Nirvana · In Utero · song 6
Dumb tuning.
Dumb (Nirvana, 1993) is in E♭ Standard at concert pitch (A 440).
Not measured yet
TuneLit has not measured this record. The tuning comes from community sources, at concert pitch unless they say otherwise.
Nirvana · In Utero · 1993
About Dumb
Dumb is a gentle, mid-tempo song on In Utero (1993), recorded with Steve Albini in February that year, by which time Nirvana tuned half a step down on stage and in the studio. It is in E♭ Standard (E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭), like nine of the album's twelve songs.
TuneLit has not measured In Utero, so the tuning comes from the tabs and sources, at concert pitch (A 440). Set E♭ Standard with a normal reference, and use Fine-tune only if the record sounds a touch off to your ears.
The good news is that the MTV Unplugged in New York version is in E♭ too, so one tuning covers both recordings, unlike About a Girl or Polly, which sit a half step apart between studio and Unplugged. The catch is chord charts written for standard tuning: played in E Standard they sound a half step above both versions. On In Utero, Heart-Shaped Box and All Apologies drop String 6 further, to C♯, so check before moving on.
Tip: Tune all six strings a half step down; the same setting fits the In Utero take and the MTV Unplugged one.
Step by step
Tune your guitar like the record
- Tap Tune like this: the tuner switches to E♭ Standard, the notes Dumb was recorded in.
- From E Standard: Every string down a half step. No tuner that knows E♭ Standard? Clamp a capo across fret 1, tune to E Standard as usual, then take it off: every string drops to E♭ Standard. Check each string again afterwards, since a capo pulls the strings a little sharp.
- Turn String 6 to String 1 until each shows ✓ in tune. Dumb sits at concert pitch on the record, so the tuner stays at A 440.
- Then play Dumb 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 Dumb 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 Dumb 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 Dumb in?
E♭ Standard: E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭, low to high.