Led Zeppelin · 1973 · Studio album
Houses of the Holy tuning.
E Standard, about 5 cents flat (A ≈ 439), measured on the CD. 6 of 8 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E Standard −5 ¢
About 5 cents flat (A ≈ 439), measured on the CD.
MeasuredCommunity
Measured by TuneLit
5 ¢ flat
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, Atlantic, original 1980s mastering | −4.6 ¢ | A 438.8 | 8 | −5.9 to +4.2 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E Standard, with no pitch given (community).
Mostly E Standard, about 5 ¢ flat on the original 1980s CD, with D G C G C D for The Rain Song and open G for Dancing Days. Two songs move far: The Crunge sits 26 ¢ flat, and D'yer Mak'er about 51 ¢ flat, half way between two notes. No Quarter, slowed down by Page, lands back near A 440.
8 songs · 6 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. The Song Remains the Same
E Standard −5 ¢Measured
Notes
Played on a 12-string electric with a six-string on top. Plant's vocal was sped up a little for the album; the band track measures about 8 ¢ flat, close to the album value.
Page plays a Fender 12-string electric and a six-string, both tabbed in E Standard.
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2. The Rain Song
Different tuning
D2 G2 C3 G3 C4 D4 −5 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E → D), String 5 down a whole step (A → G), String 4 down a whole step (D → C), String 2 up a half step (B → C), String 1 down a whole step (E → D); the other strings stay.
D G C G C D at the album's pitch, about 5 ¢ flat.
D G C G C D, Page's variation on DADGAD, on both the acoustic and the Danelectro.
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3. Over the Hills and Far Away
E Standard −5 ¢Measured
Notes
Starts on a 12-string acoustic; every part is in E Standard. It measures right at concert pitch, close enough to share the album value.
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4. The Crunge
Different pitch
E Standard −26 ¢Measured
Notes
TuneLit measured about 26 ¢ flat (A ≈ 433.4).
Tabbed in E Standard.
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5. Dancing Days
Different tuning
Open G −5 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E → D), String 5 down a whole step (A → G), String 1 down a whole step (E → D); the other strings stay.
Open G at the album's pitch.
All three guitar parts of the main tab are in open G (D G D G B D).
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6. D'yer Mak'er
Different pitch
E Standard A 427Measured
Notes
The record sits about 51 ¢ below A 440: the band's C major sounds half way between B and C. The tabbed chords line up with the notes TuneLit hears at this pitch, so the button gives E Standard at A 427. TuneLit's semitone check would move it up a semitone, but only because the song never plays the open low E, a known limit of the check.
Tabbed in E Standard, with the chords of a C major doo-wop progression; the tab never plays the open low E.
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7. No Quarter
Different pitch
E Standard +4 ¢Measured
Notes
Page slowed the whole track with vari-speed. It measures about 4 ¢ sharp with high confidence, right on the A 440 grid: that fits a whole semitone, not a quarter tone. Jones leads on piano and synthesizer.
The main tab is in E Standard. Page slowed the finished track with vari-speed; accounts say by a semitone or a quarter tone, and a tab of the original key uses E♭ Standard.
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8. The Ocean
Different pitch
E Standard +4 ¢Measured
Notes
TuneLit measured about 4 ¢ sharp, a little above the rest of the album.
Tabbed in E Standard.
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 Houses of the Holy in?
Led Zeppelin recorded Houses of the Holy (1973) in E Standard, about 5 cents flat (A ≈ 439), measured by TuneLit on the CD. 6 songs use other tunings or pitches, listed song by song on this page.
Why does Houses of the Holy sound out of tune with my guitar?
The Crunge 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.