Black Sabbath · 1987 · Studio album
The Eternal Idol tuning.
E♭ Standard, about 8 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured on the CD. 1 of 9 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E♭ Standard +8 ¢
About 8 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured on the CD.
MeasuredFrom tabs
Measured by TuneLit
8 ¢ sharp
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, Vertigo 832 708-2 (Germany, 1987) | +7.6 ¢ | A 441.9 | 9 | +4.4 to +10.8 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E♭ Standard, with no pitch given (community).
E♭ Standard about 8 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 441.9) on the 1987 Vertigo CD, the first album with Tony Martin. Scarlet Pimpernel, a short acoustic piece, is in C♯ Standard 8 ¢ flat. The US Warner and a 1993 Japanese CD run about 2.5 ¢ 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
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1. The Shining
E♭ Standard +8 ¢Measured
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2. Ancient Warrior
E♭ Standard +8 ¢Measured
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3. Hard Life to Love
E♭ Standard +8 ¢Measured
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4. Glory Ride
E♭ Standard +8 ¢Measured
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5. Born to Lose
E♭ Standard +8 ¢Measured
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6. Nightmare
E♭ Standard +8 ¢Measured
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7. Scarlet Pimpernel
Different tuning
C♯ Standard −8 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E♭ Standard: Every string down a whole step.
Tabs disagree (Songsterr C♯ Standard, Ultimate Guitar E Standard); TuneLit's check from the audio agrees with C♯. The record sits 8 ¢ flat (A ≈ 437.9), 16 ¢ under the album.
Tabs disagree: Songsterr's is in C♯ Standard, Ultimate Guitar's in E Standard.
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8. Lost Forever
E♭ Standard +8 ¢Measured
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9. Eternal Idol
E♭ Standard +8 ¢Measured
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 The Eternal Idol in?
Black Sabbath recorded The Eternal Idol (1987) in E♭ Standard, about 8 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured by TuneLit on the CD. Scarlet Pimpernel uses C♯ Standard −8 ¢.