CALMING THE SNAKE
by Sonic Youth

Tab by Chris Lawrence (silvercircle@shaw.ca)

TUNINGS
-------
Thurston:   DDAF#AD (right)
Lee:        DDDDAA (left)
Kim:        DDAF#AD (middle)


LAYOUT: A - B - C - B - C - B - D - B


A SECTION				00:00-00:15

Thurston:

D---0-----------
A-----10--------  repeat
F#-------0------
A----------11---
D---------------
D---------------

Lee:

A----------0--
A-------12----
D-----9------- just pick variations out on that chord
D--11---------
D-------------
D-------------

Kim makes string noise while waiting to enter.

B SECTION				00:15-00:43

All three guitarists come in after Mark has played his bassline four times.

Thurston:

D---0---
A---0---
F#--0---  *big crazy skronk chord high up the fretboard*	x 4
A---0---
D---0---
D---0---

Lee:

A---0---
A---0---
D---0---  *big crazy skronk chord high up the fretboard*	x 4
D---0---
D---0---
D---0---

Kim:

D---0---
A---0---
F#--0---  *big crazy skronk chord high up the fretboard*	x 4
A---0---
D---0---
D---0---

C SECTION				00:43-01:09

Thurston:

D----0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0-0---
A---10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10--0-0---
F#---0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0-0---
A---11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11--0-0--- x 8
D----0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0-0---
D----0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0-0---

Lee comes in on Thurston's 3rd rep:

A---*7*---              --------------------
A---*7*---              --------------------
D---*7*--- (harmonics)  -------------------- x 3
D---*7*---              --------------------
D---*7*---              --------------------
D---*7*---              ---3-3-3-3-2-0--0---

Kim comes in after Thurston has played once:

D---4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--0-0---
A---3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3--0-0---
F#--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0--- x 7
A----------------------------
D----------------------------
D----------------------------

B SECTION				01:09-01:36

Thurston:

D---------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------
F#--------------------------------------------
A---12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12--------10-12--- x 4
D---12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12--10-12---------
D----0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0----------------

Lee plays a shape like this:

A----0---  -------0---
A----0---  -------0---
D---12---  ---10\12---  he slides from 10 to 12 a bit
D---12---  ---10\12--- 
D----0---  -------0---  just play around the 12th fret
D----0---  -------0---

Kim doesn't play during this part.

C SECTION				01:36-02:02

B SECTION				02:02-02:16

Lee starts with a shape like this:

A---12---         ----0---------------------------------------------------------------------------0---
A---12---         ---12----\14--15-15-12--------------------------------------------------------------
D---12---  then:  ---12---------------12- etc ------------------------------------------12--12--------
D---12---         ---10---------------10-------12\14-14-14-14--14-14/12-12--10-10-10-10--------10-----
D---12---         ----0-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D----0---         ----0-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

D SECTION				02:16-03:08

Thurston places a metal file against his strings at the end of the fretboard and makes a steady
high-pitched whirring noise.

Lee comes back in around 2:40 playing around the same shape:

A----0---
A---12---
D---12--- arpeggiate for a bit
D---10---
D----0---
D--------

He uses heavy delay for this part, this is just a rough guide. He's just improvising around the 10th
to 17th frets.

A-----------------------------------14-------15~-----15~-15~-15~--15~---------17-17---17-15-------------
A---------------12-----------12--------12---------12~--12~--12~------12~--------------------------------
D---------14-14----14--14^15----15~-------15--------------------12~-----12~-----------------12~12~12~~--
D---10^12-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A-----------0-------------0-0--*12*----------------------------------
A---------0---0-----------0-0--*12*-----12---15---17-----------------
D---12-----------12----12-0-0--*12*-----12-------------15---14--12---
D------10-----------10-----------------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------------------

Kim comes back in at 2:30 also rubbing a metal file against the strings above her neck pickup.

B SECTION				03:09-03:36

Everyone plays the normal B section once, then ends on six open D crashes, with the last one
being drawn out for a final seventh crash to end it.


Last updated: 03/30/24

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