DESTROYER by Sonic Youth as performed on 09/18/81 Tab by Chris Lawrence (silvercircle@shaw.ca) TUNINGS ------- Thurston: EADGBE Lee: EADGBE LAYOUT: A - B - A A SECTION 00:13-01:49 Thurston starts playing an aggressive muted harmonic figure around 0:35. I think he's striking at the 5th fret. I'm not sure how to tab it, so just listen to it (seriously, will anybody be wanting to play "Destroyer"? Anybody?) At 1:41 he begins a descending riff with Lee: B------------------------------------------------------- E------------------------------------------------------- G------------------------------------------------------- D------------------------------------------------------- A------------------------------------------------------- E---10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-9-9-8~---- Play that twice - Kim actually changes her riff after Thurston plays this once, so it continues below. Lee: E------- B------- G------- D---0--- palm mute // listen to the song to hear how he plays the notes A---4--- E------- He gradually increases intensity and then hits some open strings before beginning his harmonic riff: E----*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------0------- B--------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------0--- G------------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*---------- play twice D---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Then he goes back to palm mute picking that first chord: E------- B------- G------- this time he throws in the open G string and then does a bunch of choppy skronk D---0--- A---4--- E------- Basically just kinda "freak out" from 1:09 to 1:22 Then he goes back to the harmonic riff but plays 7th fret harmonics instead of the open strings: E----*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*7*----------------------- B--------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*------------0----------*7*------ G------------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*---------------*7*-----*7*-- D---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E----*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*7*------- B--------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*-----------*7*-- G------------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*------------ D------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Then he goes back to droning the first chord while the other guitar plays the descending riff: E------- B------- G------- the bassline changes while he's playing these notes D---0--- A---4--- E------- B SECTION 01:49-02:41 After the 2nd rep of the descending riff, Thurston starts a funky muted riff that does seem to center around a skronky chord but I can't quite identify it. It's something like: E---11--- B---11--- G---10--- D---10--- A-------- E-------- I'd be curious if anyone else can get a better read on Thurston's part on this song! Lee continues droning: E------- B------- G------- D---0--- vary palm mute + open A---4--- E------- At 2:00 he "freaks out" again - just do crazy skronky shit with chord shapes like: E---20--- B---19--- G---18--- and toss in choppy 5th - 7th - 12th fret harmonics D-------- A-------- E-------- A SECTION 02:42-05:24 Thurston strums muted strings with some light harmonics circa 5th to 7th fret. Then he starts the same figure he played in the previous A section. At 3:56 he plays the same descending riff twice. Then go back to that wild funky scratchy riff and plays that til the end of the song. Lee starts a funky muted harmonic groove around 2:50. It sounds like he's running his running his finger from 5th to 12th fret harmonics on the EADG strings while letting the open BE strings sound out. There's a definite rhythm to it but I'm not sure how to tab it exactly. At 3:00 it's more freak out - he trem picks 12th fret harmonics, then at 3:15 plays something like: E---12---12--- B---12---12--- play 3 times - hold each chord for a bit G---11---12--- D---11---12--- A----/----/--- E----/----/--- Back to the harmonic riff: E----*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*-------------------------------- B--------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*---------*7*---------------- G------------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*12*----------*7*---*7*----- D--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0--- A------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Then play D for a bit: E------- B------- G---2--- D---0--- A------- E------- Then a very slight skronk off before going back to the descending riff: E------- B------- G---0--- he includes the G string more prominently now, sometimes even the B string D---0--- A---4--- E------- Then more freakin' out moving muted harmonics up and down the fretboard while letting the open B and E strings blast through. Just play really jagged and choppy, it's more about the attack than the specific notes (though it's mostly open strings and harmonics). Hell he may even be using a drumstick at this point! Regardless, go nuts til the end, and then, well, it's the end. Last updated: 08/31/23 ------------------------------------------------ THE SONIC YOUTH GUITAR/BASS TABLATURE ARCHIVE: http://www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/tab/index.html ------------------------------------------------