The Beatles · 1969 · Studio album
Abbey Road tuning.
E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD. 6 of 17 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E Standard
At concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD.
MeasuredFrom tabs
Measured by TuneLit
At concert pitch
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, Parlophone CDP 7 46446 2 (1987, stereo) | +3.0 ¢ | A 440.8 | 17 | −8.9 to +5.6 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E Standard, with no pitch given (community).
E Standard at concert pitch on the 1987 CD (it reads +3 ¢), and the vinyl copies agree within a few cents. Here Comes the Sun is the capo song (7th fret) and was sped up, about 35 ¢ sharp. Oh! Darling sits about 40 ¢ flat, Octopus's Garden about 18 ¢ flat, and Come Together, whose reading is weaker, about 20 ¢ flat. The long medley on side two stays close to concert pitch, apart from Sun King, Mean Mr. Mustard and She Came In Through the Bathroom Window.
17 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. Come Together
E StandardMeasured
Notes
TuneLit measured about 20 ¢ flat (A ≈ 435), but the reading falls short of the confidence needed for a value of its own, so the button uses the album value. Both vinyl copies also read it about 18 ¢ flat: if you sound sharp against the record, lower the reference toward A 435.
On its own, this song measures flatter: CD −19.9 ¢ (medium confidence). Tune uses the album's A 440.
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2. Something
Different pitch
E Standard −8 ¢Measured
Notes
Harrison's song, his solo in standard tuning. TuneLit measured about 8 ¢ flat (A ≈ 437.9), 11 ¢ below the album.
The songs are tabbed in E Standard; Here Comes the Sun with a capo at the 7th fret (Songsterr).
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3. Maxwell's Silver Hammer
E StandardMeasured
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4. Oh! Darling
Different pitch
E Standard −40 ¢Measured
Notes
TuneLit measured about 40 ¢ flat (A ≈ 430), 43 ¢ below the album: close to a quarter tone, and both vinyl copies agree. A 440 tuner still reads the strings as E, just well flat.
The songs are tabbed in E Standard; Here Comes the Sun with a capo at the 7th fret (Songsterr).
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5. Octopus's Garden
Different pitch
E Standard −18 ¢Measured
Notes
Ringo Starr's song. TuneLit measured about 18 ¢ flat (A ≈ 435.5), 21 ¢ below the album.
The songs are tabbed in E Standard; Here Comes the Sun with a capo at the 7th fret (Songsterr).
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6. I Want You (She's So Heavy)
E StandardMeasured
Notes
The main tab writes four of its guitar parts in Drop D; another tab keeps every part in standard tuning. TuneLit measured about 7 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 441.7), with the album.
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Notes
Capo 7. TuneLit measured about 35 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 449). That sits between two notes, so the page offers two readings; the documented speed-up, and TuneLit's audio check of the low notes, both point to the first: A major played sharp.
Harrison played in D shapes with a capo at the 7th fret, so the song sounds in A; the take was then sped up by less than a semitone.
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8. Because
E StandardMeasured
Notes
Lennon's guitar doubles George Martin's electric harpsichord; the song is in C♯ minor. TuneLit measured about 5 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 441.2), with the album.
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9. You Never Give Me Your Money
E StandardMeasured
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10. Sun King
E StandardMeasured
Notes
The reading is weak and points about 22 ¢ flat; the button uses the album value.
On its own, this song measures flatter: CD −22.4 ¢ (medium confidence). Tune uses the album's A 440.
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11. Mean Mr. Mustard
Different pitch
E Standard −10 ¢Measured
Notes
TuneLit measured about 10 ¢ flat (A ≈ 437.4), 13 ¢ below the album.
The songs are tabbed in E Standard; Here Comes the Sun with a capo at the 7th fret (Songsterr).
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12. Polythene Pam
E StandardMeasured
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13. She Came In Through the Bathroom Window
Different pitch
E Standard +12 ¢Measured
Notes
TuneLit measured about 12 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 443.1), 9 ¢ above the album.
The songs are tabbed in E Standard; Here Comes the Sun with a capo at the 7th fret (Songsterr).
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14. Golden Slumbers
E StandardMeasured
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15. Carry That Weight
E StandardMeasured
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16. The End
E StandardMeasured
Notes
The guitar duel and drum solo give no steady reading; the button uses the album value.
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17. Her Majesty
E StandardMeasured
Notes
McCartney alone with an acoustic; the reading is weak, so the button uses the album value.
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 Abbey Road in?
The Beatles recorded Abbey Road (1969) in E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit on the CD. 6 songs use other tunings or pitches, listed song by song on this page.
Why does Abbey Road sound out of tune with my guitar?
Oh! Darling sits about 40 cents flat (A ≈ 430), 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.