Soundgarden · 1989 · Studio album
Louder Than Love tuning.
E Standard, about 5 cents sharp (A ≈ 441), measured on the CD. 6 of 12 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E Standard +5 ¢
About 5 cents sharp (A ≈ 441), measured on the CD.
MeasuredFrom tabs
Measured by TuneLit
5 ¢ sharp
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, A&M CD 5252 (1989) | +5.2 ¢ | A 441.3 | 12 | +5.0 to +6.9 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E Standard, with no pitch given (community).
The first A&M album. Thayil said at the time that many of its songs were tuned down to D, for a looser, heavier sound; the tabs put Hands All Over, Gun, Full On Kevin's Mom and I Awake in Drop D and the rest in E Standard. The CD sits about 5 ¢ sharp, but Get on the Snake, Uncovered and I Awake run 31 to 42 ¢ sharp, close to a quarter tone.
12 songs · 6 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. Ugly Truth
E Standard +5 ¢Measured
Notes
A careful hand-made tab plays it in E Standard; an automatic tab says Drop D. The low open string is rare in the song, so both work.
On its own, this song measures sharper: CD +13.2 ¢. Tune uses the album's +5 ¢.
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2. Hands All Over
Different tuning
Drop D +5 ¢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 in Guitar magazine's 1997 tuning list and in every tab. Thayil calls it one riff, one note and one chord, built on that low D.
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3. Gun
Different tuning
Drop D +5 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E → D); the other strings stay.
The hand-made tabs are in Drop D; a tab that started as an automatic transcription is in D Standard. Both have the same low D, which the record plays a lot.
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4. Power Trip
E Standard +5 ¢Measured
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5. Get on the Snake
Different pitch
E Standard +31 ¢Measured
Notes
Measured about 31 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 448), far above the rest of the album, so it has its own setting.
Loud Love, Get on the Snake, Big Dumb Sex and most of the album are tabbed in E Standard; four songs drop the low string to D.
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6. Full On Kevin's Mom
Different tuning
Drop D +5 ¢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 in Guitar magazine's 1997 tuning list and in the tabs.
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7. Loud Love
E Standard +5 ¢Measured
Notes
The intro is a feedback note slid up the neck, not an E-bow, Thayil says.
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8. I Awake
Different tuning
Drop D +42 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E → D); the other strings stay.
Measured about 42 ¢ sharp, near the middle between two notes. The audio check hears the low string on a sharp D, so Drop D 42 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 450.7) is the reading to try first.
Drop D in the tabs. Guitar Player pointed to it for Thayil's picking behind the bridge, which rings differently in Drop D.
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9. No Wrong No Right
E Standard +5 ¢Measured
Notes
Few tabs exist. The record's lowest notes are D, which the bass plays a lot, so a Drop D low string may suit it better than E.
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10. Uncovered
Different pitch
E Standard +33 ¢Measured
Notes
Measured about 33 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 448.6), like Get on the Snake.
Loud Love, Get on the Snake, Big Dumb Sex and most of the album are tabbed in E Standard; four songs drop the low string to D.
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11. Big Dumb Sex
E Standard +5 ¢Measured
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12. Full On (Reprise)
E Standard +5 ¢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 Louder Than Love in?
Soundgarden recorded Louder Than Love (1989) in E Standard, about 5 cents sharp (A ≈ 441), measured by TuneLit on the CD. 6 songs use other tunings or pitches, listed song by song on this page.
Why does Louder Than Love sound out of tune with my guitar?
Get on the Snake sits about 31 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, song by song, so you only tune the strings.