Pink Floyd · 1971 · Studio album
Meddle tuning.
E Standard, about 7 cents flat (A ≈ 438), measured on the CD. 4 of 6 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E Standard −7 ¢
About 7 cents flat (A ≈ 438), measured on the CD.
MeasuredCommunity
Measured by TuneLit
7 ¢ flat
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, EMI Music Japan TOCP-53806 (2009) | −6.7 ¢ | A 438.3 | 6 | −14.8 to −0.2 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E Standard, with no pitch given (community).
Measured from a 2009 Japanese CD, not a first pressing. The album sits about 7 ¢ flat (A ≈ 438.3), but its songs spread widely: One of These Days 22 ¢ flat and Fearless 17 ¢ flat, while Seamus and Echoes read at concert pitch. Two songs leave standard tuning: the steel guitar of One of These Days in open E minor, and Fearless in an open G tuning.
6 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. One of These Days
Different tuning
E2 B2 E3 G3 B3 E4 −22 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E Standard: String 5 up a whole step (A → B), String 4 up a whole step (D → E); the other strings stay.
The guitar here is a steel in open E minor (E B E G B E): tune a spare guitar this way and play it with a slide. The famous line is two basses in standard tuning, one with old dull strings.
The slide part was played on Gilmour's Fender 1000 steel guitar. The detailed tab has it in open E minor (E B E G B E), the tuning Gilmour has used for the song on stage since 1971, first on a Stratocaster and later on lap steels. The two basses play in standard tuning.
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2. A Pillow of Winds
E Standard −7 ¢Measured
Notes
The acoustic rhythm is in standard tuning. One detailed transcription uses two other tunings for the electric parts: E B E F♯ G B for an arpeggio part and open E for the slide.
Fan tabs and the strummed acoustic part use standard tuning. A detailed transcription puts an electric arpeggio part in E B E F♯ G B and the slide in open E (E B E G♯ B E). No band source says.
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3. Fearless
Different tuning
G2 G2 D3 G3 B3 B3 −17 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E Standard: String 6 up 3 half steps (E → G), String 5 down a whole step (A → G), String 1 down 5 half steps (E → B); the other strings stay.
String 1 sits 5 half steps below its standard E4. On a normal set (.010) it keeps only about 55 % of its usual tension and feels loose. For the usual feel use about a .013 string, or a baritone guitar.
An open G tuning taught by Syd Barrett. Listed as G G D G B B, as the detailed tab has it; if your tab is in the usual open G (D G D G B D), tune that way instead.
Wikipedia (citing Guitar World and the Pink Floyd fan club) says Roger Waters played it in an open G tuning that Syd Barrett had taught him. The exact strings differ: the detailed tab and two others use G G D G B B, other tabs the usual open G, D G D G B D.
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4. San Tropez
E Standard −7 ¢Measured
Notes
Waters on acoustic; Gilmour's slide solo is tabbed in standard tuning.
Tabbed in standard tuning like the rest of the album.
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5. Seamus
Different pitch
E StandardMeasured
Notes
Two acoustics in standard tuning, at concert pitch.
Tabbed in standard tuning like the rest of the album; TuneLit measured this song on its own because its pitch differs from the album's.
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6. Echoes
Different pitch
E StandardMeasured
Notes
Standard tuning, slides included. TuneLit's value comes from the opening minutes, which sit at concert pitch. Read in sections, the sung verses come out about 20 ¢ lower and the closing section about 10 ¢ lower, so retune a little for those parts.
Tabbed in standard tuning like the rest of the album; TuneLit measured this song on its own because its pitch differs from the album's.
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 Meddle in?
Pink Floyd recorded Meddle (1971) in E Standard, about 7 cents flat (A ≈ 438), measured by TuneLit on the CD. One of These Days uses E2 B2 E3 G3 B3 E4 −22 ¢; Fearless uses G2 G2 D3 G3 B3 B3 −17 ¢; Seamus and Echoes use E Standard.
Why does Meddle sound out of tune with my guitar?
One of These Days sits about 22 cents flat (A ≈ 434), 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.