HYPERSTATION by SONIC YOUTH Tab by Raj Paden + Chris Lawrence (silvercircle@shaw.ca) TUNINGS ------- Thurston: GGDDD#D# Lee: GGC#DGG LAYOUT: A - B - C - D - B - C - D - A A SECTION 00:00-01:20 The first 30 seconds or so are just open strings, pick scrapes, tapping the headstock, etc as it segues from "The Wonder". It does technically start with Thurston raking the 12th fret harmonics from high to low. Thurston begins a harmonic riff: D#---------*7*-*7*------------------------------------- D#---------*7*-*7*------------------------------------- D------------------*7*---*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*----------- x 14 D------------------*7*---*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*----------- G---*12*-------------------------------------*9*-*9*--- G---*12*-------------------------------------*9*-*9*--- You can also play: D#---------*7*-*7*------------------------------------- D#---------*7*-*7*------------------------------------- D------------------*7*---*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*----------- D------------------*7*---*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*----------- G---*5*--------------------------------------*4*-*4*--- G---*5*--------------------------------------*4*-*4*--- In 2007, he skips the final harmonic. Lee continues with open strings and harmonics until the next section. B SECTION 01:21-02:04 Thurston: D#--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0-----------------9-9-9-9---------- D#--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0-----------------9-9-9-9---------- D---8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8-------------------------9--9-9--- x 6 D---8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--9--9-9-9-9-9-9---------9--9-9--- G---8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--9--9-9-9-9-9-9------------------ G---8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--9--9-9-9-9-9-9------------------ Lee doubles Thurston's part in the right speaker, but also plays a harmonic riff that pans between speakers. G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D---8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9-10--10-10-10-10-10--9--9--- main riff C#--9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-11--11-11-11-11-11-10-10--- G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G---*19*--------*12*--------- G---*19*--------*12*--------- D---------*19*--------*12*--- harmonic riff C#--------------------------- G---------------------------- G---------------------------- C SECTION 02:04-02:19 Thurston: D#--------------------------------------------------- D#-------X-X-5--------------------------------------- D--------X-X-5------7-7-7-7-7-7-7-8--8-8-8-8\7-7-7--- x 2 D---0----X-X-5------7-7-7-7-7-7-7-8--8-8-8-8\7-7-7--- G---0----X-X----------------------------------------- G---0------------------------------------------------ Lee: G---0---------------------------------------- G---0---------------------------------------- D---5-----7-7-7-7-7-7-7-8--8-8-8\7-7-7------- x 2 C#--6-----8-8-8-8-8-8-8-9--9-9-9\8-8-8------- G---0------------------------------------0--- G---0------------------------------------0--- D SECTION 02:19-02:54 Thurston: D#--------0-8-8-8-9--9-8-8--0-0--0-0-0--0-0--0-0-0--- D#--------0-8-8-8-9--9-8-8--0-0--0-0-0--0-0--0-0-0--- D---------------------------------------------------- x 2 D-----0---------------------------------------------- G-----0---------------------------------------------- G-----0---------------------------------------------- then stick on harmonics: D#--------- D#--------- D---*12*--- D---*12*--- G---*12*--- G---*12*--- Lee: G----------------------------- G----------------------------- D---13-------12-------20------ open G strings optional C#--14-------13-------21------ G----------------------------- G----------------------------- When Thurston hits the open D# in his riff, Lee starts strumming the first note, then moves to the middle note when Thurston hits the low G again. At this point, Lee does some improv between the 12-17th frets (not tabbed), then goes up to the third note and holds that for a while. I think he drops back down to the middle note when everything resolves to G. Then he holds this shape and picks it. In 2007-2010, he didn't have a 22nd fret on his GGDDxx guitar, so he bent the 21st fret up. G---22--- ---22---------------------------22--- G---19--- -------19-------------------19------- D---20--- -----------20-----------20----------- x 4 C#--18--- ---------------18---18--------------- G-------- ------------------------------------- G-------- ------------------------------------- He continues picking this riff into the next section. B SECTION 02:54-03:38 Lee picks his riff from the previous section four times over the main verse riff, then when Thurston starts singing, he plays his harmonic riff from the first verse, only he plays it twice as fast. C SECTION 03:38-03:52 D SECTION 03:52-05:04 Thurston: D#--------0-8-8-8-9--9-8-8--0-0--0-0-0--0-0--0-0-0--- D#--------0-8-8-8-9--9-8-8--0-0--0-0-0--0-0--0-0-0--- D---------------------------------------------------- x 2 D-----0---------------------------------------------- G-----0---------------------------------------------- G-----0---------------------------------------------- D#--20--21--20--12\---------------- @ the 12th fret, slide backwards while picking D#--20--21--20--12\---------------- D----/---/---/---/----------------- x 4 D----------------/-------------/--- G---------------------------0\12--- G---------------------------0\12--- this is a very quick slide up to the 12th fret while picking D#--------- D#--------- D---------- then repeat this a few times + go up high on the fretboard + back down to this again D------/--- G---0\12--- G---0\12--- Release to open strings for final section. Lee starts out like the previous D SECTION but becomes more loose and crazy with the trem picking between the "beat notes" listed before. He increases the intensity of his picking until the section breaks into the repeat of the intro. Just go wild high up the neck! A SECTION 05:04-07:13 Thurston starts with open strings ringing, then begins his harmonic riff: D#---------*7*-*7*------------------------------------- D#---------*7*-*7*------------------------------------- D------------------*7*---*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*----------- repeat til fade D------------------*7*---*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*----------- G---*12*-------------------------------------*9*-*9*--- G---*12*-------------------------------------*9*-*9*--- Lee continues with open strings and harmonics (mostly 12th fret). As the song winds down, he just lets harmonics and feedback ring, with some open string + behind the bridge droning. Last updated: 12/22/22 ------------------------------------------------ THE SONIC YOUTH GUITAR/BASS TABLATURE ARCHIVE: http://www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/tab/index.html ------------------------------------------------