Metallica · 1987 · EP
The $5.98 E.P. tuning.
E Standard, about 5 cents sharp (A ≈ 441), measured on the CD and the LP. 2 of 5 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E Standard +5 ¢
About 5 cents sharp (A ≈ 441), measured on the CD and the LP.
MeasuredWidely reported
Measured by TuneLit
5 ¢ sharp
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garage Inc. CD edition (the same 1987 recordings) Used for the Tune buttons | +4.8 ¢ | A 441.2 | 5 | Too few songs | High |
| Garage Inc. 3LP, Elektra 62299-1 (the same 1987 recordings) | +2.6 ¢ | A 440.7 | 5 | Too few songs | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E Standard, with no pitch given (widely reported).
A five-song covers EP. Helpless, The Wait and Last Caress / Green Hell are in E Standard, while The Small Hours and Crash Course in Brain Surgery are tuned a full step down to D Standard, among the earliest Metallica recordings below E. All five tracks were later reissued on disc 2 of Garage Inc., where TuneLit measured them: The Small Hours sits about 22 ¢ sharp and the other four about 5 ¢ sharp; the EP’s Tune buttons use those values.
5 songs · 2 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. Helpless
E Standard +5 ¢Measured
-
2. The Small Hours
Different tuning
D Standard +22 ¢Measured
Notes
Holocaust cover, a full step down in D Standard. On Garage Inc. the same recording measures about 22 ¢ sharp.
Rolling Stone says two covers on the EP were tuned a full step down; transcriptions put this Holocaust cover in D Standard.
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3. The Wait
E Standard +5 ¢Measured
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4. Crash Course in Brain Surgery
Different tuning
D Standard +5 ¢Measured
Notes
Budgie cover, a full step down in D Standard.
The second of the two D Standard covers on the EP.
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5. Last Caress / Green Hell
E Standard +5 ¢Measured
Notes
On its own, this song measures flatter: CD −3.3 ¢, LP −5.1 ¢ (medium confidence). Tune uses the album's +5 ¢.
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 The $5.98 E.P. in?
Metallica recorded The $5.98 E.P. (1987) in E Standard, about 5 cents sharp (A ≈ 441), measured by TuneLit on the CD and the LP. The Small Hours uses D Standard +22 ¢; Crash Course in Brain Surgery uses D Standard +5 ¢.
Why does The $5.98 E.P. sound out of tune with my guitar?
The Small Hours sits about 22 cents sharp (A ≈ 446), 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, so you only tune the strings.