Take This Trip

I have a couple of extended family members that have a rocking little cover band. They've asked to fill in on some dates. So, the other night, I went and rehearsed with them. One thing they do is, they tune down a half step. So, on guitar, the E string will be E flat, the A string will be A flat etc. Tuning down like that loosens the tension on each string and, because there's less tension, the feel of the guitar under your fingers is really different. I don't a good way to describe it; it's more slinky, more greasy. It just has a looser feel, not in a bad way. You play different. A lot of flamboyant guitar players did this trick like Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen and Stevie Ray Vaughan. If you want to emulate any of those guys, the first thing you have to do is tune down. It's really a big part of their respective sounds. When you do this to a guitar that's been in standard tuning for a while, it takes time for the guitar to acclimate. And, if you go back to standard tuning, same thing in reverse. So, for these two vamps, I left my Strat in the lower tuning and built loops around it. It feels and sounds way different to me. Let me know if you notice any difference.