singles from either band) As far as musicians that play "heavy" music is concerned, Black Sabbath has the distiction of being the "first". Another interesting note, did you all know that Tony Iommi's first choice in guitar was the Strat? His pickups fizzled shortly before recording BS's first album, with no aftermarket PU companies existing at that time, he went to his "back-up" guitar, the SG.