TUNELIT

Foo Fighters · 2011 · Studio album

Wasting Light tuning.

E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD. 1 of 11 songs are tuned differently.

Wasting Light album cover

Album tuning

E Standard

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

MeasuredCommunity

Tune like thisPlay alongAll 11 songs

Measured by TuneLit

At concert pitch

SourceOffsetEquivalent ASongsSpreadConfidence
CD, RCA/Sony Music Japan SICP 3072+1.8 ¢A 440.511−1.3 to +2.7 ¢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).

Recorded on analog tape in Grohl's garage with Butch Vig. Every song is tabbed in E Standard; the extra low end on the heavy parts came from Pat Smear's baritone guitar, not from detuning. The CD measures about 2 ¢ sharp, with A Matter of Time about 7 ¢ flat.

11 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. Bridge Burning

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  2. 2. Rope

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  3. 3. Dear Rosemary

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü sings and plays guitar.

  4. 4. White Limo

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  5. 5. Arlandria

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  6. 6. These Days

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  7. 7. Back & Forth

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  8. 8. A Matter of Time

    Different pitch

    E Standard −7 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Measured about 7 ¢ flat (A ≈ 438.2), 9 ¢ below the rest of Wasting Light.

    Walk, Rope, White Limo, These Days and the rest of the album are tabbed in E Standard. Pat Smear often added a baritone guitar for weight.

  9. 9. Miss the Misery

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  10. 10. I Should Have Known

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Krist Novoselic plays bass and accordion.

  11. 11. Walk

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    E Standard in the main tabs.

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.
Community
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 Wasting Light in?

Foo Fighters recorded Wasting Light (2011) in E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit on the CD. A Matter of Time uses E Standard −7 ¢.