Queen · 1975 · Studio album
A Night at the Opera tuning.
E Standard, about 15 cents flat (A ≈ 436), measured on the CD. 4 of 12 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E Standard −15 ¢
About 15 cents flat (A ≈ 436), measured on the CD.
MeasuredWidely reported
Measured by TuneLit
15 ¢ flat
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, Mobile Fidelity UDCD 568 (1992 gold CD) | −14.7 ¢ | A 436.3 | 12 | −15.4 to −13.8 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E Standard, with no pitch given (widely reported).
A consistently flat record: E Standard about 15 ¢ flat (A ≈ 436.3), measured on Mobile Fidelity's 1992 gold CD and matched by two later remasters. The Prophet's Song is in Drop D, '39 sits at concert pitch.
12 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. Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to...)
Different pitch
E Standard −7 ¢Measured
Notes
Tabbed in E Standard. TuneLit measured it about 7 ¢ flat (A ≈ 438.3), 8 ¢ above the rest of the album.
Tabbed in E Standard.
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2. Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon
E Standard −15 ¢Measured
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3. I'm in Love with My Car
E Standard −15 ¢Measured
Notes
Taylor played the guitars on his demo; May re-recorded them on the Red Special for the album.
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4. You're My Best Friend
E Standard −15 ¢Measured
Notes
Deacon wrote it while learning the piano and plays the Wurlitzer electric piano; the guitars are in E Standard.
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5. '39
Different pitch
E StandardMeasured
Notes
May sings and plays a 12-string acoustic, with Deacon on double bass. Standard tuning, so a six-string covers it. It sits at concert pitch (A 440), about 15 ¢ above the rest of the album.
Tabbed in E Standard; May's 12-string is in standard tuning.
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6. Sweet Lady
E Standard −15 ¢Measured
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7. Seaside Rendezvous
E Standard −15 ¢Measured
Notes
The one song on the album without a guitar: Mercury plays a jangle piano.
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8. The Prophet's Song
Different tuning
Drop D −15 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E → D); the other strings stay.
May lowered string 6 to D for this song and also plays a toy koto. The record sits with the album, about 15 ¢ flat, so Tune gives Drop D at A ≈ 436.3. The audio check hears D as the lowest string.
May lowered string 6 to D for this song; every guitar part of the Songsterr tab is in Drop D.
Bass: Bass Drop D −15 ¢ Tune bass
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9. Love of My Life
E Standard −15 ¢Measured
Notes
Mercury's piano ballad; May plays harp, a Gibson Hummingbird acoustic and the Red Special. On stage he rearranged it for a 12-string, a minor third lower than the record.
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10. Good Company
E Standard −15 ¢Measured
Notes
May wrote it on his father's banjo ukulele, recorded it with a ukulele and built the Dixieland band on the Red Special through the Deacy Amp. The guitars follow the album, about 15 ¢ flat.
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11. Bohemian Rhapsody
E Standard −15 ¢Measured
Notes
Mercury's song moves through B♭, E♭, A and F major, all on E Standard guitars. The whole record sits about 15 ¢ flat (A ≈ 436.3), steady from the a cappella opening to the end, and three CD editions agree within a cent.
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12. God Save the Queen
Different pitch
E Standard +23 ¢Measured
Notes
May's multi-tracked guitar arrangement of the anthem. It reads about 23 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 445.8), far above the rest of the album, at moderate confidence.
Tabbed in E Standard.
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.
- From tabs
- 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 A Night at the Opera in?
Queen recorded A Night at the Opera (1975) in E Standard, about 15 cents flat (A ≈ 436), measured by TuneLit on the CD. 4 songs use other tunings or pitches, listed song by song on this page.
Why does A Night at the Opera sound out of tune with my guitar?
The record sits about 15 cents flat (A ≈ 436), 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.