Do you know what I'm talking about? In music theory it's usually the root note of whatever scale you're playing in. Usually whatever you've tuned your open E string to. The drone note.
Don't quote me on this but I'm sure this note has something to do with Eastern music. The sitar is played with a constant drone note with a melody played on top of that. With the guitar you can do the same thing....and with electrified instruments you can extend that note to unheard of levels.
Classic example....The song Effigy by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Not a well known jam by them. It's off Willy and the Poor Boys. I'm an idiot and thought it was from Pendulum because I like that album better. For some reason songs with the Bomb Note tend to be album closers....or live show closers. You've been listening to pleasant songs and suddenly BOOM the lowest note you've heard all night.
Most inventive example....recently fell in love with the band Floor. Floor was the lead singer of Torche's old band that were "around" for most of the 90s but never really found love until after they broke up. I read a lot about this band and how the members would go see bands like The Melvins or Cathedral and look at each other and go "We need to tune lower." At first listen you might not understand what the hell is going on...but listen closely and you'll understand the theory of "you can't get any lower than a broken E string." A note so low that it's really not a note at all. It's more like a audible bomb going off.
If you begin to think about it...you'll hear it everywhere. The one note that makes you want to pee your pants. Melts faces like the Ark of the Covenant. Remember that scene in Private Parts where the girl sits on the speaker? She'd love Da Bomb.
