AC/DC · 1976 · Studio album
High Voltage tuning.
E Standard at concert pitch (A 440). 3 of 9 songs are tuned differently.
Not measured yet
TuneLit has not measured this record. The tuning comes from community sources, at concert pitch unless they say otherwise.
The international debut: seven songs from the Australian T.N.T. (1975) and two from the Australian High Voltage (1975). Mostly E Standard, but the pitch moves from song to song. It's a Long Way to the Top was recorded in B♭, so it is listed in F Standard. T.N.T. is tabbed both in E♭ and in E. Can I Sit Next to You Girl, measured by TuneLit, sits more than a half step below concert E: E♭ Standard about 40 ¢ flat (A ≈ 430).
9 songs · 3 tuned differently
Every song, ready to tune
Tune opens the tuner in that song's tuning, pitch included. Play along opens the song player set to that tuning, so the track plays in yours. What the labels mean
-
1. It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)
Different tuning
F StandardWidely reported
Notes
How to get there from the album's E Standard: Every string up a half step.
Sounds in B♭: tune up a half step to F Standard and play the usual A shapes, or put a capo on the first fret in E Standard.
Bassist Mark Evans recalls that the record is in B♭ while the band played the song in A on stage, and a 2005 Guitar Legends transcription (quoted on ACDCfans.net) says the guitars are tuned up a half step. The most-viewed Songsterr tab uses F Standard; a less-viewed one plays it in E. Fans disagree whether the band tuned up to the bagpipes or the tape was sped up: either way, A shapes in F Standard match the record.
-
2. Rock 'n' Roll Singer
E StandardCommunity
-
3. The Jack
E StandardCommunity
-
4. Live Wire
E StandardCommunity
-
5. T.N.T.
Different tuning
E♭ StandardDisputed
Notes
How to get there from the album's E Standard: Every string down a half step.
Tabs disagree: E♭ Standard (most-viewed) or E Standard.
The most-viewed Songsterr tab (guitars and bass) is in E♭ Standard; another popular tab plays it in E Standard, and fans on ACDCfans.net are not sure either. Can I Sit Next to You Girl, from the same T.N.T. sessions, measures below E♭, so E♭ is listed. If it sounds a half step low, use E Standard.
-
6. Can I Sit Next to You Girl
Different tuning
E♭ Standard −40 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E Standard: Every string down a half step.
Measured E♭ Standard about 40 ¢ flat (A ≈ 430): more than a half step below concert E.
Songsterr's tab is in E♭ Standard. TuneLit measured the song about 40 ¢ below E♭ (A ≈ 430), more than a half step under concert E; the tab's notes line up with the record's low notes on that grid, and TuneLit's semitone check from the audio agrees with E♭. A fan on ACDCfans.net reports that tuning a half step down with A at 430 came close. Measured from an unofficial compilation, at low confidence (0.63). This is the 1975 re-recording with Bon Scott, not the 1974 single with Dave Evans.
-
7. Little Lover
E StandardCommunity
-
8. She's Got Balls
E StandardCommunity
-
9. High Voltage
E StandardCommunity
What the labels mean
- Measured
- TuneLit measured the pitch on an original CD or LP. The tuning name still comes from the sources.
- Official
- The band, a member, their producer or their guitar tech said it.
- Widely reported
- Trusted outlets, guides and tabs agree, but the band did not say it directly.
- Community
- From community tabs, or from players who tune along with the record.
- Disputed
- Sources disagree. The likeliest setting is shown; the notes name the other one.
Each song shows one label, the strongest it has, in this order. How we measure recordings →
Questions
What tuning is High Voltage in?
AC/DC recorded High Voltage (1976) in E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), from community sources. It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll) uses F Standard; T.N.T. uses E♭ Standard; Can I Sit Next to You Girl uses E♭ Standard −40 ¢.
Why does High Voltage sound out of tune with my guitar?
Can I Sit Next to You Girl sits about 40 cents flat (A ≈ 430), so a guitar tuned to A 440 clashes with it. The Tune buttons on this page set the tuner's reference to match the record, so you only tune the strings.