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Guitar Tunings

Sonic Youth

Text File

                        The Unofficial Sonic Youth
                            Guitar Tunings List
                                Dec 10 1993

Compiled and supplemented by: Art Lee (alee@midway.uchicago.edu). This
document copyright (c) 1993 Art Lee. This document may not be reproduced in
any format. This includes posting this document to any newsgroup or mailing
list. Send corrections/additions/etc to this address please.

Ftp: ftp.maths.tcd.ie - /pub/music/guitar/sonic_youth/guitar.tunings
Posted to: Usenet monthly.

Update: None; last revised May 19 1993.

Thanks to: Guitar Player Aug 1989, Bad Moon Rising CD Booklet, Ron Rader
(rlr@bbt.com), Michael Hayes (mph@irl.chch.cri.nz), Sean C. Duncan
(scduncan@apsvax.aps.muohio.edu), Mike Goldsman (goldsman@cc.gatech.edu),
Sam Rowe (elric@selway.umt.edu) and others.

Notes:
    1. Tunings are listed from lowest to highest string.
       Example: E-A-D-G-B-E (standard tuning).
    2. LR = Lee Ranaldo, TM = Thurston Moore.

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Contents: by section

1. General tunings
2. Slightly altered tunings
3. Split tunings

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Section 1: General tunings

1.  E-B-E-E-A-B
    The second and third E's are in unison.
    Used in: Eric's Trip, Hey Joni, Rain King, Kissability.

2.  E-E-B-E-B-E
    The first two E's are in unison.
    Used in: Intro, Brave Men Run, Ghost Bitch (LR - mellow).

3.  E-E-B-F#-B-E
    The first two E's are in unison.
    Used in: Ghost Bitch (LR).

4.  F#-F#-F#-F#-E-B
    The first pair of F#'s are in unison. The second pair of F#'s
    are in unison and an octave above the first pair.
    Used in: Death Valley 69, Halloween, Mary Christ, Kool Thing, 100%.

5.  G-A-B-D-E-G
    Used in: Teenage Riot (TM).

6.  G-G-C-C-A#-A#
    All three pairs are in unison.
    Used in: I Love Her All the Time (TM).

7.  G-G-C#-D-G-G
    The first pair of G's are in unison. The second pair of G's
    are in unison an octave above the first pair.
    Used in: The Wonder (TM), Hyperstation (TM).

8.  G-G-D-D-F-F
    All three pairs are in unison.
    Used in: Mote.

9.  G-G-D-D-G-G
    All three pairs are in unison, the second pair of G's are an
    octave above the first pair.
    Used in: Teenage Riot (LR), Tunic (LR).

10. G#-G#-G#-D-D#-D#
    The three G#'s are in unison. The pair of D#'s are in unison.
    Used in: White Cross (TM).

11. A-A-A-A-B-D
    The first pair of A's are in unison. The second pair of A's
    are in unison and an octave above the first pair.
    Used in: Justic is Might (TM?).

12. A-A-E-E-A-A
    This is tuning #9 with a capo on the second fret.
    Used in Theresa's Sound-world (LR).

13. A-A-E-E-F#-A
    The first two A's are in unison. The pair of E's are in unison.
    Used in: Justic is Might (LR).

14. A-C-C-G-G#-C
    The first two C's are in unison, the third is an octave above.
    Used in: Silver Rocket, The Sprawl, Candle, Cinderella's Big Score,
    Theresa's Sound-world (TM).

15. D-D-D-D-E-A
    The first pair of D's are in unison. The second pair of D's
    are in unison an octave above the first pair.
    Used in: I'm Insane (LR).

16. D#-D#-C#-C#-G-G
    All three pairs are in unison.
    Used in: I Love Her All the Time (LR).

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Section 2: Slightly altered tunings

For this section, the tunings use standard tuning, with slight
adjustments. To achieve the similarity, you have to tune up or
down, noted by:    u = tune up        Don't expect your strings
                   d = tune down      to be the same after!

17. E-dE-dB-dB-dE-dF#
    The first two E's are in unison, the pair of B's are in unison.
    Used in: Dirty Boots (LR).

18. E-dG-D-G-dE-dD
    Used in: Dirty Boots (TM), Tunic (TM), Mildred Pierce,
    My Friend Goo, Titanium Expose, Sugar Kane (TM), Chapel Hill.

19. E-dG#-uE-uG#-dE-dG#
    Used in: Expressway to Yr Skull.

20. uF#-dF#-uG-G-dA-dA
    All three pairs are in unison.
    Used in: Tom Violence, Starpower, In the Kingdom #19, Death to our
    Friends, Marilyn Moore, Bubblegum, Schizophrenia, White Cross (LR).

21. uG-dG-D-dD-dEb-dEb
    All three pairs are in unison.
    Used in: Brother James, Stereo Sanctity, Cotton Crown,
    Total Trash, The Wonder (LR), Hyperstation (LR), Sugar Kane (LR),
    Orange Rolls Angel's Spit.

22. uC-uC-uE-uB-dG-dD
    The pair of C's are in unison.
    Used in: Cross the Breeze, Disappearer.

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Section 3: Split tunings

Title                      Thurston Moore         Lee Ranaldo
-----------------------    --------------         --------------------|
I Love Her All the Time    G-G-C-C-A#-A#     (6)  D#-D#-C#-C#-G-G (16-|
Justic is Might            A-A-A-A-B-D     ?(11)  A-A-E-E-F#-A    (13-|
White Cross                G#-G#-G#-D-D#-D# (10)  F#-F#-G-G-A-A   (20-|
Teenage Riot               G-A-B-D-E-G       (5)  G-G-D-D-G-G---------|      (9)
The Wonder                 G-G-C#-D-G-G      (7)  G-G-D-D-Eb-Eb   (21-|
Hyperstation               G-G-C#-D-G-G      (7)  G-G-D-D-Eb-Eb   (21-|
Dirty Boots                E-G-D-G-E-D      (18)  E-E-B-B-E-F#    (17-|
Tunic                      E-G-D-G-E-D      (18)  G-G-D-D-G-G---------|      (9)
Theresa's Sound-world      A-C-C-G-G#-C     (14)  A-A-E-E-A-A     (12-|
Sugar Kane                 E-G-D-G-E-D     ?(18)  G-G-D-D-Eb-Eb   (21-|

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Art Lee (alee@midway.uchicago.edu)
Please send any Sonic Youth guitar related info to the above address.
Will post updates to tunings as well as tablatures.

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