TUNELIT

ZZ Top · 1981 · Studio album

El Loco tuning.

E Standard, about 7 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured on the CD. 1 of 10 songs are tuned differently.

El Loco album cover

Album tuning

E Standard +7 ¢

About 7 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured on the CD.

MeasuredFrom tabs

Tune like thisPlay alongAll 10 songs

Measured by TuneLit

7 ¢ sharp

SourceOffsetEquivalent ASongsSpreadConfidence
CD, Warner Bros. 7599-23593-2 (Germany)+7.0 ¢A 441.810+3.3 to +8.8 ¢High
 Offset from concert pitch (A 440). Spread: the middle half of the songs, when four or more share the album's pitch. Confidence: how well the notes agree with one grid.

Before we measured, sources said: E Standard, with no pitch given (community).

E Standard, about 7 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 441.8), in its original mix (the 1987 box left it alone). Party on the Patio is tabbed in E♭ Standard.

10 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

  1. 1. Tube Snake Boogie

    E Standard +7 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  2. 2. I Wanna Drive You Home

    E Standard +7 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  3. 3. Ten Foot Pole

    E Standard +7 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  4. 4. Leila

    E Standard +7 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  5. 5. Don't Tease Me

    E Standard +7 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  6. 6. It's So Hard

    E Standard +7 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  7. 7. Pearl Necklace

    E Standard +7 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  8. 8. Groovy Little Hippie Pad

    E Standard +7 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  9. 9. Heaven, Hell or Houston

    E Standard +7 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  10. 10. Party on the Patio

    Different tuning

    E♭ Standard +7 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    How to get there from the album's E Standard: Every string down a half step.

    Tabbed in E♭ Standard. TuneLit's reading is weak (confidence 0.35) and its semitone check hears D rather than E♭, so check by ear.

    The only tab, a machine transcription (Songsterr AI), is in E♭ Standard.

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 El Loco in?

ZZ Top recorded El Loco (1981) in E Standard, about 7 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured by TuneLit on the CD. Party on the Patio uses E♭ Standard +7 ¢.