Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil has spoken out about his experiences with "drop-D trolls" who criticize his use of the tuning.
Drop-D tuning is a guitar tuning in which the low E string is lowered to D. It is a popular tuning for rock and metal music, as it allows for heavier, more powerful riffs.
Thayil has been using drop-D tuning since the early days of Soundgarden. He says that he started using it because he wanted to find a way to get a heavier sound without using distortion.
"I was listening to a lot of Black Sabbath and Neil Young at the time," Thayil said in an interview with Guitar World. "And they were both using drop-D tuning. So I decided to give it a try and see what it sounded like. And I really liked it."
However, Thayil's use of drop-D tuning has not been without its critics. Some guitarists argue that drop-D tuning is not "proper" guitar playing.
"I've had a lot of people tell me that drop-D tuning is not real guitar playing," Thayil said. "But I don't care about that. I'm just trying to find a sound that I like. And I like drop-D tuning."
Thayil says that he has been called a "drop-D troll" on social media and in guitar forums. He says that he has also been criticized by other guitarists in person.
"I've had people come up to me at shows and tell me that I'm not playing guitar properly because I'm using drop-D tuning," Thayil said. "But I just ignore them. I don't have time for that kind of negativity."
Thayil says that he is not the only guitarist who has been criticized for using drop-D tuning. He says that other guitarists, such as Eddie Van Halen and Tony Iommi, have also been criticized for using the tuning.
"Are you going to tell Eddie Van Halen he wasn't playing guitar properly?" Thayil said. "Of course not. He was one of the greatest guitarists of all time. And he used drop-D tuning all the time."
Thayil says that he is not going to let the critics stop him from using drop-D tuning. He says that he is going to keep using it because he likes it.
"I'm not going to let anyone tell me how to play guitar," Thayil said. "I'm going to keep using drop-D tuning because I like it. And because it's what works for me."
Thayil's story is a reminder that there is no right or wrong way to play guitar. The most important thing is to find a sound that you like and that you are comfortable with.
