Van Halen · 1981 · Studio album
Fair Warning tuning.
E♭ Standard, about 5 cents sharp (A ≈ 441), measured on the CD. 7 of 9 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E♭ Standard +5 ¢
About 5 cents sharp (A ≈ 441), measured on the CD.
MeasuredFrom tabs
Measured by TuneLit
5 ¢ sharp
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, Warner-Pioneer 20P2-2033 (Japan, 1989) | +4.7 ¢ | A 441.2 | 9 | −0.1 to +18.1 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E♭ Standard, with no pitch given (community).
The album where Eddie started dropping the low string: Unchained, "Dirty Movies", Sinner's Swing! and Hear About It Later are in Drop C♯, the rest in E♭ Standard. TuneLit measured the Japanese CD about 5 cents above E♭ (A ≈ 441.2). Push Comes to Shove is in E Standard and sits about 36 cents sharp, between E and F.
9 songs · 7 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. Mean Street
E♭ Standard +5 ¢Measured
Notes
The intro is Eddie slapping and tapping the strings with his right hand.
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2. "Dirty Movies"
Different tuning
Drop C♯ +5 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E♭ Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E♭ → C♯); the other strings stay.
The tab puts every guitar part in Drop C♯ (Drop D a half step down), like Unchained.
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3. Sinner's Swing!
Different tuning
Drop C♯ +5 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E♭ Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E♭ → C♯); the other strings stay.
Tabbed in Drop C♯ (Drop D a half step down).
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4. Hear About It Later
Different tuning
Drop C♯ +5 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E♭ Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E♭ → C♯); the other strings stay.
Bonedo's workshop and the tab both drop the low string a whole step for the clean intro; with the album's half step down that is Drop C♯.
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Notes
How to get there from the album's E♭ Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E♭ → C♯); the other strings stay.
The riff that made dropped tuning famous: the low string goes down a whole step from the album's E♭, to C♯. The Drop C tab that many people use sits a half step below the record. Measured about 4 cents flat, effectively concert pitch.
Drop D a half step down (C♯ G♯ C♯ F♯ A♯ D♯), as Far Out Magazine and Bonedo's workshop describe it. The most-viewed Songsterr tab is in Drop C, a half step lower; another is in plain Drop D.
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6. Push Comes to Shove
Different tuning
E Standard +36 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E♭ Standard: Every string up a half step.
Tabbed in E Standard, a half step above the rest of the album, and the record agrees, but it sits about 36 cents sharp (A ≈ 449.1), between E and F. Its page offers two readings; trust your ear.
The tab is in E Standard, unlike the rest of the album.
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7. So This Is Love?
E♭ Standard +5 ¢Measured
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8. Sunday Afternoon in the Park
Different pitch
E♭ Standard +18 ¢Measured
Notes
An instrumental for synthesizer and drums; no guitar part to tune. Measured about 18 cents sharp (A ≈ 444.6).
Community tabs put Mean Street, So This Is Love? and One Foot Out the Door in E♭ Standard; four songs drop the low string a further whole step.
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9. One Foot Out the Door
Different pitch
E♭ Standard +22 ¢Measured
Notes
Built on a synthesizer part, with the guitar solo on top. Measured about 22 cents above E♭ (A ≈ 445.5).
Community tabs put Mean Street, So This Is Love? and One Foot Out the Door in E♭ Standard; four songs drop the low string a further whole step.
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 Fair Warning in?
Van Halen recorded Fair Warning (1981) in E♭ Standard, about 5 cents sharp (A ≈ 441), measured by TuneLit on the CD. 7 songs use other tunings or pitches, listed song by song on this page.
Why does Fair Warning sound out of tune with my guitar?
Push Comes to Shove sits about 36 cents sharp (A ≈ 449), 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.