Guitar tuning for the new album

jknobull

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Apr 3, 2007
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I'm guessing most songs will be in Eb, possibly some in Db, not sure if Alex wants to play stuff in Db though. :kickass:
 
I'm not a guitarist so the tunings don't mean much to me. As long as the songs are good and it's heavy as fuck, does it really matter? It's Testament and it's a new album in eight years. Skolnick is back, and Barker sits behind the drums, this record is gonna rule!
 
I'm not a guitarist so the tunings don't mean much to me. As long as the songs are good and it's heavy as fuck, does it really matter? It's Testament and it's a new album in eight years. Skolnick is back, and Barker sits behind the drums, this record is gonna rule!


Yeah, I know that for sure! I was just curious if anyone knew. Regardless, its gonna rule! :headbang:
 
Alex and Eric might drop down a half step in tuning but I don't know about whole step (do you know if they have dropped a whole step on any past songs?).

Bands use this tuning to achieve a really heavy sound, some even drop the lowered D (6th string) down to C#/Db. Alot of the newer bands drop down to cover up the fact that they can't really play and their songs are not well constructed so they just hit you with wall of heavy noise.

If you listen to (for example) Korn (I'm not a big fan) they drop down all the time but that tuning really suits their style. They use the lowered tuning very well and they incorporate the 7 string guitars for an even heavier sound lowering the low B string.

I think that the Testament sound is already heavy enough, plus musically speaking their songs are extremely well structured and put together. I guess it would depend on how they felt when the write the song and if it calls for a lowered tuning. Besides with all of Alex's musical training and the great albums they have put out in the past how could the new album be anything but outstanding!!

Cheers!!:)
 
I'm guessing most songs will be in Eb, possibly some in Db, not sure if Alex wants to play stuff in Db though. :kickass:

how do you know? ;)
gathering was C# and fit perfectly to Chuck´s voice, so that would be quite good. Everything below that usually get a bit unprecise soundgin, though I haven´t checked which tuning they used in the Live at London DVD.
 
I'm just saying, they will probably do songs in Db and Eb, that would be awesome if the new album had songs in both tunings. :loco:
 
I'd prefer the tuning used on the Gathering, or whatever tuning fits Chucks vocals at this point in time. I'm sure that they could tune however they wanted and still write kick ass songs.
 
I'm pretty sure they're going to use C# because in an interview i read with alex skolnick he said that they were playing modern testament because it wasn't the eighties anymore and testament needed to keep moving forward
 
They tuned to D Standard on First Strike Still Deadly, they definatley tune down on the recent albums. I wouldn't mind seeing them go back to standard tuning though like the old days.
 
They tuned to D Standard on First Strike Still Deadly, they definatley tune down on the recent albums. I wouldn't mind seeing them go back to standard tuning though like the old days.

I thought they were tuned to Eb on First Strike Still Deadly? :err:
 
I think they tune down halfstep on some songs from the ritual. not sure but i sounds like it on the cd