U2DMfan
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Oh yeah, it's just not as good.
First things first - because Edge is not playing standard chords here - you also need the bass notes to reflect a proper simple chord version.
Half step down seems natural at first. E and A in the verses, easy as pie, right?
The problem becomes the third chord change in the chorus.
The actual chord is D# - or playing basic E (major) in half-step down.
But there is no proper change if you play it this way.
these are the actual chords, notes and timing, regardless of tuning.
*D#/G (12 beats) - D# (4 beats)
Half Step Down - you're essentially going from E...to E (actual D# in standard tuning).
The reason you play it standard tuning with a capo is so that you can play the bass note that Adam is playing.
Adam plays (F-G#-G) - actual notes - regardless of tuning.
Half step down - you play F#m to get the F, then A to get the G# and then in order to play that G - you'd play G#.
In other words, your fingering to play that particular bass note (if you want to play that bass note, and why wouldn't you if it can be easily done?) would look like this.
E 0
B 0
G 1
D 2
A 2
E 4 (*)
*-that's the G# bass note you'd need to play to give it the full dynamic (IMO). Otherwise you're strumming that low E string all the way though in that section of the chorus with no 'bassy' movement.
Hope all that reads as well as I wanted it to. Either way, (I'm sure people will scrutinize the chord selections and feel free...) I fully endorse the standard tuning version using the capo on the 1st fret because it sounds better.
