Queens of the Stone Age · 2002 · Studio album
Songs for the Deaf tuning.
C Standard, about 9 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured on the CD. 8 of 14 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
C Standard +9 ¢
About 9 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured on the CD.
MeasuredWidely reported
Measured by TuneLit
9 ¢ sharp
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, Interscope/Universal Japan UICY-91287 (SHM-CD reissue) | +9.3 ¢ | A 442.4 | 14 | +7.9 to +10.7 ¢ | Medium |
Before we measured, sources said: C Standard, with no pitch given (widely reported).
Recorded from October 2001 to June 2002, with Dave Grohl on drums, Nick Oliveri on bass and Mark Lanegan singing several songs. The heavy core of the album (Millionaire, No One Knows, A Song for the Dead, Go with the Flow, Do It Again, A Song for the Deaf) is in C Standard. Hangin’ Tree (first heard on The Desert Sessions), God Is in the Radio and three of Nick Oliveri’s songs are tabbed in E Standard, and First It Giveth and The Sky Is Fallin’ sit in between.
14 songs · 8 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. You Think I Ain't Worth a Dollar, But I Feel Like a Millionaire
C Standard +9 ¢Measured
Notes
Sung by Nick Oliveri; first recorded for The Desert Sessions.
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2. No One Knows
C Standard +9 ¢Measured
Notes
Its riff comes from the Desert Sessions song Cold Sore Superstars. Josh Homme in 2024: on No One Knows you are hearing a song in C Standard, a pop song with a dropped tuning.
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Notes
How to get there from the album's C Standard: Every string up a half step.
Songsterr’s main tab tunes every guitar and the bass to C♯ Standard, a half step above the album’s C, and the record agrees: its low notes never touch a C. Two less-voted UG tabs keep C Standard.
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4. A Song for the Dead
C Standard +9 ¢Measured
Notes
Sung by Mark Lanegan.
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5. The Sky Is Fallin'
Different tuning
E♭ Standard +9 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's C Standard: Every string up 3 half steps.
Tabbed in E♭ Standard on Songsterr and UG. One UG tab notes that the band’s C Standard with a capo at the 3rd fret gives the same open notes.
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6. Six Shooter
Different tuning
E Standard +9 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's C Standard: Every string up 4 half steps.
Sung by Nick Oliveri.
Tabbed in E Standard.
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7. Hangin' Tree
Different tuning
E StandardMeasured
Notes
How to get there from the album's C Standard: Every string up 4 half steps.
Tabbed in E Standard; the song first appeared on The Desert Sessions.
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8. Go with the Flow
C Standard +9 ¢Measured
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9. Gonna Leave You
Different tuning
E Standard +9 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's C Standard: Every string up 4 half steps.
Sung by Nick Oliveri.
Songsterr and the most-voted UG sheet are in E Standard; one older UG tab is in C Standard.
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10. Do It Again
C Standard +9 ¢Measured
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11. God Is in the Radio
Different tuning
E Standard +25 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's C Standard: Every string up 4 half steps.
Tabbed in E Standard on Songsterr and UG.
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12. Another Love Song
Different tuning
E Standard +9 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's C Standard: Every string up 4 half steps.
Sung by Nick Oliveri.
Songsterr and one UG tab are in E Standard; another UG tab plays it in C Standard.
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13. A Song for the Deaf
C Standard +9 ¢Measured
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14. Mosquito Song
Different pitch
C StandardMeasured
Notes
The hidden closing track: acoustic guitars, nylon-string and strings, still in C Standard.
Homme himself has said No One Knows is in C Standard, and the tabs put most of the album there. The Desert Sessions songs and a few others are tabbed in E Standard, First It Giveth in C♯ Standard and The Sky Is Fallin’ 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 Songs for the Deaf in?
Queens of the Stone Age recorded Songs for the Deaf (2002) in C Standard, about 9 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured by TuneLit on the CD. 8 songs use other tunings or pitches, listed song by song on this page.
Why does Songs for the Deaf sound out of tune with my guitar?
God Is in the Radio sits about 25 cents sharp (A ≈ 446), 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.