Rammstein · Mutter · song 2
Links 2 3 4 tuning.
Links 2 3 4 (Rammstein, 2001) is in E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit from the record.
Measured by TuneLit
At concert pitch
Measured on this song itself.
Rammstein · Mutter · 2001
About Links 2 3 4
Links 2 3 4, the second track on Mutter (2001), takes its title from a marching count, and the music marches too. Songsterr and Ultimate Guitar tab it in E Standard, the plain tuning, and the riff leans on the open low E, locked tightly to the drums.
TuneLit measured Mutter at about +2 ¢, which counts as concert pitch, so Tune opens E Standard at A 440; the song itself reads within a cent of that. TuneLit's semitone check from the audio agrees that E is the lowest open string, and the low E is the note heard most in the low end by a wide margin.
On the album it sits between two other tunings: Mein Herz brennt before it is in Drop C, and Sonne after it is in Drop D. Playing Mutter in order therefore means two retunes in a row, up from Drop C to standard and then String 6 down to D. Because the riff hammers the open E, any slackness in String 6 is audible at once, so tune it last and check it against the record before the first verse. Keep the muted notes short; the march feel depends on the gaps as much as on the notes.
Tip: After Mein Herz brennt, bring all six strings back to standard and check the open E of String 6 against the riff.
Step by step
Tune your guitar like the record
- Tap Tune like this: the tuner switches to E Standard, the notes Links 2 3 4 was recorded in.
- Turn String 6 to String 1 until each shows ✓ in tune. Links 2 3 4 sits at concert pitch on the record, so the tuner stays at A 440.
- Then play Links 2 3 4 along with the record: its lowest open note and your String 6 should ring together without a wobble.
Or the other way round
Move the record into your tuning
Rather keep your guitar as it is? Let Play along move Links 2 3 4 instead. Add your own copy, for example from your CD (it never leaves your device); the link already says the song is in E Standard. Choose E Standard at A 440 and Links 2 3 4 moves down 2 cents, at its own speed. Slow it down or loop a few bars to learn it, and save the result as a WAV file.
Questions
What tuning is Links 2 3 4 in?
E Standard: E A D G B E, low to high, at the pitch TuneLit measured on the record.