Pantera · 1990 · Studio album
Cowboys from Hell tuning.
E Standard at A 435, about 21 cents flat, measured on the CD. 3 of 12 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E Standard A 435
About 21 cents flat (A 435), measured on the CD.
MeasuredWidely reported
Measured by TuneLit
21 ¢ flat
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, Atco/East West Japan AMCY-140 | −20.6 ¢ | A 434.8 | 12 | −23.3 to −20.0 ¢ | Medium |
Before we measured, sources said: E Standard at A 425, about 60 cents flat (widely reported).
Sources date Dime's 60-cent flat tuning from this album, but TuneLit measured the CD only about 21 ¢ flat (A ≈ 435), with Cemetery Gates lower at about 32 ¢ (A ≈ 432). Primal Concrete Sledge and Medicine Man are the Drop D exceptions.
12 songs · 3 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. Cowboys from Hell
E Standard A 435Measured
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2. Primal Concrete Sledge
Different tuning
Drop D A 435Measured
Notes
Dime named it as one of Pantera's Drop D songs in his Guitar World column. Guitar World puts the dropped string at about C♯ +40, but on the CD TuneLit measured the song about 25 ¢ flat, close to the album's A 435.
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3. Psycho Holiday
E Standard A 435Measured
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4. Heresy
E Standard A 435Measured
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5. Cemetery Gates
Different pitch
E Standard A 432Measured
Notes
Tabs split between E Standard and E♭ Standard because the record sits between the two. TuneLit measured it about 32 ¢ flat (A ≈ 432), closer to E, so E Standard at A 432 matches the record.
Grady Champion's 60-cent figure would put it at E Standard with A about 425 Hz, but TuneLit measured this song about 32 ¢ flat (A ≈ 432) on the CD, a little lower than the rest of the album.
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6. Domination
E Standard A 435Measured
Notes
Tabbed in E Standard. From 1992 the band also played it live as a medley with Hollow; the tab of that medley on Official Live: 101 Proof stays in the same flat E.
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7. Shattered
E Standard A 435Measured
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8. Clash with Reality
E Standard A 435Measured
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9. Medicine Man
Different tuning
Drop D A 435Measured
Notes
Community tabs put it in Drop D. Use the album's measured reference, A 435, rather than the 425 that Dime's usual offset would suggest.
On its own, this song measures flatter: CD −29.7 ¢ (medium confidence). Tune uses the album's A 435.
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10. Message in Blood
E Standard A 435Measured
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11. The Sleep
E Standard A 435Measured
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12. The Art of Shredding
E Standard A 435Measured
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 Cowboys from Hell in?
Pantera recorded Cowboys from Hell (1990) in E Standard at A 435, about 21 cents flat, measured by TuneLit on the CD. Primal Concrete Sledge and Medicine Man use Drop D at A 435; Cemetery Gates uses E Standard at A 432.
Why does Cowboys from Hell sound out of tune with my guitar?
The record sits about 21 cents flat (A 435), 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.