TUNELIT

Pink Floyd · 1970 · Studio album

Atom Heart Mother tuning.

E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD. All 5 songs use it.

Atom Heart Mother album cover

Album tuning

E Standard

At concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD.

MeasuredCommunity

Tune like thisPlay alongAll 5 songs

Measured by TuneLit

At concert pitch

SourceOffsetEquivalent ASongsSpreadConfidence
CD, Toshiba-EMI CP32-5274 (Japan, first CD issue)+0.9 ¢A 440.25−2.9 to +2.1 ¢High
 Offset from concert pitch (A 440). Spread: the middle half of the songs, when four or more share the album's pitch. Confidence: how well the notes agree with one grid.

Before we measured, sources said: E Standard, with no pitch given (community).

Standard tuning throughout, and the CD sits at concert pitch (A 440). The title suite's bass is tabbed with its low string dropped to D.

5 songs

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

  1. 1. Atom Heart Mother

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    The 23-minute suite with brass and choir. Guitars in standard tuning; the bass drops its E string to D.

    Guitars in standard tuning; both tabs of the suite drop the bass's E string to D.

    Bass: Bass Drop D Tune bass

  2. 2. If

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  3. 3. Summer '68

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  4. 4. Fat Old Sun

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    An acoustic and an electric solo in standard tuning. One tab adds a pedal steel in a C F C F A C tuning, but Gilmour bought that steel only after these sessions, so we do not list it.

  5. 5. Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

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 Atom Heart Mother in?

Pink Floyd recorded Atom Heart Mother (1970) in E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit on the CD. Every song uses it.