The Skids - tuned down to D!

RandallFlagg

I grew up loving The Skids and Stuart Adamson's playing and tone. Back in the days before the internet, Youtube and the huge access we have now to help us learn to play, when I was a kid we really only had the records, Top Of The Pops, NME and Sounds plus attending a gig to really see and hear how songs were played.

I always struggled to get Into The Valley to sound right on guitar and it took many years, more than I dare admit, to understand that Stuart Adamson tuned down a whole step to D. Once tuned down it all falls into place. I'm guessing it was quite an unusual thing to do back in 1979, certainly in the new wave area. I wonder what prompted them to tune down? He must have used some higher gauge strings as well to keep some tension on his Yamaha SG2000.

I'm not sure if all of Scared To Dance or indeed the later albums were all played tuned down.

Funkfingers

Killing Joke were also down tuning in that era.

The most obvious reason to deviate from Standard concert pitch would be to accommodate somebody's vocal range (or the lack of it). 



To readers of a certain age, I say, "Albert Tatlock!"

EricTheWeary

I was reading some stuff about the Skids, I liked that the drummer got the gig because he could use his uncle's van.

Tuning to Eb had been pretty common, maybe Stuart had a go at that and then wondered what would happen if he went a bit lower. 
Dave Wakeling from The Beat is a good interviewee and some of that is about how much they didn't know in the punk era and there was a lot of trial and error. Dave ended up using some odd tunings and maybe Stuart was trying to emulate something and just got it a bit wrong. 

Hoof

We play Into The Valley in the cover band and we manage to play it in the right key just by putting the bass in drop-D. Personally I'd have the whole band tune to D for everything as it suits my singing voice better and I prefer the sound. Fit 11-52 strings and it sounds great.

RandallFlagg

"Heavy armour fails..."

Jobson was so pompous with his lyrics, what a way to start a song!

mark123

Funkfingers said:

Killing Joke were also down tuning in that era.

The most obvious reason to deviate from Standard concert pitch would be to accommodate somebody's vocal range (or the lack of it). 



To readers of a certain age, I say, "Albert Tatlock!"

Ena sharpness,  David hunter, Meeegg mortimer

RandallFlagg

mark123 said:

Funkfingers said:

Killing Joke were also down tuning in that era.

The most obvious reason to deviate from Standard concert pitch would be to accommodate somebody's vocal range (or the lack of it). 



To readers of a certain age, I say, "Albert Tatlock!"

Ena sharpness,  David hunter, Meeegg mortimer

Ena Sharples

Sassafras

mark123 said:

Funkfingers said:

Killing Joke were also down tuning in that era.

The most obvious reason to deviate from Standard concert pitch would be to accommodate somebody's vocal range (or the lack of it). 



To readers of a certain age, I say, "Albert Tatlock!"

Ena sharpness,  David hunter, Meeegg mortimer

I'll see your Ena Sharpness and raise you Hilda Octagon and Betty Turnip.

mark123

 :)Predictive Text  

HarrySeven

Fantastic band - still a fave today.

Skids + Bill Nelson = Stunning.

Never got along with The Absolute Game and Joy though...

stuagu

My first guitar hero, saw them in about 1989 supported by ruts dc at hammersmith. He inspired me to play guitar ( badly..  but i try ) . 

mort

I was lucky enough to see the Skids at the Marquee in 1979 supported by the Ruts. I got there early and saw the Ruts soundchecking with 'in a rut' Happy days.