Alice in Chains · 2009 · Studio album
Black Gives Way to Blue tuning.
E♭ Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD. 4 of 11 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E♭ Standard −4 ¢
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, Virgin 509993 08264 2 7 (2009, EU) | −4.3 ¢ | A 438.9 | 11 | −4.4 to −3.8 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E♭ Standard, with no pitch given (widely reported).
The first album with William DuVall on rhythm guitar and vocals, made with producer Nick Raskulinecz. Elton John plays piano on the title track. E♭ Standard, with All Secrets Known, Last of My Kind, A Looking in View and Acid Bubble in Drop C♯. TuneLit measured the CD about 4 ¢ flat, as close to concert pitch as a player can hear.
11 songs · 4 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. All Secrets Known
Different tuning
Drop C♯ −4 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E♭ Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E♭ → C♯); the other strings stay.
The tabs disagree: e-chords and the most-played part of Songsterr's tab are in Drop C♯, while two other parts of that tab are written in B Standard with a 5-string bass. On the CD the lowest notes sit on C♯ and D, with almost no B, which fits Drop C♯.
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2. Check My Brain
E♭ Standard −4 ¢Measured
Notes
The most-played tabs have the guitars in E♭ Standard and the bass in Drop C♯; another tab puts everything in Drop C♯. The woozy pitch of the riff comes from bends that stop short of the note, by Cantrell's own description.
Bass: Bass Drop C♯ −4 ¢ Tune bass
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3. Last of My Kind
Different tuning
Drop C♯ −4 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E♭ Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E♭ → C♯); the other strings stay.
Guitars and bass in Drop C♯ on Songsterr's tab. DuVall sings lead.
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4. Your Decision
E♭ Standard −4 ¢Measured
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5. A Looking in View
Different tuning
Drop C♯ −4 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E♭ Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E♭ → C♯); the other strings stay.
Cantrell, DuVall and Inez all on low C♯ in Songsterr's tab.
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6. When the Sun Rose Again
E♭ Standard −4 ¢Measured
Notes
The only Songsterr tab is written in E Standard, but it is unattributed and little played, and TuneLit's audio check hears E♭ as the lowest string, so the album's E♭ Standard is listed.
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7. Acid Bubble
Different tuning
Drop C♯ −4 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E♭ Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E♭ → C♯); the other strings stay.
Rhythm, lead, clean guitar and bass all in Drop C♯ on Songsterr's tab.
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8. Lesson Learned
E♭ Standard −4 ¢Measured
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9. Take Her Out
E♭ Standard −4 ¢Measured
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10. Private Hell
E♭ Standard −4 ¢Measured
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11. Black Gives Way to Blue
E♭ Standard −4 ¢Measured
Notes
Written as a tribute to Layne Staley, with Cantrell on lead vocals and Elton John on piano; the acoustic guitars are in E♭ Standard.
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.
- From tabs
- 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 Black Gives Way to Blue in?
Alice in Chains recorded Black Gives Way to Blue (2009) in E♭ Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit on the CD. All Secrets Known, Last of My Kind, A Looking in View and Acid Bubble use Drop C♯ −4 ¢.