Green Day · 1991 · Studio album
Kerplunk tuning.
E♭ Standard, about 17 cents flat (A ≈ 436), measured on the CD. 5 of 12 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E♭ Standard −16 ¢
About 17 cents flat (A ≈ 436), measured on the CD.
MeasuredFrom tabs
Measured by TuneLit
17 ¢ flat
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, Lookout! (1992), MP3 copy | −16.5 ¢ | A 435.8 | 12 | −20.9 to −14.9 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E♭ Standard, with no pitch given (community).
The first album with Tré Cool and the first in E♭ Standard, about 16 ¢ flat on the CD (A ≈ 435.8). The songs vary more than on any later record, from about 26 ¢ flat to concert pitch, and the acoustic closer sits a quarter tone above the rest. The CD adds the four songs of the Sweet Children EP, which are not part of the album.
12 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. 2000 Light Years Away
E♭ Standard −16 ¢Measured
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2. One for the Razorbacks
E♭ Standard −16 ¢Measured
Notes
TuneLit's audio check hears E rather than E♭ here (the open E sounds often in this song in B), but no tab agrees: worth a check by ear.
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3. Welcome to Paradise
E♭ Standard −16 ¢Measured
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4. Christie Rd.
E♭ Standard −16 ¢Measured
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5. Private Ale
Different pitch
E♭ Standard −25 ¢Measured
Notes
About 25 ¢ flat, below the rest of the album.
Songsterr tabs every song but one in E♭ Standard (half step down), guitar and bass alike.
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6. Dominated Love Slave
Different pitch
E♭ StandardMeasured
Notes
Tré Cool's country send-up sits at concert pitch on the CD, about 17 ¢ above the rest of the album.
Songsterr tabs every song but one in E♭ Standard (half step down), guitar and bass alike.
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7. One of My Lies
Different pitch
E♭ Standard −26 ¢Measured
Notes
About 26 ¢ flat, like Private Ale, below the rest of the album.
Songsterr tabs every song but one in E♭ Standard (half step down), guitar and bass alike.
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8. 80
E♭ Standard −16 ¢Measured
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9. Android
E♭ Standard −16 ¢Measured
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10. No One Knows
E♭ Standard −16 ¢Measured
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11. Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?
Different pitch
E♭ Standard −6 ¢Measured
Notes
About 6 ¢ flat, closer to concert pitch than most of the album.
Songsterr tabs every song but one in E♭ Standard (half step down), guitar and bass alike.
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12. Words I Might Have Ate
Different tuning
E Standard A 427Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E♭ Standard: Every string up a half step.
Billie Joe on acoustic guitar, a quarter tone above the rest of the album: about 52 ¢ below E, or 48 ¢ above E♭. Tune sets E Standard at A 427.
Songsterr tabs it in E Standard, unlike the rest of Kerplunk; an Ultimate Guitar transcriber could not decide between standard and a half step down. The record sits between the two.
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 Kerplunk in?
Green Day recorded Kerplunk (1991) in E♭ Standard, about 17 cents flat (A ≈ 436), measured by TuneLit on the CD. 5 songs use other tunings or pitches, listed song by song on this page.
Why does Kerplunk sound out of tune with my guitar?
The record sits about 17 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.