TUNELIT

Iron Maiden · 1984 · Studio album

Powerslave tuning.

E Standard, about 5 cents sharp (A ≈ 441), measured on the CD. 1 of 8 songs are tuned differently.

Powerslave album cover

Album tuning

E Standard +5 ¢

About 5 cents sharp (A ≈ 441), measured on the CD.

MeasuredFrom tabs

Tune like thisPlay alongAll 8 songs

Measured by TuneLit

5 ¢ sharp

SourceOffsetEquivalent ASongsSpreadConfidence
CD 1 of the 1995 two-disc reissue, EMI+5.0 ¢A 441.38+4.5 to +7.0 ¢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 at Compass Point Studios in Nassau again. E Standard about 5 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 441.3) on the 1995 CD, with The Duellists at concert pitch. The 2015 remaster plays at the same speed; the 1998 remaster, which also moved the intro of the title track to the end of Back in the Village, reads about 15 ¢ higher.

8 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. Aces High

    E Standard +5 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  2. 2. 2 Minutes to Midnight

    E Standard +5 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  3. 3. Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)

    E Standard +5 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  4. 4. Flash of the Blade

    E Standard +5 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  5. 5. The Duellists

    Different pitch

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Measured 3 ¢ flat, about 8 ¢ below the rest of the album; the 2015 remaster shows the same gap.

    Tabbed in E Standard like the rest of the album. Measured 3 ¢ flat on the 1995 CD, 8 ¢ below the album; on the 2015 remaster it reads −4 ¢ against about +6 ¢ for the album's other songs, the same gap.

  6. 6. Back in the Village

    E Standard +5 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    The 1998 remaster ends this track with the intro of Powerslave; it reads higher there too, at low confidence.

  7. 7. Powerslave

    E Standard +5 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    On the 1998 remaster the song reads about 19 ¢ sharp, 15 ¢ above the 1995 CD; the 2015 remaster matches the 1995 CD.

  8. 8. Rime of the Ancient Mariner

    E Standard +5 ¢Measured

    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 Powerslave in?

Iron Maiden recorded Powerslave (1984) in E Standard, about 5 cents sharp (A ≈ 441), measured by TuneLit on the CD. The Duellists uses E Standard.