Soundgarden · Superunknown · song 10
The Day I Tried to Live tuning.
The Day I Tried to Live (Soundgarden, 1994) is in E2 E2 B2 B3 B3 E4 at A 453, about 51 cents sharp, measured by TuneLit from the record.
Song tuning
E2 E2 B2 B3 B3 E4 A 453
About 51 cents sharp (A 453).
Measured by TuneLit
51 ¢ sharp
Measured on this song itself: Tune sets the reference A to 453.
Soundgarden · Superunknown · 1994
About The Day I Tried to Live
A dark, lurching single from Superunknown (1994), written by Chris Cornell, built on cycles of one bar of seven and two of four. Its tuning is the band's E and B one: from string 6 to string 1, E E B B B E. String 5 drops a fourth to E, string 4 drops to B, string 3 goes up to B to ring with string 2, and string 1 stays E. Many tabs, and Wikipedia, write E E B B B B; Kim Thayil corrected that in 2024, saying the top string stays E.
TuneLit measured the record about 51 ¢ above that tuning, a quarter tone sharp, so the reference sits near A 453. The rest of Superunknown is close to concert pitch, which makes this song stand out badly if you stay at A 440. Tune sets the tuning at that sharp reference, and the audio check agrees with it.
Raising string 3 from G to B is a big jump. Fit a lighter string there, a B-string gauge, before tuning up, or it may snap. Then retune all six again, because the drop on strings 5 and 4 changes the neck's tension.
Tip: Swap string 3 for a lighter one before you tune it up to B, then check the whole tuning against the opening riff's drone.
Step by step
Tune your guitar like the record
- Tap Tune like this: the tuner switches to E2 E2 B2 B3 B3 E4 at A 453, the notes The Day I Tried to Live was recorded in.
- From E Standard: String 5 down 5 half steps (A → E), String 4 down 3 half steps (D → B), String 3 up 4 half steps (G → B); the other strings stay.
- Turn String 6 to String 1 until each shows ✓ in tune. The Day I Tried to Live sits 51 cents sharp on the record: at A 440 your guitar would sound that much flat against it, which Tune already corrects.
- Then play The Day I Tried to Live 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 The Day I Tried to Live instead. Add your own copy, for example from your CD (it never leaves your device); the link already says the song is in E2 E2 B2 B3 B3 E4 at A 453. Choose E2 E2 B2 B3 B3 E4 at A 440 and The Day I Tried to Live moves down 51 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 The Day I Tried to Live in?
E2 E2 B2 B3 B3 E4 at A 453: E E B B B E, low to high, at the pitch TuneLit measured on the record.