System of a Down · 2005 · Studio album
Mezmerize tuning.
Drop C♯ at concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD. 2 of 11 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
Drop C♯
At concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD.
MeasuredOfficial
Tune like thisPlay alongAll 11 songs
Bass: Bass Drop C♯ Tune bass
Measured by TuneLit
At concert pitch
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, American/Columbia COL 519000 2 (2005, Europe) | +2.3 ¢ | A 440.6 | 11 | −2.6 to +2.4 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: Drop C♯, with no pitch given (official).
The first half of a double album released six months apart. Malakian told Guitar World the band tuned up a half step for it, to Drop C♯ (C♯ G♯ C♯ F♯ A♯ D♯), and that he played most of the bass parts himself. Every song is tabbed in Drop C♯ except Question!, which stays in Drop C. TuneLit measured the CD about 2 ¢ sharp, concert pitch for a tuner; the Soldier Side intro and Question! sit 6 to 8 ¢ flat.
11 songs · 2 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. Soldier Side – Intro
Different pitch
Drop C♯ −6 ¢Measured
Notes
A short opening that comes back in full as Soldier Side, the last song on Hypnotize. Measured about 6 ¢ flat, below the rest of the album.
Tabbed in Drop C♯ like the rest of the album. TuneLit measured this short intro about 6 ¢ flat (A ≈ 438.4) on the CD, about 9 ¢ below the album.
Bass: Bass Drop C♯ −6 ¢ Tune bass
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2. B.Y.O.B.
Drop C♯Measured
Notes
The lead single, which won the 2006 Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance. Many popular tabs move it to Drop C, Drop D or E Standard; the record is in Drop C♯.
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3. Revenga
Drop C♯Measured
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4. Cigaro
Drop C♯Measured
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5. Radio/Video
Drop C♯Measured
Notes
A much-viewed Songsterr version is written in E Standard; that is a transposition, and the main tab is in Drop C♯.
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6. This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm on This Song
Drop C♯Measured
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7. Violent Pornography
Drop C♯Measured
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Notes
How to get there from the album's Drop C♯: Every string down a half step.
A single, with Serj Tankian on acoustic guitar (credited on Wikipedia, not in the booklet). The electric part is in Drop C, a half step below the rest of the album, and the acoustic in plain E Standard; TuneLit's audio check confirms the C. Measured about 8 ¢ flat.
Both Songsterr tabs with Malakian's electric part put it in Drop C, a half step below the rest of Mezmerize, with the acoustic part (credited to Serj Tankian on Wikipedia) in plain E Standard; a 2006 version of Malakian's Wikipedia biography also names Question! and Dreaming as the double album's exceptions. TuneLit's check from the audio confirms the low C. TuneLit measured the song about 8 ¢ flat (A ≈ 438) on the CD.
Bass: Bass Drop C −8 ¢ Tune bass
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9. Sad Statue
Drop C♯Measured
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10. Old School Hollywood
Drop C♯Measured
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11. Lost in Hollywood
Drop C♯Measured
Notes
The closing ballad. Acoustic, clean and overdriven guitars are all tabbed in Drop C♯, including a tab labelled as the official tab-book version.
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 Mezmerize in?
System of a Down recorded Mezmerize (2005) in Drop C♯ at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit on the CD. Soldier Side – Intro uses Drop C♯ −6 ¢; Question! uses Drop C −8 ¢.