Jimi Hendrix · 1967 · Studio album
Axis: Bold as Love tuning.
E♭ Standard, about 8 cents flat (A ≈ 438), measured on the CD. 9 of 13 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E♭ Standard −8 ¢
About 8 cents flat (A ≈ 438), measured on the CD.
MeasuredWidely reported
Measured by TuneLit
8 ¢ flat
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, MCA MCAD-10894 (1993) | −7.7 ¢ | A 438 | 13 | −17.5 to −6.4 ¢ | Medium |
Before we measured, sources said: E♭ Standard, with no pitch given (widely reported).
The first Hendrix album in E♭ Standard from start to finish, recorded at Olympic Studios in London in 1967. TuneLit measured the 1993 MCA CD at about 8 cents flat (A ≈ 438), but single songs range from 30 cents flat (If 6 Was 9) to 41 cents sharp (One Rainy Wish), and Castles Made of Sand sits between two notes. The 2010 and 2015 CDs run about 7 cents lower.
13 songs · 9 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. EXP
E♭ Standard −8 ¢Measured
Notes
A sound collage of feedback and voices; no reliable reading, so it uses the album value.
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2. Up from the Skies
Different pitch
E♭ Standard −26 ¢Measured
Notes
About 26 ¢ flat of E♭ (A ≈ 433.5); the audio check agrees with E♭.
Tuned down a half step, as on most Hendrix records; every main community tab of the album is in E♭ Standard except One Rainy Wish.
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3. Spanish Castle Magic
Different pitch
E♭ Standard +6 ¢Measured
Notes
About 6 ¢ sharp of E♭ (A ≈ 441.4); the audio check agrees with E♭.
Tuned down a half step, as on most Hendrix records; every main community tab of the album is in E♭ Standard except One Rainy Wish.
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4. Wait Until Tomorrow
E♭ Standard −8 ¢Measured
Notes
Tabbed in E♭ Standard; the audio check agrees. Its own reading, about 16 ¢ flat, is uncertain, so it uses the album value.
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5. Ain't No Telling
Different pitch
E♭ Standard +33 ¢Measured
Notes
About 33 ¢ sharp of E♭ (A ≈ 448.4); the audio check agrees with E♭.
Tuned down a half step, as on most Hendrix records; every main community tab of the album is in E♭ Standard except One Rainy Wish.
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6. Little Wing
E♭ Standard −8 ¢Measured
Notes
Tuned down a half step, as Wikipedia notes for most Hendrix songs; the audio check agrees. The record sits close to the album value.
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7. If 6 Was 9
Different pitch
E♭ Standard −30 ¢Measured
Notes
About 30 ¢ flat of E♭ (A ≈ 432.4); the audio check agrees with E♭.
Tuned down a half step, as on most Hendrix records; every main community tab of the album is in E♭ Standard except One Rainy Wish.
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8. You Got Me Floatin'
Different pitch
E♭ Standard +17 ¢Measured
Notes
About 17 ¢ sharp of E♭ (A ≈ 444.4); the audio check agrees with E♭.
Tuned down a half step, as on most Hendrix records; every main community tab of the album is in E♭ Standard except One Rainy Wish.
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Notes
Halfway between two notes: E♭ Standard 54 ¢ flat, or the same tuning 46 ¢ sharp (E Standard at A 427). The audio check cannot tell them apart; the songs around it on the album sit on the sharp side.
Tuned down a half step, as on most Hendrix records; every main community tab of the album is in E♭ Standard except One Rainy Wish.
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10. She's So Fine
Different pitch
E♭ Standard −22 ¢Measured
Notes
Noel Redding's song. About 22 ¢ flat of E♭ (A ≈ 434.4); the audio check agrees with E♭.
Tuned down a half step, as on most Hendrix records; every main community tab of the album is in E♭ Standard except One Rainy Wish.
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11. One Rainy Wish
Different pitch
E♭ Standard +41 ¢Measured
Notes
The most-viewed tab says E Standard, but TuneLit's audio check hears E♭ and a second tab agrees, so it is listed in E♭, 41 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 450.6).
The most-viewed tab is in E Standard, a second one in E♭ Standard, like the rest of the album.
TuneLit's semitone check from the audio hears E♭ as the lowest open string, about 41 ¢ sharp: E♭ and the C and A♭ around it carry the song's low end, and the E of the main tab almost never sounds. A second tab says E♭ too, so the song is listed in E♭ Standard like the rest of the album.
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12. Little Miss Lover
Different pitch
E♭ Standard +36 ¢Measured
Notes
About 36 ¢ sharp of E♭ (A ≈ 449.3), near the middle between two notes; the audio check hears E♭.
Tuned down a half step, as on most Hendrix records; every main community tab of the album is in E♭ Standard except One Rainy Wish.
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13. Bold as Love
E♭ Standard −8 ¢Measured
Notes
Tabbed in E♭ Standard; the audio check agrees.
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 Axis: Bold as Love in?
Jimi Hendrix recorded Axis: Bold as Love (1967) in E♭ Standard, about 8 cents flat (A ≈ 438), measured by TuneLit on the CD. 9 songs use other tunings or pitches, listed song by song on this page.
Why does Axis: Bold as Love sound out of tune with my guitar?
Up from the Skies sits about 26 cents flat (A ≈ 433), 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.