THE DIAMOND SEA by SONIC YOUTH Tab by Chris Lawrence (silvercircle@shaw.ca) Special thanks to Larsen '98 TUNINGS ------- Thurston: EGDGED Lee: EEBBEF# A SECTION 00:00-00:20 Thurston uses a Ludwig Phase II Guitar Synthesizer for most of his part. It is the "yadayadayadayada" sound heard at the start. D--------------------------------------- E--------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------- D---12--12--12--14---------------------- x 4 G----0---0---0---0---14--16--16--16----- E---------------------0---0---0---0----- This section is repeated for the verse, but Thurston does not play while he sings. Lee: F#---------------------- E---17---15---14-------- w/ analog delay B------------------17--- B----------------------- E----------------------- E----------------------- B SECTION 00:20-00:38 Thurston: D------------------------------------------------------------------------------ E------------------------------------------------------------------------------ G------------------------------------------------------------------------------ D------------------------------------------------------------------------------ x 2 G---16-14-12-14---------12----14/16----16-14-12-14--------12----14/16-14-12---- E---------------12---12----12----------------------10--10----10---------------- This section is repeated for the chorus, and Thurston does play guitar while he sings. During live versions, he did not play at all while singing. Lee: F#---------------------------------- ---0------ E-----------------------3^5-3--3---- ---------- B--------5\7--5--------------------- PLAY ------0--- B--------5\7--5--------------------- TWICE ---------- E---0--------------3---------------- ---------- E---0--------------3---------------- ---------- The album version doesn't have much variation, but he started to improvise a lot more during the chorus as they played the song live. He would also end the chorus by sliding up a full barre chord across the 3rd fret all the way up the neck. A SECTION 00:38-00:55 B SECTION 00:55-01:13 A SECTION 01:14-01:31 B SECTION 01:31-01:49 A SECTION 01:49-02:06 B SECTION 02:06-02:24 C SECTION 02:25-02:41 Thurston lightly strums this chord: D--------- E--------- G----9---- D--------- G----9---- E----0---- Lee: F#---5\7-7-7/5--5--5-5-5--5\8-8-8-8/5-5--5--5-5-5--5\7--7-5--5--5-5-5-- E----0--------------------0------------------------0------------------- you can drone both B----5\7-7-7/5--5--5-5-5--5\8-8-8-8/5-5--5--5-5-5--5\7--7-5--5--5-5-5-- the high and low E strings... B---------------------------------------------------------------------- E---------------------------------------------------------------------- E---------------------------------------------------------------------- D SECTION 02:42-03:15 Thurston: D-------------------------------------------------------------------- E-------------------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------------------------------------- x 2 D-------------------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------------------------------------- E---10~--10-7~~--7-7\14-14--14br~~\--0---3~~--3-3-3\7-7-7-7-7br-7~~-- Lee: F#--------------------------------------- E---10---10\7--7-7-7--7\14--14-14-14-14-- B---10---10\7--7-7-7--7\14--14-14-14-14-- B---10---10\7--7-7-7--7\14--14-14-14-14-- E---10---10\7--7-7-7--7\14--14-14-14-14-- E---10---10\7--7-7-7--7\14--14-14-14-14-- F#--------0----------------3--------------------7--------------- E-------------0----------------3------------7-----7------------- B-----------------0----------------3------7---7-----7----------- B-----0----------------3------------------7-----------7--7-7-7-- E-------------------------------------3\7-------------7--7-7-7-- E---0---0---0---0----3---3---3---3----3\7-------------7--7-7-7-- Play all twice. E SECTION 03:15-04:35 Thurston starts playing harmonics: D---*7*-*7*---------*7*-*7*--------------------------- E-----------*7*-*7*---------*7*--*5*-*5*-*5*---------- G--------------------------------*5*-*5*-*5*---------- repeat simile D--------------------------------*5*-*5*-*5*---------- G--------------------------------------------*5*-*5*-- E--------------------------------------------*5*-*5*-- He doesn't play a specific riff, just a general trem bar assisted attack on harmonics from the 7th fret to the 5th fret (he changes when Kim plays her 2nd note). He switches to 3rd or 4th fret harmonics, so make sure you have some biting trebly distortion to squeeze them out. Watch a video of them doing it to see what he gets up to. Eventually he starts just strumming harmonics aggressively up the entire fretboard, then settles into something like this: D---14----21--- furious trem picking, slide up to the higher strings and then just E---12----19--- make a big skronky chord circa 19-21st fret and shred! G----/-----/--- D----/-----/--- G-------------- E-------------- Lee: F#------------------------------------------------------------------- E-------------------------------------------------------------------- B--7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6--- B--7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6--- E-------------------------------------------------------------------- E-------------------------------------------------------------------- F#------------------------------------------------------------------- E-------------------------------------------------------------------- B--7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8--- B--7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8--- E-------------------------------------------------------------------- E-------------------------------------------------------------------- F#------------------------------------------------------------------ E------------------------------------------------------------------- B------------------------------------------------------------------- x 2 B------------------------------------------------------------------- E--8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10--- E--8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10--- F#-15--15--15-15--12--12-12--12-12-- play variation 6 times E--15--15--15-15--12--12-12--12-12-- B--15--15--15-15--12--12-12--12-12-- vary between high + low strings B--15--15--15-15--12--12-12--12-12-- E--15--15--15-15---0---0--0---0--0-- E--15--15--15-15---0---0--0---0--0-- F#-15--15--15-17--12--12-12--12-12-- play variation 6 times E--15--15--15-15--12--12-12--12-12-- B--15--15--15-15--12--12-12--12-12-- B--15--15--15-15--12--12-12--12-12-- E--15--15--15-15---0---0--0---0--0-- E--15--15--15-15---0---0--0---0--0-- F SECTION 04:35-06:53 At first Thurston continues his racket from the previous section, then he lets the open strings ring softly, settling into this lead at 5:07: D-----9------------------------- E------------------------------- G-----------9-----7------------- -> drop open strings w/ trem bar (general noise) D-----------------------9------- G------------------------------- repeat! E------------------------------- He lets some feedback ring, then at 6:16 starts slowly hitting this chord: D---10--- E----0--- x 10 G----0--- D---(0)-- G-------- E-------- During live versions, this chord was always the signal to the rest of the band that they'd be wrapping up the noise and going back into the final verse. Lee: F#---------------------------------------------------- E----------------------------------------------------- B--7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-- B--7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-- E----------------------------------------------------- E----------------------------------------------------- F#---------------------------------------------------- E----------------------------------------------------- B--7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-- B--7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-- E----------------------------------------------------- E----------------------------------------------------- F#----------------------------------------------------------------- E------------------------------------------------------------------ B------------------------------------------------------------------ x 2 B------------------------------------------------------------------ E--8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-- E--8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-- then dissolve into a dissonant chord like this: F#----- E--13-- B--12-- change the fingering a bit, just bend a skronky chord around... B--11-- E--10-- go wild! E---0-- Beyond that, Lee just goes deeper into droning delay heavy noise. Have fun! A SECTION 06:53-07:33 Lee: F#-------------17-----------------------------------17---- E----17---15------------17---15---14------17---15--------- B--------------------------------------------------------- B--------------------------------------------------------- E--------------------------------------------------------- E--------------------------------------------------------- Return to normal verse riff when vocals begin. B SECTION 07:33-07:55 G SECTION 07:55-19:36 I suspect each guitarist overdubbed at least one track to the outro of this song, so I've tabbed what felt like a clear continuation of their parts and then made notes of other key moments. Thurston starts lightly strumming a chord like this: D---14--- E----0--- (another gtr arpeggiates a similar chord) G----0--- D---14--- G----0--- E----0--- And uuuh he basically doesn't stop! It gets a little more intense at times but always keeps the same pace, until about 14:36 when (I assume) an overdub of him playing a similar "flaming lead" appears to wake everyone up, and the main guitar sinks lower in the mix. D----7---9----------- E-------------------- G------------7---9--- D-------------------- G-------------------- E-------------------- Based on the way it's mixed, I'm not sure if Thurston is doing all of the really loud heavy wah noise stuff. I would assume so...and at this point, does it matter? Run wild on the diamond sea! Lee arpeggiates around chords like this w/ heavy phase: F#-----------5------ -----------3------ E------0-3-------3-- -------2-------2-- B----------0-------- and -----0---0---0---- B----0-------------- ---0-------------- E----0---------0---- ------------------ E----0-------------- ------------------ Around 11 minutes in he starts lightly attacking the open strings over a loop of the alternating chords. He starts picking the open strings out and then around 12 minutes is trem picking notes on the B strings with the other open strings ringing in. Around 12:30 he starts trem picking these notes: F#------- -------- E-------- -------- B-------- --12br-- let open E strings drone B-------- then releases to: --12br-- while trem picking E---12--- ---0---- + slowly bending B note E---11--- ---0---- Then he just starts letting the open strings feedback w/ delay. This lasts until 14:48 when a very loud chord suddenly explodes in the left speaker, however if you listen to the extended version you'll hear that this is a continuation of Thurston's lead, and the big wah burst is in the right speaker, not the left. As such, there's probably not much point in tabbing the remainder of the song - it is an awesome display of blistering noise improvisation with some mixing enhancements. Do whatever you'd like, and have fun! last updated: 05/20/22 ------------------------------------------------ THE SONIC YOUTH GUITAR/BASS TABLATURE ARCHIVE: http://www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/tab/index.html ------------------------------------------------