Megadeth · Countdown to Extinction · song 2
Symphony of Destruction tuning.
Symphony of Destruction (Megadeth, 1992) is in E Standard 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.
Megadeth · Countdown to Extinction · 1992
About Symphony of Destruction
Symphony of Destruction is the best-known single from Countdown to Extinction (1992): a slow, stomping song built on a simple palm-muted riff that keeps returning to the open String 6, with Marty Friedman's short melodic solo in the middle. The guitars and the bass are tabbed in E Standard.
TuneLit measured the album about 3 ¢ sharp and this song about 5 ¢ sharp, both within what counts as concert pitch, so the Tune button sets plain E Standard. The check from the audio hears E as the lowest open string. If anything, a tuner at A 441 is the closest match, but nobody will hear the difference on these chunky riffs.
Because the main riff is so easy, the song is often a first Megadeth song for beginners, and that is where re-tuned tabs cause trouble. Songsterr has a B Standard version for heavier sounds and live-style versions with a 5-string bass. For the record, keep all six strings in E Standard. The 2004 remix of the album reads only about 2 ¢ higher than the original CD, so either version works with the same tuning.
Tip: Tune to plain E Standard and check the open String 6 against the palm-muted riff that opens the song.
Step by step
Tune your guitar like the record
- Tap Tune like this: the tuner switches to E Standard, the notes Symphony of Destruction was recorded in.
- Turn String 6 to String 1 until each shows ✓ in tune. Symphony of Destruction sits at concert pitch on the record, so the tuner stays at A 440.
- Then play Symphony of Destruction 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 Symphony of Destruction instead. Add your own copy, for example from your CD (it never leaves your device); the link already says the song is in E Standard. Choose E Standard at A 440 and Symphony of Destruction moves down 3 cents, 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 Symphony of Destruction in?
E Standard: E A D G B E, low to high, at the pitch TuneLit measured on the record.