Deep Purple · 1968 · Studio album
Shades of Deep Purple tuning.
E Standard, about 13 cents flat (A ≈ 437), measured on the CD. 5 of 8 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E Standard −13 ¢
About 13 cents flat (A ≈ 437), measured on the CD.
MeasuredFrom tabs
Measured by TuneLit
13 ¢ flat
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, Parlophone CDP 7 92407 2 (EMI, 1989) | −12.7 ¢ | A 436.8 | 8 | Too few songs | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E Standard, with no pitch given (community).
Recorded in three days at Pye Studios in London in May 1968, with Rod Evans singing and Nick Simper on bass. Ritchie Blackmore plays in E Standard throughout. On the 1989 EMI CD the songs do not share one pitch: Hush, Mandrake Root and Help! sit at concert pitch; One More Rainy Day, Prelude: Happiness / I'm So Glad and Hey Joe sit 9 to 14 ¢ flat (the album value, −13 ¢); Love Help Me sits 30 ¢ flat; and the opening instrumental, And the Address, about 55 ¢ flat, halfway between E and E♭. Each song that differs has its own Tune button.
8 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. And the Address
Different pitch
E Standard A 426Measured
Notes
An instrumental by Blackmore and Jon Lord. On this CD it sits about 55 ¢ under E Standard (A ≈ 426), halfway between E and E♭: the only tab is written in E♭ Standard, which is the same pitch read from the other side.
Ritchie Blackmore in standard tuning: every tab of the album (Songsterr) has the guitar and Nick Simper's bass in E Standard. The only tab of this song (Songsterr) is written in E♭ Standard: on this CD the song sits about 55 ¢ under E Standard (A ≈ 426.3), halfway between E and E♭, which an A 440 tuner reads as E♭ about 45 ¢ sharp. Both names describe the same notes.
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Notes
Joe South's song, the band's first hit (number 4 in the US in 1968). At concert pitch on this CD, 13 ¢ above the album value.
Ritchie Blackmore in standard tuning: every tab of the album (Songsterr) has the guitar and Nick Simper's bass in E Standard. TuneLit measured this song on its own at concert pitch (+0.1 ¢), 13 ¢ above the album value.
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3. One More Rainy Day
E Standard −13 ¢Measured
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4. Prelude: Happiness / I'm So Glad
E Standard −13 ¢Measured
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5. Mandrake Root
Different pitch
E StandardMeasured
Notes
At concert pitch on this CD.
Ritchie Blackmore in standard tuning: every tab of the album (Songsterr) has the guitar and Nick Simper's bass in E Standard. TuneLit measured this song on its own at concert pitch (−0.5 ¢), 12 ¢ above the album value.
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6. Help!
Different pitch
E StandardMeasured
Notes
The Beatles' song, slowed down. At concert pitch on this CD.
Ritchie Blackmore in standard tuning: every tab of the album (Songsterr) has the guitar and Nick Simper's bass in E Standard. TuneLit measured this song on its own at concert pitch (−0.1 ¢), 13 ¢ above the album value.
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7. Love Help Me
Different pitch
E Standard −30 ¢Measured
Notes
About 30 ¢ flat on this CD (A ≈ 432.3), the lowest song on the album after And the Address.
Ritchie Blackmore in standard tuning: every tab of the album (Songsterr) has the guitar and Nick Simper's bass in E Standard. TuneLit measured this song on its own about 30 ¢ flat (A ≈ 432.3), 18 ¢ below the album value.
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8. Hey Joe
E Standard −13 ¢Measured
Notes
Billy Roberts's song, the third cover on the album after Hush and Help!.
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 Shades of Deep Purple in?
Deep Purple recorded Shades of Deep Purple (1968) in E Standard, about 13 cents flat (A ≈ 437), measured by TuneLit on the CD. And the Address uses E Standard at A 426; Hush, Mandrake Root and Help! use E Standard; Love Help Me uses E Standard −30 ¢.
Why does Shades of Deep Purple sound out of tune with my guitar?
The record sits about 13 cents flat (A ≈ 437), 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.