WTF? Wednesday is on its way! And, that means Open Mic Night at Daddy-O's Pub in Lewisville! No matter if your a beginner, novice or a pro, come out and share your musical talent with us!  Our Open Mic, hosted by Steve West, will start at 9 pm. We will have $ 3 Wells and $ 6 Patrons to get you going!

Have you ever tried playing the chords from a song book or tabs and wondered... How in the heck did "that" guitarist get the song to sound the way it does? No matter how you play it with the chart, the song somehow does not sound the same as it does in the actual recording.  Let us give you a hint... The guitar player probably has changed the tuning of his guitar in order to make the "Impossible Chords" possible and to create "His Sound".  These kinds of tunings are called "Alternate Tunings".

"Standard tuning" or ".440" tuning on a guitar is open string E-A-D-G-B-E.  This is the most common tuning and is found in most Oldies, Pop, and Top 40 Songs. It is the tuning used when you bought your guitar and had factory "Setup" for playing it. At most Jams or Open Mics, the guitars are all "Standard Tuned" to make it easier for players of every level and any instrument to just "jump in" and start jammin'.

One Alternate Tuning is called "Half Step Down" or "Eb Tuning", where the guitar is open string tuned to Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Eb. If you plan to play around with "Alternate Tunings", it would be a good idea to have a chromatic guitar tuner and a solid bridged guitar. Whammy Bars only create more of a quick tuning issue as the springs will need to self-adjust to the new string tensions. "Half Step" tuning is still a very common tuning with guitars. Many of your Major Blues, Rock, and Heavy Metal Bands use this tuning. It seems to give the guitar a "Deeper" and more "Full" sound. Also, many guitarist will do this to help the lead singer "Save Their Voice" if the band has to play nightly. Some notable bands and artist that use this tuning are Jimi Hendrix, Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Green Day, and Kiss to name a few.

If you are seeking a more "Chunkier" sound, like Pantera, Symphony X, and Dream Theater, you can use a tuning called "D Tuning" or "Full Step Down".  In order to play in this kind of tuning, you will need to tune your guitar strings to D-G-C-E-A-D.  Plus, you will probably have to send your guitar to the shop to have it "Setup" to adjust the bridge and truss rod(s) to keep it "In Tune" consistently as you are playing. Without doing it, your guitar will gradually "Fall" Out of Tune" in the middle of your set and your captive audience will let you know how it sounds (not a good thing).  This type of tuning is not commonly found at Open Mics or Jams, because other jammers would have to have the same kind of tuning and guitar "Setup" as you.  If you plan to jam in this "D Tuning", bring others with you that have this kind of tuning on their instruments.

The last kind of tuning that we would discuss is "B Tuning" or "Two and a Half Steps Down".  (Warning: this kind of tuning is not for the faint of heart!) This kind of tuning is found mostly in Death Metal Bands like Five Finger Death Punch, Sepultura, Type O Negative, and Dismember.  Take your guitar and tune the strings to B-E-A-D-F#-B and watch them flop around on your fretboard. You will want to play your guitar with Very Heavy Distortion because it will not sound too good without it. "B Tuning" is not a good tuning for Jams or Open Mics, but can be very fun to try out in your garage or mancave.
 

Good luck with trying out "Alternate Tunings"! We hope that this will help you become the "Rock Star" at our Open Mic Night! Remember, YOUR Talent is what makes Daddy-O's Pub the local bar to be at for Open Mics in Lewisville! Whether you are performing, supporting a friend or co-worker or just into people watching, come party with us for WTF? Wednesday Open Mic Nights! Also, Don't forget our Thirsty Thursday Service Industry Nights! Enjoy meeting Singles, playing a round of Pool or Darts, Cold Beer, Juicy Hamburgers, and FUN at Daddy-O's Pub!