Radiohead · 1993 · Studio album
Pablo Honey tuning.
E Standard, about 10 cents sharp (A ≈ 443), measured on the LP. 7 of 12 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E Standard +10 ¢
About 10 cents sharp (A ≈ 443), measured on the LP.
MeasuredFrom tabs
Measured by TuneLit
10 ¢ sharp
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LP, XL Recordings XLLP779 (2016 reissue) | +9.8 ¢ | A 442.5 | 12 | +9.8 to +12.0 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E Standard, with no pitch given (community).
The debut, recorded in three weeks at Chipping Norton Recording Studios in 1992. Standard tuning, except Stop Whispering (Drop D), Vegetable (a half step down) and I Can't (the high string retuned). TuneLit measured the 2016 XL LP about 10 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 442.5). Creep, Lurgee and I Can't sit at concert pitch, Thinking About You about 7 ¢ flat and Ripcord about 32 ¢ sharp. The LP's running times match the CD's within 0.05 %, so a CD should sound the same.
12 songs · 7 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
E Standard +10 ¢Measured
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Notes
Standard tuning: the whole song turns on G, B, C and C minor, with Jonny Greenwood's muted guitar blasts before each chorus. It sits at concert pitch (A 440), about 10 ¢ below the rest of the album.
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.
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3. How Do You?
E Standard +10 ¢Measured
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4. Stop Whispering
Different tuning
Drop D +10 ¢Measured
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 the guitars, and the bass drops its low string to D too.
The King of Gear lists Thom Yorke's guitar in Drop D; the Songsterr tab has all three guitars in Drop D and the bass's E string down to D as well.
Bass: Bass Drop D +10 ¢ Tune bass
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5. Thinking About You
Different pitch
E Standard −7 ¢Measured
Notes
A strummed acoustic song in standard tuning, about 7 ¢ flat (A ≈ 438.3), lower than the rest of the album.
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.
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6. Anyone Can Play Guitar
E Standard +10 ¢Measured
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7. Ripcord
Different pitch
E Standard +32 ¢Measured
Notes
Standard tuning, about 32 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 448), far above the rest of the album.
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.
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8. Vegetable
Different tuning
E♭ Standard +10 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E Standard: Every string down a half step.
A half step down (E♭ Standard), the one song on the album below standard tuning. TuneLit's semitone check from the audio hears the low string as E♭.
The King of Gear lists Thom Yorke's guitar a half step down (E♭ Standard), and an Ultimate Guitar chord sheet says the same. The Songsterr tab is also a half step down, with the A string lowered further to G♭; another Ultimate Guitar tab keeps standard tuning.
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9. Prove Yourself
E Standard +10 ¢Measured
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10. I Can't
Different tuning
E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 B3Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E Standard: String 1 down 5 half steps (E → B); the other strings stay.
String 1 sits 5 half steps below its standard E4. On a normal set (.010) it keeps only about 55 % of its usual tension and feels loose. For the usual feel use about a .013 string, or a baritone guitar.
The high string comes down to B, in unison with the B string, as The King of Gear lists it; one tab tunes it to D instead. The other five strings are standard. At concert pitch, unlike most of the album.
The King of Gear lists Thom Yorke's guitar with the high E string tuned down to B (E A D G B B). The Songsterr tab lowers it to D instead (E A D G B D), and the Ultimate Guitar tabs keep standard tuning. The five low strings are standard in every version.
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11. Lurgee
Different pitch
E StandardMeasured
Notes
Standard tuning, at concert pitch, about 10 ¢ below the rest of the album.
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.
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12. Blow Out
E Standard +10 ¢Measured
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 Pablo Honey in?
Radiohead recorded Pablo Honey (1993) in E Standard, about 10 cents sharp (A ≈ 443), measured by TuneLit on the LP. 7 songs use other tunings or pitches, listed song by song on this page.
Why does Pablo Honey sound out of tune with my guitar?
Ripcord sits about 32 cents sharp (A ≈ 448), 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.