Queen · 1974 · Studio album
Queen II tuning.
E Standard, about 7 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured on the CD. 5 of 11 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E Standard +7 ¢
About 7 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured on the CD.
MeasuredWidely reported
Measured by TuneLit
7 ¢ sharp
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, Parlophone CDPCSD 140 (1994 Digital Master Series) | +7.0 ¢ | A 441.8 | 11 | +6.3 to +7.6 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E Standard, with no pitch given (widely reported).
E Standard, about 7 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 441.8) on EMI's 1994 CD. The single Seven Seas of Rhye sits about 41 ¢ flat, The March of the Black Queen and Funny How Love Is about 17 ¢ sharp.
11 songs · 5 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. Procession
E Standard +7 ¢Measured
Notes
May's multi-tracked Red Special through the Deacy Amp, with Taylor on bass drum only. Two of the seven guitar lines in the Songsterr tab drop string 6 to D; the others are in E Standard.
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2. Father to Son
E Standard +7 ¢Measured
Notes
Deacon adds acoustic guitar. The main tab part is in E Standard, while two harmony parts drop string 6 to D.
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3. White Queen (As It Began)
Different pitch
E Standard −4 ¢Measured
Notes
May plays his Hallfredh acoustic, its bridge rebuilt with a piece of fret wire for a sitar-like buzz, in standard tuning. It measures about 4 ¢ flat (A ≈ 439), lower than the album, at moderate confidence.
Tabbed in E Standard.
-
4. Some Day One Day
E Standard +7 ¢Measured
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5. The Loser in the End
Different pitch
E StandardMeasured
Notes
Taylor's song. TuneLit measured it at concert pitch, about 9 ¢ below the album.
Tabbed in E Standard.
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6. Ogre Battle
E Standard +7 ¢Measured
Notes
Mercury wrote the riff on guitar; the tabs have it in E Standard.
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7. The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke
E Standard +7 ¢Measured
Notes
Mercury plays harpsichord and piano; the guitars are in standard tuning.
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8. Nevermore
E Standard +7 ¢Measured
Notes
A short piano ballad by Mercury.
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9. The March of the Black Queen
Different pitch
E Standard +18 ¢Measured
Notes
TuneLit measured it about 18 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 444.7), the highest song on the album, with May's guitars in E Standard.
Tabbed in E Standard.
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10. Funny How Love Is
Different pitch
E Standard +17 ¢Measured
Notes
About 17 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 444.2), like The March of the Black Queen before it.
Tabbed in E Standard.
-
11. Seven Seas of Rhye
Different pitch
E Standard −41 ¢Measured
Notes
The single sits about 41 ¢ flat (A ≈ 429.7), steady through the song and the same on the Japanese remaster: close to halfway to E♭, and 48 ¢ below the album. The audio check hears E as the lowest string, so tune E Standard with the song's own button.
Every tab is 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 Queen II in?
Queen recorded Queen II (1974) in E Standard, about 7 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured by TuneLit on the CD. 5 songs use other tunings or pitches, listed song by song on this page.
Why does Queen II sound out of tune with my guitar?
The March of the Black Queen sits about 18 cents sharp (A ≈ 445), 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.