TUNELIT

Led Zeppelin · 1975 · Studio album

Physical Graffiti tuning.

E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD. 10 of 15 songs are tuned differently.

Physical Graffiti album cover

Album tuning

E Standard

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

MeasuredCommunity

Tune like thisPlay alongAll 15 songs

Measured by TuneLit

At concert pitch

SourceOffsetEquivalent ASongsSpreadConfidence
2CD, Swan Song, original 1980s mastering+0.2 ¢A 440.115+0.2 to +0.5 ¢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).

A double album from the 1974 sessions plus leftovers back to 1970, measured on the original 1980s two-CD set. The songs fall into two groups: concert pitch (Custard Pie, In My Time of Dying, Kashmir, Bron-Yr-Aur, Down by the Seaside, Night Flight, Sick Again) and 9 to 17 ¢ flat (The Rover, Houses of the Holy, Trampled Under Foot, Ten Years Gone, The Wanton Song, Black Country Woman). Boogie with Stu sits about 38 ¢ flat.

15 songs · 10 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. Custard Pie

    E StandardMeasured

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  2. 2. The Rover

    Different pitch

    E Standard −17 ¢Measured

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    Notes

    TuneLit measured about 17 ¢ flat (A ≈ 435.6).

    Tabbed in E Standard.

  3. 3. In My Time of Dying

    Different tuning

    Open AMeasured

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    Notes

    How to get there from the album's E Standard: String 4 up a whole step (D → E), String 3 up a whole step (G → A), String 2 up a whole step (B → C♯); the other strings stay.

    Open A slide, at concert pitch.

    Slide guitar in open A (E A E A C♯ E), played on stage on the Danelectro.

  4. 4. Houses of the Holy

    Different pitch

    E Standard −17 ¢Measured

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    Notes

    Recorded in 1972 for the album of the same name. TuneLit measured about 17 ¢ flat (A ≈ 435.7).

    Tabbed in E Standard.

  5. 5. Trampled Under Foot

    Different pitch

    E Standard −15 ¢Measured

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    Notes

    TuneLit measured about 15 ¢ flat (A ≈ 436.1).

    Tabbed in E Standard; Jones's clavinet drives the riff.

  6. 6. Kashmir

    Different tuning

    DADGADMeasured

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    Notes

    How to get there from the album's E Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E → D), String 2 down a whole step (B → A), String 1 down a whole step (E → D); the other strings stay.

    DADGAD at concert pitch.

    D A D G A D, the tuning Page already used for White Summer and Black Mountain Side.

  7. 7. In the Light

    E StandardMeasured

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  8. 8. Bron-Yr-Aur

    Different tuning

    C2 A2 C3 G3 C4 E4Measured

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    Notes

    How to get there from the album's E Standard: String 6 down 4 half steps (E → C), String 4 down a whole step (D → C), String 2 up a half step (B → C); the other strings stay.

    Page's C A C G C E, at concert pitch; recorded in 1970.

    The same C A C G C E tuning as Friends; the solo acoustic piece was recorded in 1970.

  9. 9. Down by the Seaside

    E StandardMeasured

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    Notes

    Tabbed in E Standard. TuneLit's semitone check picks F, a known limit of the check: the open low E hardly sounds in this song.

  10. 10. Ten Years Gone

    Different tuning

    Drop D −11 ¢Measured

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    Notes

    How to get there from the album's E Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E → D); the other strings stay.

    Drop D, about 11 ¢ flat (A ≈ 437.2).

    The main tabs put the guitar parts in Drop D (D A D G B E).

  11. 11. Night Flight

    E StandardMeasured

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  12. 12. The Wanton Song

    Different pitch

    E Standard −9 ¢Measured

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    Notes

    TuneLit measured about 9 ¢ flat (A ≈ 437.8).

    Tabbed in E Standard.

  13. 13. Boogie with Stu

    Different pitch

    E Standard −38 ¢Measured

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    Notes

    A 1971 jam with Ian Stewart on piano, recorded at the Rock and Roll session. TuneLit measured about 38 ¢ flat (A ≈ 430).

    The acoustic guitar is tabbed in E Standard; the tab adds a mandolin part and Ian Stewart's piano.

  14. 14. Black Country Woman

    Different tuning

    Open G −10 ¢Measured

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    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, about 10 ¢ flat; recorded in the garden at Stargroves in 1972, aeroplane included.

    Both acoustic parts of the tab are in open G (D G D G B D).

  15. 15. Sick Again

    E StandardMeasured

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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 Physical Graffiti in?

Led Zeppelin recorded Physical Graffiti (1975) in E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit on the CD. 10 songs use other tunings or pitches, listed song by song on this page.

Why does Physical Graffiti sound out of tune with my guitar?

The Rover 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.