How Music Became My Lifelong Language: My Journey in Alternate Tuning
Music has been the heartbeat of my life since I was 12 years old (after quitting piano, and quitting trumpet…). Like so many musicians, I started out drawn to the sound and the feel—the way a song could express what words alone never seemed to capture. But I didn’t just listen; I dove in. My guitar became my voice, my therapist, my journal, and my best friend.
The Early Years: A New World
I picked up my first guitar when I was barely a teenage. Those early days were full of excitement and frustration in equal measure, learning chord shapes, struggling with sore fingers, and playing the same riff a thousand times until it finally felt right.
Discovering Alternate Tuning: Where Everything Clicked
It wasn’t long before I stumbled into the world of alternate tuning. A broken e string and tuning the guitar until it sounded good (B, F#, B, F#, B, x) I was around 13 or 14—turned into me writing a song I actually liked. Standard tuning felt repetitive. The first time I re-tuned my strings, something clicked. Suddenly, new possibilities opened up. Chords sounded deeper, richer, more open. Melodies fell out of my hands that I never would have discovered otherwise.
From that moment on, this alternate tuning became my home base—the foundation for virtually every song I’ve written since. It shaped my creative voice and gave me a way to say what I needed to say, even when I couldn’t put it into words. Currently it is A, E, A, E, A, E tuned to A=442
Writing Music My Way
Writing music in alternate tuning isn’t just a technical choice; it’s become a signature part of who I am. Every song, every riff, every lyric is colored by that early decision to do things my own way. It’s allowed me to break out of boxes, experiment, and grow as a musician.
Music in alternate tuning has been the soundtrack to my life’s milestones, the way I’ve processed hard times and celebrated good ones. It’s how I’ve connected with others and—maybe most importantly—how I’ve come to understand myself.
Why It Matters
Looking back, I can’t imagine my life without music, or without the freedom I found in alternate tuning. It’s more than just a technique—it’s a mindset. It’s about finding your own path, even if it means turning the pegs and making things sound a little different.
If you’re just starting out, or if you feel stuck playing by the rules, I hope my story inspires you to experiment and make your own kind of music. Your voice matters. Your sound is worth exploring. And sometimes, all it takes is a little twist of the tuning pegs to change everything.
I’m excited to share the music that has flown from me.
