Queen · 1980 · Studio album
The Game tuning.
E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD. 3 of 10 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 CDPCSD 134 (1994 Digital Master Series) | +2.7 ¢ | A 440.7 | 10 | +1.1 to +5.6 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E Standard, with no pitch given (widely reported).
E Standard at concert pitch (+3 ¢) on EMI's 1994 CD, about 4 ¢ below the Japanese and Mobile Fidelity editions. Another One Bites the Dust sits a half step up and 43 ¢ flat, Coming Soon about 42 ¢ sharp.
10 songs · 3 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. Play the Game
E StandardMeasured
Notes
Mercury's piano ballad with synthesiser; the guitars are in E Standard.
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2. Dragon Attack
E StandardMeasured
Notes
On its own, this song measures sharper: CD +8.3 ¢. Tune uses the album's A 440.
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Notes
How to get there from the album's E Standard: Every string up a half step.
Deacon wrote it and plays the riff on bass, plus guitar and piano. The tabs are in E Standard, but the record sits about 43 ¢ off the A 440 grid, and the riff's notes land on F, G♯ and B♭ of that grid instead of E, G and A. Two Ultimate Guitar tabs say the recording is a half step up, so TuneLit lists F Standard 43 ¢ flat, the same as E Standard 57 ¢ sharp. The page also offers E Standard 43 ¢ flat.
Songsterr's guitar and bass tabs are in E Standard. Two Ultimate Guitar tabs write the recording a half step up (bass F B♭ E♭ A♭, or capo 1).
TuneLit's semitone check from the audio hears the open low string a half step above E: the riff's three notes sit on F, G♯ and B♭ of the record's grid, about 43 ¢ flat, where an E-tuned bass would give E, G and A. Two Ultimate Guitar tabs say the recording is a half step up, so the song is listed as F Standard 43 ¢ flat, the same as E Standard 57 ¢ sharp. If it sounds a half step high, try E Standard 43 ¢ flat.
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4. Need Your Loving Tonight
E StandardMeasured
Notes
Deacon plays acoustic guitar on it; standard tuning.
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5. Crazy Little Thing Called Love
E StandardMeasured
Notes
Mercury plays the acoustic rhythm guitar and May his solo on Taylor's Fender Esquire. Mercury wrote it on guitar knowing only a few chords. Standard tuning; the record sits at concert pitch.
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6. Rock It (Prime Jive)
Different pitch
E Standard +12 ¢Measured
Notes
About 12 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 443), 9 ¢ above the album.
Tabbed in E Standard.
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7. Don't Try Suicide
E StandardMeasured
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8. Sail Away Sweet Sister
E StandardMeasured
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9. Coming Soon
Different pitch
E Standard +42 ¢Measured
Notes
Taylor's song. It sits about 42 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 450.9), between two notes; the audio check hears E, so start with E Standard +42 ¢.
Tabbed in E Standard.
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10. Save Me
E StandardMeasured
Notes
May's song: verses in G, chorus in D, with May on acoustic and electric guitars and piano. 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 The Game in?
Queen recorded The Game (1980) in E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit on the CD. Another One Bites the Dust uses F Standard −43 ¢; Rock It (Prime Jive) uses E Standard +12 ¢; Coming Soon uses E Standard +42 ¢.
Why does The Game sound out of tune with my guitar?
Another One Bites the Dust sits about 43 cents flat (A ≈ 429), 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.