TUNELIT

Black Sabbath · 1981 · Studio album

Mob Rules tuning.

E♭ Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD. 1 of 9 songs are tuned differently.

Mob Rules album cover

Album tuning

E♭ Standard

At concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD.

MeasuredFrom tabs

Tune like thisPlay alongAll 9 songs

Measured by TuneLit

At concert pitch

SourceOffsetEquivalent ASongsSpreadConfidence
CD, Vertigo 830 777-2 (Germany)+3.7 ¢A 440.99−1.7 to +6.4 ¢High
 Offset from concert pitch (A 440). Spread: the middle half of the songs, when four or more share the album's pitch. Confidence: how well the notes agree with one grid.

Before we measured, sources said: E♭ Standard, with no pitch given (community).

E♭ Standard at concert pitch (+3.7 ¢) on the 1987 Vertigo CD. Country Girl sits 14 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 443.5). The 1996 Castle and 2010 Sanctuary CDs run 2–⁠3 ¢ sharper.

9 songs · 1 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. 1. Turn Up the Night

    E♭ StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    On its own, this song measures sharper: CD +8.3 ¢. Tune uses the album's A 440.

  2. 2. Voodoo

    E♭ StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  3. 3. The Sign of the Southern Cross

    E♭ StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  4. 4. E5150

    E♭ StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Iommi's short instrumental intro, with keyboards; tabbed in E♭ Standard.

  5. 5. The Mob Rules

    E♭ StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  6. 6. Country Girl

    Different pitch

    E♭ Standard +14 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    E♭ Standard, about 14 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 443.5), 10 ¢ above the album value.

    E♭ Standard, like Heaven and Hell: every song is tabbed a half step down.

  7. 7. Slipping Away

    E♭ StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  8. 8. Falling Off the Edge of the World

    E♭ StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  9. 9. Over and Over

    E♭ StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

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 Mob Rules in?

Black Sabbath recorded Mob Rules (1981) in E♭ Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit on the CD. Country Girl uses E♭ Standard +14 ¢.

Why does Mob Rules sound out of tune with my guitar?

Country Girl sits about 14 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, so you only tune the strings.