TUNELIT

Radiohead · 2003 · Studio album

Hail to the Thief tuning.

E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured on the LP. 4 of 14 songs are tuned differently.

Hail to the Thief album cover

Album tuning

E Standard

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

MeasuredFrom tabs

Tune like thisPlay alongAll 14 songs

Measured by TuneLit

At concert pitch

SourceOffsetEquivalent ASongsSpreadConfidence
2LP, XL Recordings XLLP785 (2016 reissue)−2.8 ¢A 439.314−7.5 to −1.0 ¢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 mostly live in two weeks at Ocean Way, Los Angeles. Standard tuning, except 2 + 2 = 5 in Drop D and Thom Yorke's D B D G B E on There There. The 2016 XL LP sits at concert pitch (A ≈ 439.3). Where I End and You Begin is about 13 ¢ flat, I Will about 11 ¢ sharp and 2 + 2 = 5 about 7 ¢ sharp.

14 songs · 4 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. 2 + 2 = 5

    Different tuning

    Drop D +7 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    How to get there from the album's E Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E → D); the other strings stay.

    Drop D on all three guitars, about 7 ¢ sharp.

    The King of Gear lists all three guitars in Drop D, and the Songsterr tab agrees. Wikipedia: recorded as a studio test and finished in two hours.

  2. 2. Sit Down. Stand Up.

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Built on piano and electronics.

  3. 3. Sail to the Moon

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Thom Yorke's piano song.

  4. 4. Backdrifts

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Electronic.

  5. 5. Go to Sleep

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Acoustic and electric guitars in standard tuning; the stuttering guitar is Jonny Greenwood processing it with software (Wikipedia).

  6. 6. Where I End and You Begin

    Different pitch

    E Standard −13 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Bass-led, with guitars in standard tuning. About 13 ¢ flat (A ≈ 436.6).

    Tabbed in standard tuning like the rest of the album; TuneLit measured this song on its own because its pitch differs from the album's.

  7. 7. We Suck Young Blood

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Built on piano and handclaps.

  8. 8. The Gloaming

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Built on electronic loops.

  9. 9. There There

    Different tuning

    D2 B2 D3 G3 B3 E4Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    How to get there from the album's E Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E → D), String 5 up a whole step (A → B); the other strings stay.

    Thom Yorke's guitar is tuned D B D G B E: the low string down a whole step, the A string up a whole step. The other guitars are in standard tuning.

    The King of Gear lists Thom Yorke's guitar as D B D G B E (the low E down to D, the A string up to B), and the Songsterr tab of his part uses it. Ultimate Guitar tabs write the song in standard tuning.

  10. 10. I Will

    Different pitch

    E Standard +11 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    A short song for Thom Yorke's guitar and voice, in standard tuning. About 11 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 443).

    Tabbed in standard tuning like the rest of the album; TuneLit measured this song on its own because its pitch differs from the album's.

  11. 11. A Punchup at a Wedding

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Built on piano and bass.

  12. 12. Myxomatosis

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Driven by a fuzz synthesiser bassline (Wikipedia).

  13. 13. Scatterbrain

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  14. 14. A Wolf at the Door

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

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 Hail to the Thief in?

Radiohead recorded Hail to the Thief (2003) in E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit on the LP. 4 songs use other tunings or pitches, listed song by song on this page.

Why does Hail to the Thief sound out of tune with my guitar?

Where I End and You Begin sits about 13 cents flat (A ≈ 437), 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.