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Play along with songs that are not in A=440?

Chrisk-K

Chrisk-K

Jan 20, 2010
6,012
7,258
Scottsdale, AZ
#1
Not sure if this is the right forum to ask this question, but anyway...

Is there a Mac OS or Windows easy-to-use app that can pitch shift songs on Spotify to A = 440 so that I don't have to tune my bass to each song's idiosyncratic pitch when playing along? Lots of songs in the 70's and 80's are not in the standard pitch of A = 440. Of course, I could record those songs into Logic and pitch-shift them, but doing so is a hassle when I suddenly feel the urge to play along.
 
#6
I only notice on older recordings, and if it's that bad I do have a program that I can dial in the pitch if it’s off. Took all those old blues tunes in Eb and made them in E. So much eaiser to learn and perform.
 
#7
Gorn said:
What's an example of a song on Spotify I can play along to that has this problem?
Click to expand...
https://reverb.com/news/its-all-relative-five-great-out-of-tune-recordings

Not one of the examples from the link above, but A442 is not an uncommon tuning. Played in several groups in high school that tuned A442 due to vibes/marimbas/xylophones being in A442. Read a little about it when I was younger. If I remember correctly, A442 is common in some parts of the world (seems like it was Japan, Russia, and some European countries) particularly for classical music.
 
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#8
Gorn said:
What's an example of a song on Spotify I can play along to that has this problem?
Click to expand...
I don't know if it's on Spotify (not a user of that platform), but a tune that jumps out in my mind is "Destination Unknown" by Missing Persons. When faced with messing up my tuning just for that one song, or pitch-correcting the recording I had on hand, it was an easy call.

Chrisk-K said:
In the old days producers often sped up or down tape recordings to finalize tracks, resulting in a nonstandard pitch.
Click to expand...
Yep. I've got two "versions" of Mary Jane Girls' "All Night Long" that run at different speeds. Same recording, but pretty clearly put on wax with the master tape running at a slightly higher speed for one versus the other.

bholder said:
Go back further, lots of recordings were ad-hoc tuning to whoever.
Click to expand...
I'd be willing to bet a lot of those old variances are also because tuning would have been most easily/likely done to whatever piano was sitting around nearby. Way easier to tune guitars than one of those! 😅
 
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#11
ALOT of Beatles tunes seem to be in between standard tuning. At least when I'm playing along to the recordings.
My first thought was..well, it was a long time ago, they're probably tuning to each other just like we did back before tuners were common and cheap.
But then I read that George Martin said the boys always tuned to a piano in the studio..huh..
The revelation was reading how much they used the varaspeed to effect on the recordings.
Paul would even use it to sound younger or older.
Makes playing along...challenging.
 
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#14
This is where i like the simple pitch on my HX Stomp. I remember "Still Loving You" by the Scorpions was a bit sharp (at least the recording I used on YouTube) when I was learning it for my old band and i could adjust it to match pretty quickly and easily without retuning my bass.

I also use the simple pitch for songs we would drop by 1/2 step.

Thats all i have...
 
#16
Chrisk-K said:
Not sure if this is the right forum to ask this question, but anyway...

Is there a Mac OS or Windows easy-to-use app that can pitch shift songs on Spotify to A = 440 so that I don't have to tune my bass to each song's idiosyncratic pitch when playing along? Lots of songs in the 70's and 80's are not in the standard pitch of A = 440. Of course, I could record those songs into Logic and pitch-shift them, but doing so is a hassle when I suddenly feel the urge to play along.
Click to expand...
Or…just get a Whammy pedal, or my favorite, an EHX Pitchfork in conjuction with an expression pedal, done. Adjust on the fly. Plus, I use it for my octave box live.
 

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