Linkin Park · Meteora · song 13
Numb tuning.
Numb (Linkin Park, 2003) is in Drop C♯ at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit from the record.
Measured by TuneLit
At concert pitch
The album's value, measured on the CD.
Linkin Park · Meteora · 2003
About Numb
Numb closes Meteora (2003) and became one of Linkin Park's best-known songs. A keyboard melody carries it, and the guitars come in under the chorus. Songsterr writes both the distorted rhythm part and a clean part for Brad Delson in Drop C♯ (C♯ G♯ C♯ F♯ A♯ D♯), the album's tuning.
Numb measures about 3 cents above A 440, well inside what TuneLit stores as concert pitch, so the Tune button gives a normal Drop C♯. The audio check confirms the low C♯ (0.967), even though the bass spends most of its time on D, F♯ and A: the open C♯ is heard less often than in most Meteora songs, but the C under it practically never sounds.
A second, much less viewed Songsterr tab writes Numb in E Standard, and played that way the chords sit a half step above the record. If you are playing along with the album, use Drop C♯; if a chord sheet sounds sharp against the song, that is almost always why. For the 2004 mash-up with Jay-Z, Numb/Encore, start from the same tuning and check by ear: TuneLit has not measured that release. The clean part is a good place to check your tuning, because every slightly sour string stands out without distortion.
Tip: Tune to Drop C♯ at A 440; if your tab or chord sheet is in E Standard, it will sound a half step high against the record.
Step by step
Tune your guitar like the record
- Tap Tune like this: the tuner switches to Drop C♯, the notes Numb was recorded in.
- From E Standard: String 6 down 3 half steps (E → C♯), String 5 down a half step (A → G♯), String 4 down a half step (D → C♯), String 3 down a half step (G → F♯), String 2 down a half step (B → A♯), String 1 down a half step (E → D♯).
- Turn String 6 to String 1 until each shows ✓ in tune. Numb sits at concert pitch on the record, so the tuner stays at A 440.
- Then play Numb along with the record: its lowest open note and your String 6 should ring together without a wobble.
Or the other way round
Move the record into your tuning
Rather keep your guitar as it is? Let Play along move Numb instead. Add your own copy, for example from your CD (it never leaves your device); the link already says the song is in Drop C♯. Choose Drop D at A 440 and Numb moves up a half step, at its own speed. Slow it down or loop a few bars to learn it, and save the result as a WAV file.
Questions
What tuning is Numb in?
Drop C♯: C♯ G♯ C♯ F♯ A♯ D♯, low to high, at the pitch TuneLit measured on the record.