Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil sat down to chat with Guitar World about the moments in their career that have shaped their unique string sound. According to Thayil, their ‘alternate guitar tunings’ that became a part of their signature sound rubbed off on bands like Nirvana and Alice In Chains.
Some would regard Soundgarden as the pioneers of what we now consider grunge that came together with their distinct songwriting and guitar approach that no other band was doing at the time. They made their custom sound become the next big thing in the industry which trickled down to other rock bands in the industry.
Thayil shared that the articles written about their alternate guitar tunings all revolve around their signature drop D. After it became associated with Soundgarden, the guitarist realized that, although they used many other unique tunings other than drop D several bands, specifically Nirvana and Alice In Chains also began to incorporate it in their tracks.
Kim Thayil’s words about Soundgarden’s unique guitar tunings that influenced Nirvana and Alice In Chains:
“I think it’s well-established how Soundgarden used alternate guitar tunings. But primarily, when people write about our alternate guitar tunings, they focus on the drop D because the drop D thing we started doing spread to Nirvana and Alice in Chains and Skin Yard and other bands. But we used a lot of tunings other than drop D.”
As a band, Soundgarden has contributed to the grunge scene and influenced many other rock bands along the way received a nomination for the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which is actually their second time on the ballot. Although they have proved themselves in the eyes of many, in Thayil’s eyes, being inducted would be a great honor alongside other influential names.
