Van Halen · 1984 · song 6
Hot for Teacher tuning.
Hot for Teacher (Van Halen, 1984) is in E Standard, about 19 cents sharp (A ≈ 445), measured by TuneLit from the record.
Measured by TuneLit
19 ¢ sharp
Measured on this song itself: Tune moves every string +19 ¢.
Van Halen · 1984 · 1984
About Hot for Teacher
Hot for Teacher, from 1984, opens with Alex Van Halen's drum barrage (Drumeo's breakdown shows it is built on an electronically triggered Simmons kit) and Eddie's tapped intro, before a fast shuffle riff that centres on A. It is in E Standard, like most of the album, not in the E♭ of Panama.
TuneLit measured the song about 19 cents sharp (A ≈ 444.9), more than the album's 6 cents, so it has its own setting. Against a guitar at A 440 that is enough to make the fast unison lines and bends sound sour. The audio check hears E as the lowest open string, and the main tab's notes fit the record as written.
A little-viewed tab in E♭ exists, but its notes sit a half step below the record, so ignore it. Because the intro tapping is exposed and the shuffle moves quickly, tune before you start practising along rather than mid-song: the record does not give you many sustained notes to tune against once the band is in.
Tip: Tap Hot for Teacher's own Tune, not the album button, then check String 5 against the A the riff keeps returning to.
Step by step
Tune your guitar like the record
- Tap Tune like this: the tuner switches to E Standard, every string +19 ¢, the notes Hot for Teacher was recorded in.
- Turn String 6 to String 1 until each shows ✓ in tune. Hot for Teacher sits 19 cents sharp on the record: at A 440 your guitar would sound that much flat against it, which Tune already corrects.
- Then play Hot for Teacher 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 Hot for Teacher instead. Add your own copy, for example from your CD (it never leaves your device); the link already says the song is in E Standard +19 ¢. Choose E Standard at A 440 and Hot for Teacher moves down 19 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 Hot for Teacher in?
E Standard +19 ¢: E A D G B E, low to high, at the pitch TuneLit measured on the record.