Metallica · 2003 · Studio album
St. Anger tuning.
Drop C at concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD and the LP. 4 of 11 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
Drop C
At concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD and the LP.
MeasuredWidely reported
Measured by TuneLit
At concert pitch
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD edition Used for the Tune buttons | −3.4 ¢ | A 439.1 | 11 | −4.9 to +2.3 ¢ | Low |
| 2LP, Elektra 0602498653364 | −9.6 ¢ | A 437.6 | 11 | −12.7 to −6.1 ¢ | Low |
Before we measured, sources said: Drop C, with no pitch given (widely reported).
Most of the album, including Frantic, St. Anger, Some Kind of Monster and Sweet Amber, is in Drop C, the lowest main tuning Metallica had used. Three songs differ: Dirty Window is half a step higher in Drop C♯, while Invisible Kid and The Unnamed Feeling go lower. There are no guitar solos, and producer Bob Rock played bass on the album. TuneLit measured the CD close to concert pitch (low confidence on this dense mix), with Some Kind of Monster about 14 ¢ flat.
11 songs · 4 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. Frantic
Drop CMeasured
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2. St. Anger
Drop CMeasured
Notes
On its own, this song measures flatter: CD −8.1 ¢, LP −13.7 ¢. Tune uses the album's A 440.
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3. Some Kind of Monster
Different pitch
Drop C −14 ¢Measured
Notes
Measured about 14 ¢ flat on both CD and LP, lower than the rest of St. Anger.
Drop C (C G C F A D) on eight of the eleven songs.
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4. Dirty Window
Different tuning
Drop C♯ +11 ¢Measured
Notes
Half a step higher than the rest of St. Anger. Live versions have been transcribed in Drop C.
Drop C♯ (C♯ G♯ C♯ F♯ A♯ D♯) on the studio version.
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5. Invisible Kid
Different tuning
Drop A♭Measured
Notes
The lowest tuning on any Metallica studio album.
Drop G♯ (G♯ D♯ G♯ C♯ F A♯), six semitones below Drop D.
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6. My World
Drop CMeasured
Notes
On its own, this song measures CD +17.3 ¢, LP −3.5 ¢ (medium confidence). Tune uses the album's A 440.
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7. Shoot Me Again
Drop CMeasured
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8. Sweet Amber
Drop CMeasured
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9. The Unnamed Feeling
Different tuning
Drop B♭Measured
Notes
Two semitones below the Drop C used on the rest of the album.
Drop A♯/B♭ (A♯ F A♯ D♯ G C).
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10. Purify
Drop CMeasured
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11. All Within My Hands
Drop CMeasured
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 St. Anger in?
Metallica recorded St. Anger (2003) in Drop C at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit on the CD and the LP. 4 songs use other tunings or pitches, listed song by song on this page.
Why does St. Anger sound out of tune with my guitar?
Some Kind of Monster sits about 14 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.