ZZ Top · 1999 · Studio album
XXX tuning.
E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD. 4 of 13 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, RCA 07863-67850-2 (US, 1999) | −0.8 ¢ | A 439.8 | 12 | −3.9 to +2.2 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E Standard, with no pitch given (community).
Eight studio songs, a spoken introduction and four live songs, at concert pitch (A ≈ 439.8). Poke Chop Sandwich and Crucifixx-A-Flatt are tabbed in Drop D and Made into a Movie in E♭ Standard; Fearless Boogie sits about 15 ¢ flat.
13 songs · 4 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. Poke Chop Sandwich
Different tuning
Drop DMeasured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E → D); the other strings stay.
Tabbed in Drop D. TuneLit's semitone check leans toward E♭ rather than D for the lowest string, so check by ear.
The one tab (little viewed) is in Drop D.
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2. Crucifixx-A-Flatt
Different tuning
Drop DMeasured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E Standard: String 6 down a whole step (E → D); the other strings stay.
Its only tab, a machine transcription, is in Drop D; TuneLit's semitone check agrees.
The only tab, a machine transcription (Songsterr AI), is in Drop D.
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3. Fearless Boogie
Different pitch
E Standard −15 ¢Measured
Notes
TuneLit measured it about 15 ¢ flat (A ≈ 436.3).
Hardly any tabs exist: the album is listed in E Standard by default, and the songs whose tabs name another tuning are set apart.
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4. 36-22-36
E StandardMeasured
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5. Made into a Movie
Different tuning
E♭ StandardMeasured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E Standard: Every string down a half step.
Its only tab, a machine transcription, is in E♭ Standard; TuneLit's semitone check agrees.
The only tab, a machine transcription (Songsterr AI), is in E♭ Standard.
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6. Beatbox
E StandardMeasured
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7. Trippin'
E StandardMeasured
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8. Dreadmonboogaloo
E StandardMeasured
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9. Live Intro by Ross Mitchell
E StandardMeasured
Notes
A spoken introduction to the live songs, not measured.
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10. Sinpusher
E StandardMeasured
Notes
Live.
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11. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear
E StandardMeasured
Notes
Live, with Dusty Hill singing the Elvis Presley hit.
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12. Hey Mr. Millionaire
E StandardMeasured
Notes
Live, with Jeff Beck on guitar. TuneLit's reading is weak.
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13. Belt Buckle
E StandardMeasured
Notes
Live. TuneLit's reading is weak.
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 XXX in?
ZZ Top recorded XXX (1999) in E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit on the CD. Poke Chop Sandwich and Crucifixx-A-Flatt use Drop D; Fearless Boogie uses E Standard −15 ¢; Made into a Movie uses E♭ Standard.
Why does XXX sound out of tune with my guitar?
Fearless Boogie sits about 15 cents flat (A ≈ 436), 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.