Stevie Ray Vaughan · 1990 · Studio album
Family Style tuning.
E♭ Standard, about 8 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured on the CD. 6 of 10 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E♭ Standard +8 ¢
About 8 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured on the CD.
MeasuredFrom tabs
Measured by TuneLit
8 ¢ sharp
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, Epic Associated ZK 46225 (US, 1990) | +7.7 ¢ | A 442 | 10 | +5.4 to +8.1 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E♭ Standard, with no pitch given (community).
Credited to the Vaughan Brothers and produced by Nile Rodgers. The CD runs about 8 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 442) and mixes tunings: TuneLit's audio check hears a low E♭ on Hard to Be, Hillbillies from Outerspace, Long Way from Home, Telephone Song and Baboom/Mama Said, and a low E on White Boots, Good Texan, Tick Tock and Brothers, which their tabs put in E Standard. Good Texan and Telephone Song sit about 20 ¢ sharp; Tick Tock and Baboom/Mama Said come back to A 440.
10 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
-
1. Hard to Be
E♭ Standard +8 ¢Measured
Notes
Its tabs are in E Standard, but TuneLit's audio check hears E♭ as the lowest open string, so it stays in E♭ Standard.
-
2. White Boots
Different tuning
E Standard +8 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E♭ Standard: Every string up a half step.
One of the four songs in E Standard: the tab says so and TuneLit's audio check hears the open low E, about 8 ¢ sharp like most of the album.
The only tab (Songsterr, machine-made) is in E Standard, with the shuffle on the open low E.
-
3. D/FW
E♭ Standard +8 ¢Measured
Notes
The tabs disagree (one in E♭, a machine-made one in E) and the audio check is not sure: the song sits in G and rarely touches the low string. Listed in the album's E♭ Standard.
-
4. Good Texan
Different tuning
E Standard +21 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E♭ Standard: Every string up a half step.
In E Standard, about 21 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 445.3), steady through the track; TuneLit's audio check confirms the open low E.
The Songsterr tab is in E Standard, built on the open low E.
-
5. Hillbillies from Outerspace
E♭ Standard +8 ¢Measured
-
6. Long Way from Home
E♭ Standard +8 ¢Measured
-
7. Tick Tock
Different tuning
E StandardMeasured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E♭ Standard: Every string up a half step.
In E Standard near concert pitch: TuneLit reads about 4 ¢ flat, some 11 ¢ below the album's value.
The tabs (Songsterr, one of them machine-made) are in E Standard.
-
8. Telephone Song
Different pitch
E♭ Standard +20 ¢Measured
Notes
E♭ Standard, about 20 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 445.2), steady through the track; the tab puts both guitar parts in E♭.
The tab puts both brothers' guitar parts in E♭ Standard.
-
9. Baboom/Mama Said
Different pitch
E♭ StandardMeasured
Notes
E♭ Standard close to concert pitch (about 1 ¢ flat), some 9 ¢ below the album's value.
No tab found; it follows the album's E♭ Standard, which TuneLit's audio check confirms here.
-
10. Brothers
Different tuning
E Standard +8 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E♭ Standard: Every string up a half step.
The tab and TuneLit's audio check put it in E Standard, about 8 ¢ sharp like most of the album.
The only tab (Songsterr, machine-made) is in E 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.
- 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 Family Style in?
Stevie Ray Vaughan recorded Family Style (1990) in E♭ Standard, about 8 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured by TuneLit on the CD. 6 songs use other tunings or pitches, listed song by song on this page.
Why does Family Style sound out of tune with my guitar?
Good Texan sits about 21 cents sharp (A ≈ 445), 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.