Sepultura · 1996 · Studio album

Roots tuning.

B Standard, about 15 cents flat (A ≈ 436), measured on the CD. 10 of 15 songs are tuned differently.

Roots album cover

Album tuning

B Standard −15 ¢

About 15 cents flat (A ≈ 436), measured on the CD.

MeasuredCommunity

Tune like thisPlay alongAll 15 songs

Bass: 5-string bass B Standard −15 ¢ Tune bass

String 6 sits 5 half steps below its standard E2. On a normal set (.046) it keeps only about 55 % of its usual tension and feels loose. For the usual feel use about a .062 string, or a baritone guitar.

Measured by TuneLit

15 ¢ flat

SourceOffsetEquivalent ASongsSpreadConfidence
CD 1 of the 2005 Deluxe Edition−14.8 ¢A 436.315−26.2 to −8.5 ¢Very low
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: B Standard, with no pitch given (community).

The lowest Sepultura album. The core songs are in B Standard, three are a half step lower in B♭ and five sit in D Standard, plus two acoustic pieces in Drop D. The CD is hard to read: the mix is dense and low, and the songs scatter from about 42 ¢ flat to 31 ¢ sharp, the same way on a 2017 remaster. TuneLit uses the album value, about 15 ¢ flat (A ≈ 436), for almost everything, and Born Stubborn gets its own, about 24 ¢ sharp. Treat the Roots values as a starting point and fine-tune by ear. Canyon Jam, the hidden track, is not listed.

15 songs · 10 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. Roots Bloody Roots

    B Standard −15 ¢Measured

    Notes

    B Standard. TuneLit hears the first fret (C) more often than the open B.

  2. 2. Attitude

    B Standard −15 ¢Measured

    Notes

    One Ultimate Guitar tab says B♭; the main tab and TuneLit's semitone check from the audio say B.

  3. 3. Cut-Throat

    Different tuning

    B♭ Standard −15 ¢Measured

    Notes

    How to get there from the album's B Standard: Every string down a half step.

    String 6 sits 6 half steps below its standard E2. On a normal set (.046) it keeps only about 50 % of its usual tension and feels loose. For the usual feel use about a .066 string, or a baritone guitar.

    Tabbed in B♭ Standard, a half step below the album's B.

    On its own, this song measures sharper: CD +27.5 ¢ (medium confidence). Tune uses the album's −15 ¢.

  4. 4. Ratamahatta

    Different tuning

    B♭ Standard −15 ¢Measured

    Notes

    How to get there from the album's B Standard: Every string down a half step.

    String 6 sits 6 half steps below its standard E2. On a normal set (.046) it keeps only about 50 % of its usual tension and feels loose. For the usual feel use about a .066 string, or a baritone guitar.

    Tabbed in B♭ Standard, a half step below the album's B.

  5. 5. Breed Apart

    Different tuning

    D Standard −15 ¢Measured

    Notes

    How to get there from the album's B Standard: Every string up 3 half steps.

    Tabbed in D Standard.

  6. 6. Straighthate

    Different tuning

    D Standard −15 ¢Measured

    Notes

    How to get there from the album's B Standard: Every string up 3 half steps.

    Tabbed in D Standard.

  7. 7. Spit

    Different tuning

    B♭ Standard −15 ¢Measured

    Notes

    How to get there from the album's B Standard: Every string down a half step.

    String 6 sits 6 half steps below its standard E2. On a normal set (.046) it keeps only about 50 % of its usual tension and feels loose. For the usual feel use about a .066 string, or a baritone guitar.

    Tabbed in B♭ Standard on Songsterr and Ultimate Guitar.

  8. 8. Lookaway

    B Standard −15 ¢Measured

  9. 9. Dusted

    B Standard −15 ¢Measured

  10. 10. Born Stubborn

    Different tuning

    D Standard +24 ¢Measured

    Notes

    How to get there from the album's B Standard: Every string up 3 half steps.

    Measures about 24 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 446), well above the rest of the album.

    Tabbed in D Standard.

  11. 11. Jasco

    Different tuning

    Drop D −15 ¢Measured

    Notes

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

    An acoustic instrumental, tabbed in Drop D.

  12. 12. Itsári

    Different tuning

    Drop D −15 ¢Measured

    Notes

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

    TuneLit's semitone check from the audio hears C♯, not D, as the lowest open string, but no tab or source names C♯. If the Drop D button sounds a half step high, try Drop C♯.

    Recorded with the Xavante people in Mato Grosso; the community tab plays the acoustic guitar in Drop D.

  13. 13. Ambush

    Different tuning

    D Standard −15 ¢Measured

    Notes

    How to get there from the album's B Standard: Every string up 3 half steps.

    TuneLit's semitone check from the audio hears E♭ rather than D as the lowest note, with no tab to back it. Check by ear.

    Tabbed in D Standard, with the bass on a 5-string.

  14. 14. Endangered Species

    B Standard −15 ¢Measured

  15. 15. Dictatorshit

    Different tuning

    D Standard −15 ¢Measured

    Notes

    How to get there from the album's B Standard: Every string up 3 half steps.

    TuneLit's semitone check from the audio hears E♭ rather than D as the lowest note, with no tab to back it. Check by ear.

    Tabbed in D 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.
Community
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 Roots in?

Sepultura recorded Roots (1996) in B Standard, about 15 cents flat (A ≈ 436), measured by TuneLit on the CD. 10 songs use other tunings or pitches, listed song by song on this page.

Why does Roots sound out of tune with my guitar?

The record sits about 15 cents flat (A ≈ 436), 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.