GREEN LIGHT by Sonic Youth Tab by Chris Lawrence (silvercircle@shaw.ca) special thanx to Raj Paden TUNINGS ------- Thurston: GGDDD#D# Lee: GGDDD#D# LAYOUT: A - B - C A SECTION 00:00-01:29 Thurston: D#---5-5-5-3-5-5-5-5-8-8-8-8-5-5-5-3-5-------10/--5-5-5-3-5-5-5-5-8-8-8-8-5-5-5-5--- D#---5-5-5-3-5-5-5-5-8-8-8-8-5-5-5-3-5-------10/--5-5-5-3-5-5-5-5-8-8-8-8-5-5-5-5--- D----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D#---5-5-5-3-5-5-5-5-8-8-8-8-5-5-5-5--8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-10-10--- D#---5-5-5-3-5-5-5-5-8-8-8-8-5-5-5-5--8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-10-10--- D------------------------------------------------------------------------- D------------------------------------------------------------------------- G------------------------------------------------------------------------- G------------------------------------------------------------------------- D#---5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-8-5--8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-10-10--- D#---5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-8-5--8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-10-10--- D------------------------------------------------------------------------- D------------------------------------------------------------------------- G------------------------------------------------------------------------- G------------------------------------------------------------------------- D#---5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--- stay on this note while singing D#---5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--- D---------------------------------------------------------------------- D---------------------------------------------------------------------- G---------------------------------------------------------------------- G---------------------------------------------------------------------- On the album, Lee sticks to this one chord shape for the entire vocal section: D#---10---- D#---10---- D-----8---- D-----8---- G-----9---- G-----9---- He picks at it randomly, this is an example of him kinda playing along with the main melody: D#-------------------10---10----------- D#-------------------10---10----------- D---------8-----8-------------8---8---- D---------8-----8-------------8---8---- G---9-9-9-----9---9-----9-------9------ G---9-9-9-----9---9-----9-------9------ But sometimes he emphasizes the higher notes, particularly during "I see a green light". On live versions, he first comes in playing this riff, then switches to the choppy chord picking: D#--------------------------------------------- D#--------------------------------------------- D---------------------------------------------- D---------------------------------------------- G---13/11-11--13/11-11---13\16-16--13\16-16---- G---13/11-11--13/11-11---13\16-16--13\16-16---- B SECTION 01:29-02:43 Thurston strikes a few stray open strings, then comes in with a trem picked pattern somewhat reminiscent of the main "Brother James" riff: D#--------------------- D#--------------------- D----0------0------0--- D----0------0------0--- G---------------------- G---------------------- D#---22-----16-----19--20-----17------- D#---22-----16-----19--20-----17------- increase intensity w/ repeats D-----/------/------/---/------/------- x 7 D-----/------/----------/------/------- G-------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------- Around 2:29 he drops down to this note: D#---5----- he picks away at it but it's pretty buried under everything else D#---5----- D---------- D---------- G---------- G---------- Lee picks out a slow, jagged series of notes that builds to some heavy trem picked chords. D#-------------------11-----------------------11-------------------------------------------------7-------- D#-------------------11-----------------------11-------------------------------------------------7-------- D----9---8-----------------9-8---------9---9------9---8-----------------8--------------5--4---4-----5-4--- D----9---8-----------------9-8---------9---9------9---8-----------------8--------------5--4---4-----5-4--- G------------9---8-------------9---8--------------------9-8---7---9---7-----7--9--5--4-------------------- G------------9---8-------------9---8--------------------9-8---7---9---7-----7--9--5--4-------------------- 1:44 D#---6----------------------------------11--------------10--------------10------12----------12--- D#---6----------------------------------11--------------10--------------10------12----------12--- D--------5---4-------------------9---8------9----9-9-8-------------9--8-----9--------11--10------ D--------5---4-------------------9---8------9----9-9-8-------------9--8-----9--------11--10------ G----------------5---4--5\9--8------------------------------9---8-------------------------------- G----------------5---4--5\9--8------------------------------9---8-------------------------------- 1:59 D#---------------------------------12--- D#---------------------------------12--- D----11--10---9----11--10---11--11------ D----11--10---9----11--10---11--11------ G--------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------- 2:04 D#---12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12--------------------------------------------------- D#---12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12--------------------------------------------------- D-------------------------------------------------12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12--- D-------------------------------------------------12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12--- G--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2:11 D#------------12--------------12--------------12--------------12--------------12------ D#------------12--------------12--------------12--------------12--------------12------ D----12-12-12----12--12-12-12----12--12-12-12----12--12-12-12----12--12-12-12----12--- D----12-12-12----12--12-12-12----12--12-12-12----12--12-12-12----12--12-12-12----12--- G------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Around 2:16 it gets pretty messy - I think he starts trem picking this shape which continues into the next section: 2:22 2:25 2:29 2:36 D#---14------12------13-----12-----11---- D#---12------12------13-----11-----11---- D----12------11------11-----11-----10---- he mostly keeps picking the middle strings @ 10th fret D----12------11------11-----11-----10---- G---------------------------------------- G---------------------------------------- C SECTION 02:43-03:41 Thurston starts his final riff: D#------------------------------------------------------- D#------------------------------------------------------- D-------------------------------------------------------- D-------------------------------------------------------- x 3 G----5---5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-7---7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7--- G----5---5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-7---7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7--- D#------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G----7-7-5--------5-5-5-7------7-7-7-5-------5-5-5-7-------7-7-7-5-----5--7------ G----7-7-5--------5-5-5-7------7-7-7-5-------5-5-5-7-------7-7-7-5-----5--7------ Lee switches to picking out the chord shape: D#------------11-----------------11--- D#------------11-----------------11--- D----10-10-10-----10-10-10-10-10------ repeat variation a few times D----10-10-10-----10-10-10-10-10------ G------------------------------------- G------------------------------------- then at 2:59 change to: D#---10---- D#---10---- D-----9---- w/ a similar picking pattern D-----9---- G---------- G---------- at 3:11 down to: D#---9---- sometimes add: ---10--- D#---9---- ----9--- D----8---- ----8--- pick this last chord til end D----8---- ----8--- G--------- -------- G--------- -------- Last updated: 02/08/24 ------------------------------------------------ THE SONIC YOUTH GUITAR/BASS TABLATURE ARCHIVE: http://www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/tab/index.html ------------------------------------------------