System of a Down · 1998 · Studio album
System of a Down tuning.
Drop C, about 7 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured on the CD. 1 of 13 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
Drop C +7 ¢
About 7 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured on the CD.
MeasuredOfficial
Tune like thisPlay alongAll 13 songs
Bass: Bass Drop C +7 ¢ Tune bass
Measured by TuneLit
7 ¢ sharp
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, American/Columbia COL 491209 2 (1998, Europe) | +7.1 ¢ | A 441.8 | 13 | +5.4 to +11.6 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: Drop C, with no pitch given (official).
The Rick Rubin-produced debut, with John Dolmayan on drums since 1997. Every song is tabbed in Drop C (C G C F A D), the tuning Malakian later called the band's usual one, and the bass follows it with C G C F. TuneLit measured the CD about 7 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 441.8), every song above A 440, with Suggestions highest at about 19 ¢; the Japanese CD reads the same.
13 songs · 1 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. Suite-Pee
Drop C +7 ¢Measured
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2. Know
Drop C +7 ¢Measured
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3. Sugar
Drop C +7 ¢Measured
Notes
The band's first single (1998). The tab credits Malakian's part to his Fender Big Apple Stratocaster.
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4. Suggestions
Different pitch
Drop C +19 ¢Measured
Notes
Measured about 19 ¢ sharp, the sharpest song on the album. The tab has an acoustic part next to the overdriven guitar, both in Drop C.
Tabbed in Drop C like the rest of the album, with an acoustic part next to the overdriven guitar. TuneLit measured this song about 19 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 445) on the CD, about 12 ¢ above the album.
Bass: Bass Drop C +19 ¢ Tune bass
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5. Spiders
Drop C +7 ¢Measured
Notes
The album's second single (1999). Both guitar parts and the bass are tabbed in Drop C; the "Unplugged" tab in E Standard is a different arrangement.
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6. DDevil
Drop C +7 ¢Measured
Notes
TuneLit's audio check leans a half step higher here, because the open C hardly ever sounds; both tabs say Drop C, so it stays there.
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7. Soil
Drop C +7 ¢Measured
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8. War?
Drop C +7 ¢Measured
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9. Mind
Drop C +7 ¢Measured
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10. Peephole
Drop C +7 ¢Measured
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11. CUBErt
Drop C +7 ¢Measured
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12. Darts
Drop C +7 ¢Measured
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13. P.L.U.C.K.
Drop C +7 ¢Measured
Notes
The title stands for Politically Lying, Unholy, Cowardly Killers.
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 System of a Down in?
System of a Down recorded System of a Down (1998) in Drop C, about 7 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured by TuneLit on the CD. Suggestions uses Drop C +19 ¢.
Why does System of a Down sound out of tune with my guitar?
Suggestions sits about 19 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, so you only tune the strings.