Queen · 1991 · Studio album
Innuendo tuning.
E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD. 2 of 12 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E Standard
At concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD.
MeasuredWidely reported
Measured by TuneLit
At concert pitch
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, Parlophone CDP 7 95887 2 (1991, first CD issue) | +3.9 ¢ | A 441 | 12 | +1.3 to +7.5 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E Standard, with no pitch given (widely reported).
E Standard at concert pitch (+4 ¢) on the first CD, Parlophone CDP 7 95887 2. Headlong is tabbed in Drop D, and The Hitman sits about 47 ¢ sharp, between two notes.
12 songs · 2 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. Innuendo
E StandardMeasured
Notes
Steve Howe plays the flamenco interlude on a Spanish guitar; the electric parts are in E Standard. It sits at the album's pitch, about 4 ¢ sharp.
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2. I'm Going Slightly Mad
E StandardMeasured
Notes
It reads about 24 ¢ sharp, on this CD and the Japanese remaster alike, but at low confidence, so the button uses the album value. If the guitar parts sound flat against you, try about 24 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 446.2). Songsterr's bass part drops string 4 to D.
On its own, this song measures sharper: CD +24.1 ¢ (medium confidence). Tune uses the album's A 440.
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3. Headlong
Different tuning
Drop DMeasured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E → D); the other strings stay.
Both guitars and the bass of the Songsterr tab have the low string at D, and the audio check hears D as the lowest string. The record sits with the album, about 4 ¢ sharp.
The Songsterr tab has both guitars and the bass with the low string at D, and a live-style tab agrees; neither has many views.
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4. I Can't Live with You
E StandardMeasured
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5. Don't Try So Hard
E StandardMeasured
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6. Ride the Wild Wind
E StandardMeasured
Notes
On its own, this song measures sharper: CD +8.3 ¢. Tune uses the album's A 440.
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7. All God's People
E StandardMeasured
Notes
Mike Moran plays the keyboards; May the guitars, in standard tuning.
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8. These Are the Days of Our Lives
E StandardMeasured
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9. Delilah
E StandardMeasured
Notes
On its own, this song measures sharper: CD +8.7 ¢. Tune uses the album's A 440.
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10. The Hitman
Different pitch
E Standard +47 ¢Measured
Notes
The record sits about 47 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 452.2), between two notes. TuneLit lists E Standard +47 ¢, but the low notes fit the other reading at least as well, E Standard about 53 ¢ flat (A ≈ 427): try both buttons.
Tabbed in E Standard. The record sits half a semitone from the A 440 grid.
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11. Bijou
E StandardMeasured
Notes
May's guitar carries the verses and Mercury sings the break, the other way round from a normal song.
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12. The Show Must Go On
E StandardMeasured
Notes
In B minor, rising to C♯ minor, on E Standard guitars. It sits at concert pitch.
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 Innuendo in?
Queen recorded Innuendo (1991) in E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit on the CD. Headlong uses Drop D; The Hitman uses E Standard +47 ¢.
Why does Innuendo sound out of tune with my guitar?
The Hitman sits about 47 cents sharp (A ≈ 452), 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, so you only tune the strings.