TUNELIT

Black Sabbath · 1976 · Studio album

Technical Ecstasy tuning.

E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD. 3 of 8 songs are tuned differently.

Technical Ecstasy album cover

Album tuning

E Standard

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

MeasuredFrom tabs

Tune like thisPlay alongAll 8 songs

Measured by TuneLit

At concert pitch

SourceOffsetEquivalent ASongsSpreadConfidence
CD, Vertigo 838 224-2 (Germany)+0.2 ¢A 440.18−2.2 to +1.6 ¢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 on the 1987 Vertigo CD. You Won't Change Me and Gypsy sit 12–⁠14 ¢ flat, Rock 'n' Roll Doctor 11 ¢ sharp. The editions disagree here: the US Warner CD and a 1989 Japanese CD play the first side 3–⁠5 ¢ sharper and the second side 8–⁠12 ¢ flatter, while the 1996 and 2009 reissues run 4–⁠5 ¢ sharp.

8 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. 1. Back Street Kids

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  2. 2. You Won't Change Me

    Different pitch

    E Standard −14 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    E Standard, about 14 ¢ flat (A ≈ 436.5).

    Back to E Standard: every song is tabbed in standard tuning. No interview or tab book confirms it.

  3. 3. It's Alright

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Bill Ward's pop ballad, sung by him: E Standard at concert pitch.

  4. 4. Gypsy

    Different pitch

    E Standard −12 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    E Standard, about 12 ¢ flat (A ≈ 436.9).

    Back to E Standard: every song is tabbed in standard tuning. No interview or tab book confirms it.

  5. 5. All Moving Parts (Stand Still)

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  6. 6. Rock 'n' Roll Doctor

    Different pitch

    E Standard +11 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    E Standard, about 11 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 442.7); the US Warner CD plays it 12 ¢ flatter.

    Back to E Standard: every song is tabbed in standard tuning. No interview or tab book confirms it.

  7. 7. She's Gone

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    A ballad, tabbed in E Standard, at concert pitch.

  8. 8. Dirty Women

    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 Technical Ecstasy in?

Black Sabbath recorded Technical Ecstasy (1976) in E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit on the CD. You Won't Change Me uses E Standard −14 ¢; Gypsy uses E Standard −12 ¢; Rock 'n' Roll Doctor uses E Standard +11 ¢.

Why does Technical Ecstasy sound out of tune with my guitar?

You Won't Change Me sits about 14 cents flat (A ≈ 436), 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.