Aerosmith · 1976 · Studio album
Rocks tuning.
E♭ Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD. 5 of 9 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E♭ Standard
At concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD.
MeasuredWidely reported
Measured by TuneLit
At concert pitch
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, Columbia CK 34165 (1987) | +2.2 ¢ | A 440.6 | 9 | +1.4 to +3.7 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E♭ Standard, with no pitch given (widely reported).
Aerosmith's half-step-down album: seven songs are tabbed in E♭ Standard, and TuneLit's audio check confirms E♭ wherever the open low string is played. The backing tracks were cut in the band's rehearsal room, the Wherehouse, with the Record Plant's mobile truck. TuneLit measured the E♭ songs at concert pitch overall, with Combination about 15 cents sharp and Last Child and Lick and a Promise about 8 to 10 cents flat. Sick as a Dog and Home Tonight are in E Standard.
9 songs · 5 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
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1. Back in the Saddle
E♭ StandardMeasured
Notes
Joe Perry wrote and recorded the riff on a Fender Bass VI, a six-string bass tuned an octave below a guitar; the popular tab arranges that part for a normal guitar in E♭.
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2. Last Child
Different pitch
E♭ Standard −8 ¢Measured
Notes
Brad Whitford wrote the riff and plays the solo; Paul Prestopino adds banjo.
Every human-made tab of seven of the nine songs is in E♭ Standard, a half step down, on Songsterr and Ultimate Guitar alike (Ultimate Guitar's own Last Child transcription too); Sick as a Dog and Home Tonight are tabbed in E Standard. No band member or book is on record about it.
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3. Rats in the Cellar
E♭ StandardMeasured
Notes
The riffs rarely touch the open low E♭, so TuneLit's audio check cannot confirm the semitone here; the tab's notes match the record.
On its own, this song measures sharper: CD +8.2 ¢. Tune uses the album's A 440.
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4. Combination
Different pitch
E♭ Standard +15 ¢Measured
Notes
Joe Perry shares the lead vocal. Measured about 15 cents sharp (A ≈ 443.9).
Every human-made tab of seven of the nine songs is in E♭ Standard, a half step down, on Songsterr and Ultimate Guitar alike (Ultimate Guitar's own Last Child transcription too); Sick as a Dog and Home Tonight are tabbed in E Standard. No band member or book is on record about it.
-
5. Sick as a Dog
Different tuning
E Standard +28 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E♭ Standard: Every string up a half step.
Back up to E Standard, and sharp: about 28 cents above A 440 (A ≈ 447), the highest Aerosmith song we measured. TuneLit's audio check confirms E as the lowest string.
Tabbed in E Standard, unlike the rest of the album. Tom Hamilton wrote it on guitar and plays guitar on the record, while Joe Perry plays bass.
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6. Nobody's Fault
E♭ StandardMeasured
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7. Get the Lead Out
E♭ StandardMeasured
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8. Lick and a Promise
Different pitch
E♭ Standard −10 ¢Measured
Notes
Every human-made tab of seven of the nine songs is in E♭ Standard, a half step down, on Songsterr and Ultimate Guitar alike (Ultimate Guitar's own Last Child transcription too); Sick as a Dog and Home Tonight are tabbed in E Standard. No band member or book is on record about it.
-
9. Home Tonight
Different tuning
E Standard −8 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E♭ Standard: Every string up a half step.
Tabbed in E Standard; the tab almost never plays the open low string, so TuneLit's audio check cannot confirm the semitone, but the tab's notes match the record. E♭ Standard with the same shapes one fret higher works too.
The one community tab is in E Standard. Tyler plays piano and Perry lap steel.
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 Rocks in?
Aerosmith recorded Rocks (1976) in E♭ Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit on the CD. 5 songs use other tunings or pitches, listed song by song on this page.
Why does Rocks sound out of tune with my guitar?
Combination sits about 15 cents sharp (A ≈ 444), 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, song by song, so you only tune the strings.