Earliest instance of down-tuning...

[LogicalFrank]

A lot of people would say Sabbath but I got that beat by over seventy years. Also sprach Zarathustra had the double bass detuned to C in 1896. Is Strauss the father of heavy metal?

[mortlock]

what the hell are you trying to say..

[yesca]

it cant be! nooooooooooooooo!!

[LogicalFrank]

what the hell are you trying to say..

I just thought it was an interesting bit of trivia. I know some later 20th century composers used some odd tunings and instruments but it never occurred to me that people were doing it before that even. I am sure there examples before what I mentioned as well.

Also Sprach Zarathustra is heavy as balls too so it's pertinent to this forum. The nineteenth is the heaviest century if you ask me. Just look at this shit:

[giantchris]

Thought Wagner had a special gigantic bass made that required two people to play for some of his pieces.  Although technically that might not be down tuning.  Just a big fuckin contrabass.

[mawso]

drop D is fairly common in classical guitar

[jibberish]

well it would have really only been for tuneable string instruments.  that really narrows the field. couldnt downtune the band with th eharpsichord or horns..."ahhh good sir, may i purchaseth cello strings for my lute?"

btw, also sprach is the "2001 theme" for those of you who dont go much beyond sabbath and e wiz etc (which is 99% a good thing anyway) truly a heavy piece.

[justinhedrick]

there are tons of classical pieces where the guitar is tuned to D, sometimes even C. of course, i am remembering this from when i was 12 and taking classical lessons, so specific song names are escaping me.

[I,Galactus]

This Iommi/Strauss heavy metal godfather conflict is the kind of thing that can only be resolved by moustache-off:



VS

[LogicalFrank]

I think Iommi wins the mustache war.

[justinhedrick]

i don't know. i like strauss's "evil cartoon moustache".

[Hemisaurus]

Strauss looks like a not very butch dyke in that pic, there must be beyter surely, and we should be looking at 70's Iommi, not modern day Iommi.

[Hemisaurus]

[clockwork green]

Thought Wagner had a special gigantic bass made that required two people to play for some of his pieces.  Although technically that might not be down tuning.  Just a big fuckin contrabass.

Wagner was always trying to get as much low-end as possible.

Cello's are already tuned to C and in 5ths so they're natural metal machines.

[Hemisaurus]

Cello's are already tuned to C and in 5ths so they're natural metal machines.

Has anyone listened to that? I think the stories around it being made are pretty strange too.

[liquidsmoke]

Did anyone playing rock do it before Iommi? That is the question.

[justinhedrick]

Did anyone playing rock do it before Iommi? That is the question.

link wray.

[liquidsmoke]

What the hell is this thing? I'm quite anti-war but it's awesome.

[Hemisaurus]

Looks like a civil war battleship.

[giantchris]

Thats a civil war battleship...Think they were called Ironclads.  Just like in the game Civilization.

[justinhedrick]

Thats a civil war battleship...Think they were called Ironclads.  Just like in the game Civilization.

yes, they are called ironclads. every time i see one I think of this song:

[Jor el]

The construction of Detroit's Renaissance Center with Deodato's jazz-funk version of also sprach:

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=h6RlUsi_-ZA

[crunkhero]

Thought Wagner had a special gigantic bass made that required two people to play for some of his pieces.  Although technically that might not be down tuning.  Just a big fuckin contrabass.

That was the octobass, built by JB Vuillaume.

[Isabellacat]

Cello's are already tuned to C and in 5ths so they're natural metal machines.

Has anyone listened to that? I think the stories around it being made are pretty strange too.

I've got that 8-track!!!! Except mine's the Quad version in the red case..

[Hemisaurus]

Wow! Do you have a player for it too?