Why are most 90's grunge songs tuned down a half step

You can get a "heavier" sound with more of a "chunk" when hitting lower notes I guess. Also, since grunge guys are kind of lazy it does make the strings looser and easier to press down.
Yngwie Malmsteen also pretty much plays everything in Eb standard i.e. everything tuned down 1/2 step. I guess if you like playing tunes in flat keys like Bb and Eb or G minor and C minor etc. Tuning down 1/2 step gives you more play there for sure.

But, that's nothing compared to the sound metal groups like Cannibal Corpse and Behemoth are going for these days. They are going as low as C# standard on 6 strings and G# on 7's.
Going that low wrecks the sustain on the notes I think. Some metal guitar makers are making ones with longer necks to counter act that. Going lower than D standard on a normal guitar really fucks up the intonation and it won't want to stay in tune either. Neck length has lots to do with it.

But, I'm with Mickey Rourk's character in The Wrestler

Randy 'The Ram' Robinson: Goddamn they don't make em' like they used to.
Cassidy: Fuckin' 80's man, best shit ever!
Randy 'The Ram' Robinson: Bet'chr ass man, Guns N' Roses! Rules.
Cassidy: Crue!
Randy 'The Ram' Robinson: Yeah!
Cassidy: Def Lep!
Randy 'The Ram' Robinson: Then that Cobain pussy had to come around & ruin it all.
Cassidy: Like theres something wrong, why not just have a good time?
Randy 'The Ram' Robinson: I'll tell you somethin', I hate the fuckin' 90's

LOL!
 
Also, since grunge guys are kind of lazy it does make the strings looser and easier to press down.
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Hey! You take that back!! We're not lazy, just too stoned for real work. :) Tuning down a half step won't make a significant enough difference on string tension to actually make it easier.

The lower, darker, filthier sound is what grunge artists are after and tuning down a half or full step just adds to that darkness. Also, it's a vocal technique some inexperienced/incapable singers use who may have trouble reaching the higher notes. Honestly though, living right smack dab in the center of the grunge headquarters, I can tell you that the down-tuned music suits the scene perfectly.
 
Seattle_Stranger said:
Hey! You take that back!!
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Okay, Okay! Maybe its the weather...since Queensryche was also a Seattle band, but tended to play in 'E standard' tuning, they were forced to tour often to esacape the cold, humid NW climate.

Seattle_Stranger said:
...and tuning down a half or full step
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Good point here. Most of these 90's Grunge tunes are in fact Drop-D tuning i.e leaving the rest of the guitar in standard while dropping the low E down to D. Examples: Even flow and Spoonman are Drop-D while most Nirvana and Red Hot Chilli Peppers (some may not consider them "grunge" but they were part of the 90's era for sure) play most that I know of in E-Standard...so droppers, can you be more specific about the songs that are actually tuned down 1/2 step i.e. Eb standard?
 
Lots of local Seattle bands (as well as others) I noticed using lots of various tunings. Soundgarden, for one, has several songs in standard E, 1/2 step down E, drop D standard, 1/2 step drop D, etc.. It really helps contribute to the diversification of the music catalog. Lots of bands play in all one tuning, that can get boring.

I just recently was at a Soundgarden show, and Chris Cornell switched guitars every song, probably all of them in different tunings.

The weather is definitely a huge factor in the 'darkness' of grunge.
 
Yeah, I think Soundgarden used some of those "open tunings", too. Playing in different tunings and keys gives songs different flavors, but only the musician and the individual listener can say what it means to him or her. It was a hell of question the OP asked. Some say lower is darker, but bright Country Western guitarists love their baritone tele-models too.
Even though Queensryche was often playing in E standard, their music could get really dark, so they are products of the weather too! :)
Jake E. Lee used a really neat tuning on Ozzy's "Shot in the Dark" - F, Bb, Db, Gb, Bb, Eb - I think it was. If you like alternate tunings but only have one guitar, make sure it isn't a Floyd Rose trem LOL.
Does Kim Thayil not play with Soundgarden again?
 
^that makes sense too. If you can hit a D (B string/3rd fret), but can't quite hit that E above it, you can play everything in D and have a more comfortable high note to hit. Now when it comes to the lowest D on a downtuned guitar, (open string)- you got to be a bassy motherfucker to sing that low.
 
Hendrix did the same, it's easier to sing to Eb. That's the main reason.
 
As for other alternative tunnings, those have more to do with using open strings in different keys.

Drop D, or D seem to be very popular.
 
well there is the whole range of the singers voice...
Flannel hitting strings tuned down a half step sounds like a strum...
There are some tuned to open chords too...
That`s why guitarist have so many axes during a concert... Different tuning for different songs...it`s more than just for show. :)
 
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