Rammstein · Mutter · song 3
Sonne tuning.
Sonne (Rammstein, 2001) is in Drop D at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit from the record.
Measured by TuneLit
At concert pitch
The album's value, measured on the CD.
Rammstein · Mutter · 2001
About Sonne
Sonne is the third track on Mutter (2001) and was the first single from the album. Songsterr and Ultimate Guitar put both guitars in Drop D, with String 6 tuned down to D. The song moves at a heavy, steady stomp, and its riffs are built on the dropped string, so the guitars can play big low chords with one finger.
TuneLit measured Mutter at about +2 ¢, which counts as concert pitch, so Tune opens Drop D at A 440. Sonne on its own reads about 5 ¢ sharp, too little for a separate setting. TuneLit's semitone check from the audio agrees that D is the lowest open string.
The low end of the record goes down to a B, below anything a Drop D guitar can reach. The Songsterr transcription explains why: it gives Oliver Riedel a 5-string bass. That deep note is the bass, not a lower guitar tuning, so do not chase it by detuning further. Songsterr also has a fingerstyle arrangement in E Standard; it is a solo version of the melody, not the band's guitar part, so use Drop D to play along with the record.
Tip: Lower only String 6 to D; the deeper notes under the riff come from the 5-string bass, not from the guitars.
Step by step
Tune your guitar like the record
- Tap Tune like this: the tuner switches to Drop D, the notes Sonne was recorded in.
- From E Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E → D); the other strings stay.
- Turn String 6 to String 1 until each shows ✓ in tune. Sonne sits at concert pitch on the record, so the tuner stays at A 440.
- Then play Sonne 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 Sonne instead. Add your own copy, for example from your CD (it never leaves your device); the link already says the song is in Drop D. Choose Drop D at A 440 and Sonne 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 Sonne in?
Drop D: D A D G B E, low to high, at the pitch TuneLit measured on the record.