Topic: sleepy johns songs

[hammer]

Hi yall
  Getting into john estes tunes and playing along.Strumming along with stop that thing, and to me, sounds like hes playing in B. I see he mostly played in C.....Am i hearing it incorrectly? 

[Johnm]

Hi hammer,
Welcome to Weenie Campbell!  Sleepy John was probably just tuned a half-step low, so that when he fingered C, it sounded in B.  I hope this helps.
All best,
Johnm

[hammer]

Thankyou for your replying. would you say that not tuning to pitch wouldve been a conscience decision or merely a lack of  "correctly" tuning , so to speak? A semitone down seems such a slight variation.

[frankie]

It's impossible to know for sure, but in general, it is safe to assume that it was intentional and it was done because that's where his voice felt best that day.

Unless there's some other instrument like a harmonica in the mix, a stringed instrument doesn't really have to tune to any specific pitch. Even then - if Hammie Nixon only had an "E" harp with him and Sleepy John liked to pay C fingerings on the guitar, he might very well tune down 1/2 step so that Hammie could blow cross harp and they would both be playing at the pitch of "B".