TUNELIT

Queens of the Stone Age · 2013 · Studio album

...Like Clockwork tuning.

E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD. 3 of 10 songs are tuned differently.

...Like Clockwork album cover

Album tuning

E Standard

At concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD.

MeasuredFrom tabs

Tune like thisPlay alongAll 10 songs

Measured by TuneLit

At concert pitch

SourceOffsetEquivalent ASongsSpreadConfidence
CD, Matador OLE-1040-2 (2013)+1.6 ¢A 440.410−1.7 to +5.4 ¢High
 Offset from concert pitch (A 440). Spread: the middle half of the songs, when four or more share the album's pitch. Confidence: how well the notes agree with one grid.

Before we measured, sources said: E Standard, with no pitch given (community).

Recorded at Homme’s Pink Duck studio in Burbank from August 2012 to March 2013, with Troy Van Leeuwen, Dean Fertita and Michael Shuman, Joey Castillo and Dave Grohl sharing the drums, and guests including Elton John, Trent Reznor and Alex Turner. Apart from the heavy opener, the whole album is in E Standard, and several songs are built on piano.

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

  1. 1. Keep Your Eyes Peeled

    Different tuning

    C StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    How to get there from the album's E Standard: Every string down 4 half steps.

    Songsterr and UG tab it in C Standard, and the record’s bass sits on the low C almost all the time.

  2. 2. I Sat by the Ocean

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  3. 3. The Vampyre of Time and Memory

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Built on piano and synthesizer.

  4. 4. If I Had a Tail

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Nick Oliveri, Mark Lanegan and Alex Turner sing backing vocals.

  5. 5. My God Is the Sun

    Different pitch

    E Standard +10 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Every Songsterr and UG tab of the album is in E Standard except Keep Your Eyes Peeled, which is in C Standard.

  6. 6. Kalopsia

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Trent Reznor sings with Homme.

  7. 7. Fairweather Friends

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Elton John plays piano and sings backing vocals.

  8. 8. Smooth Sailing

    Different pitch

    E Standard +13 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Every Songsterr and UG tab of the album is in E Standard except Keep Your Eyes Peeled, which is in C Standard.

  9. 9. I Appear Missing

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  10. 10. ...Like Clockwork

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    A piano ballad with strings.

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 ...Like Clockwork in?

Queens of the Stone Age recorded ...Like Clockwork (2013) in E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit on the CD. Keep Your Eyes Peeled uses C Standard; My God Is the Sun uses E Standard +10 ¢; Smooth Sailing uses E Standard +13 ¢.

Why does ...Like Clockwork sound out of tune with my guitar?

My God Is the Sun sits about 10 cents sharp (A ≈ 443), 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.