Jump to content

Bands who tune down live, when is it too much?

fraroc

By fraroc,
in Music Of The Spheres

 Share

Recommended Posts

fraroc

fraroc

Posted
Posted

It should come to no surprise to learn that as certain rock musicans get older, sometimes their voice gets lower as a result of the aging process combined with not making an active effort to train your voice as it ages. And because of this, their bands will end up tuning down a half step or more to make singing easier. One positive aspect of this is that it could result in an overall heavier, more punchy live sound. On the other hand, sometimes the band could start to sound like this...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgRLLqYQh1Q

 

To you, when do you think it gets to the point where it's simply too much? To me, it gets too much when it gets to the point where the average audience has trouble recognizing the songs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JohnnyBlaze

JohnnyBlaze

Posted
Posted (edited)

I'm serious when I say this --- it's too much when I don't like it.

 

Why should I care if the average audience member's ears can recognize a tune or not? My ears are the only the ones that matter (to me) when the music plays.

 

Rik Emmett today performing classic Triumph tunes doesn't sing exactly how he did back in the day but for those songs, they still work and effectively at that.

 

Modern Geddy vocals doing certain classic Rush songs doesn't sound good to me at all. But why should another fan who still adores his modern day vocals on those classic tunes be influenced by me just because I don't think Geddy sounds good on them?

Edited by JohnnyBlaze
  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lucas

Lucas

Posted
Posted (edited)

And this is where it is up to the older bands to continue to write new material that better suits their limitations ..

 

Creativity should not end because time marches on

 

Any band that goes out and simply relies on old material - whether they can still cut it or not - without some new material holds zero interest for me anyway

 

 

.

 

.

Edited by Lucas
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
EagleMoon

EagleMoon

Posted
Posted
I have never liked it in the bands that I’ve been in and I’ve always fought against it. Depends on the song, but some of them really drag and sound awful when tuned down. I hear people use the excuse that the audience is tone deaf all the time but I don’t think that’s true. I think people can’t tell the difference, they may not know why it sounds different but they will know that it doesn’t sound as good. Like when Rush has tuned down 2112 for so many years. It’s never sounded as good as when played in the original key.
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Presto-digitation

Presto-digitation

Posted
Posted (edited)
So if it comes down to down tuning or not hearing that song - or that band - at all, which is worth it? The fact is that MOST vocalists (not all, so please save me citing every individual exception if you please) past a certain age struggle with the original keys in many of their oldest songs, be it Ozzy or Geddy or Paul Stanley. Sometimes folks have negligently wrecked their own voices (years of alcohol or drug use, needless histrionics, etc) and some folks just lose that ability to sing high -- or at least "that high" in that key. Sometimes they just weren't very good singers to begin with and age has underscored their limitations. But sometimes hearing that song you like comes with a caveat. Or you don't hear it and complain they play that song you hate that that vocalist can handle. Edited by Presto-digitation
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
goose

goose

Posted
Posted

I agree with fraroc.

 

Wait did I just say that? What the f**k?

 

Yeah, if I can't recognize the song then the tone down is too much.

 

Except that's not what he said. He said it gets too much when the average audience member has trouble recognizing it.

Which happens how often?

 

 

hint: never

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
fraroc

fraroc

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

I agree with fraroc.

 

Wait did I just say that? What the f**k?

 

Yeah, if I can't recognize the song then the tone down is too much.

 

Except that's not what he said. He said it gets too much when the average audience member has trouble recognizing it.

Which happens how often?

 

 

hint: never

 

I'm pretty sure that if a song goes from standard tuning down to near death metal tuning, the audience is gonna notice.

 

When you look at footage from Whitesnake's final tour, you'll know why they're ending it as they're pretty much playing djent versions of their classic songs.

Edited by fraroc
Link to comment
Share on other sites
goose

goose

Posted
Posted

I agree with fraroc.

 

Wait did I just say that? What the f**k?

 

Yeah, if I can't recognize the song then the tone down is too much.

 

Except that's not what he said. He said it gets too much when the average audience member has trouble recognizing it.

Which happens how often?

 

 

hint: never

 

I'm pretty sure that if a song goes from standard tuning down to near death metal tuning, the audience is gonna notice.

 

When you look at footage from Whitesnake's final tour, you'll know why they're ending it as they're pretty much playing djent versions of their classic songs.

Noticing a change vs. not recognizing the song. That's quite a gap.
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
bluefox4000

bluefox4000

Posted
Posted

I agree with fraroc.

 

Wait did I just say that? What the f**k?

 

Yeah, if I can't recognize the song then the tone down is too much.

 

Except that's not what he said. He said it gets too much when the average audience member has trouble recognizing it.

Which happens how often?

 

 

hint: never

 

well not true. ya ever see a recent Bob Dylan show?

 

lol

 

Mick

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
goose

goose

Posted
Posted

I agree with fraroc.

 

Wait did I just say that? What the f**k?

 

Yeah, if I can't recognize the song then the tone down is too much.

 

Except that's not what he said. He said it gets too much when the average audience member has trouble recognizing it.

Which happens how often?

 

 

hint: never

 

well not true. ya ever see a recent Bob Dylan show?

 

lol

 

Mick

:LOL:
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
snowdogged

snowdogged

Posted
Posted

I agree with fraroc.

 

Wait did I just say that? What the f**k?

 

Yeah, if I can't recognize the song then the tone down is too much.

 

Except that's not what he said. He said it gets too much when the average audience member has trouble recognizing it.

Which happens how often?

 

 

hint: never

 

well not true. ya ever see a recent Bob Dylan show?

 

lol

 

Mick

When you say recent, you mean from the 80's and on, right?
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
bluefox4000

bluefox4000

Posted
Posted

I agree with fraroc.

 

Wait did I just say that? What the f**k?

 

Yeah, if I can't recognize the song then the tone down is too much.

 

Except that's not what he said. He said it gets too much when the average audience member has trouble recognizing it.

Which happens how often?

 

 

hint: never

 

well not true. ya ever see a recent Bob Dylan show?

 

lol

 

Mick

When you say recent, you mean from the 80's and on, right?

 

that's about right.

 

Mick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...