B♭ tuning, or A♯ tuning, is a method of guitar tuning (and stringed instruments per se) in which all strings on a six-stringed instrument, most often guitar, are tuned down by 3 steps. For example, standard guitar tuning is E A D G B E. B♭ tuning starts by tuning the lowest string on a guitar E, to B♭ and then tuning all strings down in the same interval of 3 steps down.
Strings on a guitar tuned to B♭ are B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ F B♭
Seven-string guitars achieve B and B♭ tuning because they have a lower B string below the E string, which is the lowest string on a conventional guitar.
Cannibal Corpse on the album Vile and on, which is when guitarist Jack Owen started using seven string guitars. Cannibal Corpse's guitar players Pat O'Brien and Rob Barrett still use the tuning, but both down tune six string guitars. Pat O'Brien used to use a seven string guitar (BC Rich), but has recently switched to six string guitars (Ran).[citation needed]
Linkin Park (uses the A#D#G#C#F#A# six-string variation on live performances of the songs "Somewhere I Belong" and "Easier to Run" from Meteora. Both songs are originally recorded in Bb standard seven-string)
Mutoid Man (Stephen Brodsky started using the tuning during the recording of the Helium Head EP to fill in the low end of the sound, in an attempt to make up for their lack of a bassist at the time)
