HELEN LUNDEBERG by Sonic Youth Tab by Chris Lawrence (silvercircle@shaw.ca) and FDSwayze (2007) TUNINGS ------- Thurston: D D# A# D# G G Lee: D D# A# D# G G LAYOUT: INTRO - A - B - A - B - A INTRO 00:00-00:15 Lee can be heard arpeggiating the open strings, then doing the reverse harmonic riff from "Pink Steam". Then Thurston strums the open strings once. A SECTION 00:15-00:54 Thurston's riff is basically something you need to listen to in order to imitate. He hits a low harmonic and then runs his hand up and down the strings, playing mostly muted strings but also some sharp harmonics bleeding in, and resting on a final harmonic chord - I wish I could see a video of him playing this, but I think he lands on random frets for the end, sometimes 4th, sometimes 5th, sometimes accenting the low strings, sometimes accenting the middle strings, etc. It's not super scientific. The first "harmonichord" doesn't even need to be at the 12th fret, but it works. G--------------------------------------- G---------X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-*5*--- D#--------X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-*5*--- A#--*12*--X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-*5*--- play variation x 18 D#--*12*--X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-*5*--- D---*12*--X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-*5*--- move muted harmonics up This is Lee's part as interpreted by FDSwayze. Like Thurston's role, I would listen and just mimic Lee's jagged stabs at skronky chords like FDSwayze has laid out below, but I wouldn't worry about necessarily following this exact script: G-------------------------------------------------------------------- G---8/-/-/-/-/-/16----------14-------x------------------------------- D#--7/-/-/-/-/-/15----------13-------x------------------------------- A#--6/-/-/-/-/-/14------12-----------x------------------------------- D#------------------------------------------------------------------- D-------------------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------------------------------------- G---8/-/-/-/-/-/16----------18-----------1818181818~~1818181818\----- D#--7/-/-/-/-/-/15------x-x-17-----------1717171717~~1717171717\----- A#--6/-/-/-/-/-/14------x-x-16-----------1616161616~~1616161616\----- D#------------------------------------------------------------------- D-------------------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------------------------------------- G-------8-8-x-x-----8-8-----12--------------------------------------- D#------7-7-x-x---------7-7-11-------6-6-2-2-3-3-4-4-5-------16------ A#------6-6-x-x-6-6---------10-----------1-1-2-2-3-3-4---0---15------ D#-------------------------------------------------------0----------- D-------------------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------------------------------------- G------------------------------------------------------------11------ D#--13--9-9-1010111112--x-x-16-------7---x-x-5-5-----5-5-----10------ A#------8-8-9-9-101011--x-x-15-----------x-x-----4-4-----4---9------- D#------------------------------------------------------------------- D-------------------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------------------------------------- D#------------------------------------------------------------------- A#------------------------------------------------------------------- D#--*2*-*3/3/4/4/5/5/6/7/7*-*9*------*2*-*3/3/4/4/5/5/6/7/7*-*7*----- D---------------------------*9*------*2*-*3/3/4/4/5/5/6/7/7*-*7*----- G-------------------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------------------------------------- D#------------------------------------------------------------------- A#--------------------------*5*------*2/2/3/3/4/4/5/5/6/7/7*-*7*----- D#--*2/2/2/3/3/3/4/4/5/5/5/5*--------*2/2/3/3/4/4/5/5/6/7/7*-*7*----- D------------------------------------*2/2/3/3/4/4/5/5/6/7/7*-*7*----- G-------------------------------------------------------------------- G------------------------------------13----------------------11------ D#-----------------------------------12----------------------10------ A#-----------------------------------11----------------------9------- D#--0------------------------------------0---12--0-0-0-0-0-0--------- D---0---------------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------4-------7--------14141414141414~~~~~~~~~~-------- D#----------3-3-------------6--------13131313131313~~~~~~~~~~-------- A#--2---2-2-----2-2-----2-2-5--------12121212121212~~~~~~~~~~-------- D#------------------------------------------------------------------- D-------------------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------------------------------------- G---14~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~------------------------------------- D#--13~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~----13~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~----- A#--12~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~----12~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~----- D#----------------------------------0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~----- D-------------------------------------------------------------------- B SECTION 00:54-02:01 Thurston waits a bar or two, then comes in playing a very sloppy riff with heavy treble fuzz: G------------------------------------------ G------------------------------------------ D#-----0--0-0-0-----10-10-10-10-10-10-10--- slight bend on 10th fret A#-----7--5-7-0---------------------------- D#---0-0--0-0---10--10-10-10-10-10-10-10--- x 10 D----0-----------0---0--0--0--0--0--0--0--- This is best played sick and loose, with nasty distortion. The riff is a little clearer on the acoustic performance of the song. Then just staccato stomp this chord at "biological fantasy": G-------- G-------- D#------- A#---7--- x 24 D#---0--- D----0--- Lee holds a very long bent note and trem picks it extensively, moving it up and down slightly: G----17b---- G----17b---- D#----/----- A#----/----- D#----/----- D----------- Then he switches to his own stomper chord: G-------- G-------- D#------- A#---6--- D#---8--- D----8--- A SECTION 02:01-02:40 Again, Kim plays the riff twice before Lee and Thurston enter. Thurston plays his progression 18 times. Lee per FDSwayze: G--------------------------------------------------------------------- G---8/---------/14----------18-------(18)------------------------8/--- D#--7/---------/13----------17-------(17)------------------------7/--- A#--6/---------/12----------16-------(16)------------------------6/--- D#-------------------------------------------------------------------- D--------------------------------------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------------------------------------- G------/18------15151616---------------------------------------------- D#-----/17------14141515-------------x-x-x-x-----7---x-x-x-x-10------- A#-----/16------1313141414--13-------x-x-x-x-6-6-----x-x-x-x-9-------- D#-------------------------------------------------------------------- D--------------------------------------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------------------------------------- G---------------18--18\-17---------------17--------------------------- D#----------17--17--17--16--16---------------16--16--16--------------- A#------16------------------15-------------15--15--15--15------------- D#--0--------------------------------0-------------------------------- D--------------------------------------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------------------------------------- G---12----------13----------13-----------12----------11--12----------- D#--11----------11----------12-----------11----------11--11----------- A#-------------------------------------------------------------------- D#-------------------------------------------------------------------- D--------------------------------------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------------------------------------- G------------------------------------14------------------------------- D#--13-------------------------------13------------------------------- A#--12-------------------------------12------------------------------- D#-----------------------------------0-------------------------------- D--------------------------------------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------------------------------------- G---------------------------12---------------------------------------- D#------8-----------8-------11---------------------------------------- A#------7-------7-------7---10---------------------------------------- D#-----------------------------------0---*2/2/3/3/4/4/5/5/5*-*7*------ D--------------------------------------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------------------------------------- D#-------------------------------------------------------------------- A#-------------------------------------------------------------------- D#--0---*2/2/3/3/4/4/5/5/5*-*7*------0---*2/2/2/3/3/4/5/6/7*-*9*------ D------------------------------------0---*2/2/2/3/3/4/5/6/7*-*9*------ G--------------------------------------------------------------------- G---------------------------17\------------------------------5/6------ D#------16----------15------16\----------4-4-5-------5-------4/5------ A#------15------14------14--15\----------3-3-4---4-------4---3/4------ D#-------------------------------------------------------------------- D--------------------------------------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------------------------------------- G-------13------------------13-------(13)----------------------------- D#----------12------12------12-------(12)----------------------------- A#--11----------11------11--11-------(11)----------------------------- D#-------------------------------------------------------------------- D--------------------------------------------------------------------- B SECTION 02:40-03:50 Thurston plays his riff 10 times, then hits his stomper chord 28 times (4 more than previously). Lee sticks to the same idea but gets a little wilder with the bended note he's hitting. A SECTION 03:50-04:38 Everyone comes in together this time. Thurston starts by picking behind the bridge, with really harsh trebly distortion. He may be playing the same harmonic motif while doing it, I'm not sure. When he sings "Helen Lundeberg" the second time, he goes back to playing the harmonic riff, 8 times til end. Lee as per FDSwayze: G-------------------------------------------------------------------- G-----------------------------------------------------------12------- D#-------------------------11-------10\-\-\-\-\-\-\3--------11------- A#---------11--9-----------10-------9-\-\-\-\-\-\-\2--------10------- D#-----------------10------------------------------------------------ D-------------------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------------------------------------- G-----------------------------------18\-----18\-----18\-----18\------ D#----------------------------------17\-----17\-----17\-----17\------ A#-------121214141515------16-------16\-----16\-----16\-----16\------ D#---------------------15-------------------------------------------- D-------------------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------------------------------------- G------------------8-------8--------8-----------------------7-------- D#-------------7-----------7--------7---------------6-------6-------- A#---------6---------------6--------6-------5---5-------5---5-------- D#------------------------------------------------------------------- D-------------------------------------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------------------------------------- G---------------------------9--------------------------------8-------- D#--x-------7---x---x---x---8--------3-------3/--9-----------7-------- A#--x---6-6-----x---x---x---7--------2---------------8-------6-------- D#-------------------------------------------------------------------- D--------------------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------------------------------------- G------17\-----------------11-------20------20--x---20\-------------- D#-------------------------10-----------19------x-----------7-------- A#-------------------------9--------------------------------6-------- D#------------------------------------------------------------------- D-------------------------------------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------------------------------------- G---20--20\-----------------8----------------x---x---x---x---*3*-*3*-- D#--19----------------------7--------7\------x-x-x-x-x-x-x------------ A#--------------------------6--------6\--------x---x---x-------------- D#-------------------------------------------------------------------- D--------------------------------------------------------------------- G---*3*-*3*--------------------------*3*-*3*-------------------------- G-----------*3*-*3*---------*3*-*3*----------*3*-*3*------------------ D#------------------*3*-*3*--------------------------*3*-*3*---------- A#-----------------------------------------------------------*3*-*3*-- D#-------------------------------------------------------------------- D--------------------------------------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------------------------------------- G------------------------------------------------------------11------- D#-----------------------------------------------10----------10------- A#-------------------------------------------9-----------9------------ D#--*2/2/3/3/4/4/5/5/6/7/7*-*7*------0-------------------------------- D---*2/2/3/3/4/4/5/5/6/7/7*-*7*--------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------------------------------------- G---8---------------8-------10-------13------------------------------- D#--7-----------7-------7---9--------12------------------------------- A#--6-------6---------------8--------11------------------------------- D#-------------------------------------------------------------------- D--------------------------------------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------------------------------------- G---13---------------------------------------------------------------- D#--12-------------------------------12------------------------------- A#--11-------------------------------11------------------------------- D#-----------------------------------0-------------------------------- D--------------------------------------------------------------------- G------------------------------------ G------------------------------------ D#--(12)----------------------------- A#--(11)----------------------------- D#--(0)------------------------------ D------------------------------------ Last updated: 06/30/24 ------------------------------------------------ THE SONIC YOUTH GUITAR/BASS TABLATURE ARCHIVE: http://www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/tab/index.html ------------------------------------------------