KAREN KOLTRANE by Sonic Youth Tab by Chris Lawrence (silvercircle@shaw.ca) TUNINGS ------- Kim: DADGGB Thurston: CGDGBB Lee: GGDAGA# LAYOUT: A - B - A - B - C - D - E - A - F A SECTION 00:00-01:16 Thurston: B--------------------------------------- B--------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------- D--------------------------------------- etc G---0-0--0---0-0--0---0-0--0---0-0--0--- C---0-0--0---0-0--0---0-0--0---0-0--0--- Lee comes in when he starts singing. Play w/ delay: A#---5-----4--------------------5-----4--------------------- G-------3-----2--5\8---------------3-----2--5~~~------------ A----------------------------------------------------------- D----------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------------------5-5-5-5--- G-------------------------------------------------5-5-5-5--- A#---5-----4--------------------5-----4--------------------- G-------3-----2--5\8---------------3-----2--5~~~------------ A----------------------------------------------------------- D----------------------------------------------------------- x 2 G----------------------5-5-5-5------------------------------ G----------------------5-5-5-5------------------------------ Kim: B--------------3--------------3--------------5--------------5--- G---0-0-0-3--3-3---0-0-0-3--3-3---0-0-0-5--5-5---0-0-0-5--5-5--- G---0-0-0-3--3-3---0-0-0-3--3-3---0-0-0-5--5-5---0-0-0-5--5-5--- x 4 D--------------------------------------------------------------- A--------------------------------------------------------------- D--------------------------------------------------------------- B SECTION 01:16-01:50 Thurston: B---21-21-21-21-21-21-21-21-21-21-21-21--- B---20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20--- etc G----------------------------------------- D----------------------------------------- G----------------------------------------- C----------------------------------------- Lee turns on his ring modulator w/ delay and improvises around the 5th to 7th frets, then up to the 22nd. Kim: B----------------------------------------------------------------- G---17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17--- G---17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17--- etc D----------------------------------------------------------------- A----------------------------------------------------------------- E----------------------------------------------------------------- A SECTION 01:50-02:33 Thurston: B--------------------------------------------------------- B--------------------------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------------------------- D--------------------------------------------------------- etc G---0-0--0---0-0--0---0-0--0---0-0--0---0-0--0---0-0--0--- C---0-0--0---0-0--0---0-0--0---0-0--0---0-0--0---0-0--0--- Lee: A#---5-----4--------------------5-----4--------------------- G-------3-----2--5\8---------------3-----2--5~~~------------ A----------------------------------------------------------- D----------------------------------------------------------- x 2 G----------------------5-5-5-5------------------------------ G----------------------5-5-5-5------------------------------ Kim continues with that note: B----------------------------------------------------------------- G---17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17--- G---17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17--- etc D----------------------------------------------------------------- A----------------------------------------------------------------- E----------------------------------------------------------------- B SECTION 02:33-03:56 Thurston: B---21-21-21-21-21-21-21-21-21-21-21-21--- etc B---20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20--- G----------------------------------------- this time he steps on random MXR boxes while he plays D----------------------------------------- G----------------------------------------- C----------------------------------------- Lee turns on his ring modulator and improvises around the 9th to 12th frets w/ delay. Kim continues with that note: B----------------------------------------------------------------- G---17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17--- G---17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17--- etc D----------------------------------------------------------------- A----------------------------------------------------------------- D----------------------------------------------------------------- Around 2:42 she starts to switch between these notes: B-------------------------------------------------- G---17-17-19-19-19-19-19-17-17-17-17-19-19-19-19--- G---17-17-19-19-19-19-19-17-17-17-17-19-19-19-19--- etc D-------------------------------------------------- A-------------------------------------------------- D-------------------------------------------------- A few times she lets the open D and A strings bleed in. C SECTION 03:56-04:59 Thurston: B---------------------- B---------------------- sometimes he adds open strings to the picking G-------7-------------- D---5--------------9--- x 14 G--------------7------- C---------------------- B------------------------------- B------------------------------- G---5--------------------------- D-------7--------7-7-7---------- G----------------------9--9-9--- C----------0-0-0---------------- Lee holds this shape when he starts singing: A#--------4---4---0--- G-------0-------0----- repeat variation A-----5--------------- D---5----------------- G--------------------- G--------------------- Kim: B--------------3--------------3--- G---0-0-0-3--3-3---0-0-0-3--3-3--- G---0-0-0-3--3-3---0-0-0-3--3-3--- x 6 D--------------------------------- A--------------------------------- D--------------------------------- D SECTION 04:59-06:42 Thurston: B-------------------- B----------7/5-0----- G-------7--------5--- x 51 around the 30th time he starts strumming more aggressively D-------------------- G---5\7-7------------ C-------------------- Lee: A#--------------------------------------------- G---------------------------------------------- A---------10-12-9-10------------9-10-12-10----- repeat variation D---10-12------------7----10-12------------7--- G---------------------------------------------- add slides between 10-12 sometimes G---------------------------------------------- Around 6:00 his picking gets more distorted and intense, and an overdubbed guitar plays this harmonic figure: A#----------------------*12*--- G------------------*12*-------- A--------*12*-*12*------------- D---*12*----------------------- G------------------------------ G------------------------------ Eventually his main guitar is just shaking notes around the 12th fret while the harmonic part plays. Kim: B---------------------------------------- G---7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7\9-9--0--- x 4 G---7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7\9-9--0--- D---------------------------------------- A---------------------------------------- D---------------------------------------- Then she starts playing the open Gs and then adding the same 7-9th fret notes: B---------------------------------------- G---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-7\9-9--0--- G---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-7\9-9--0--- repeat variation D---------------------------------------- A---------------------------------------- D---------------------------------------- She shakes it up more as she plays it, sometimes hitting the 11th or 13-15th frets, but always that steady open G with the 9th fret accents. E SECTION 06:42-07:11 Thurston turns to 7th fret harmonics: B---*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*--- B---*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*-*7*--- x 2 G--------------------------------------------------------------------- D--------------------------------------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------------------------------------- C--------------------------------------------------------------------- Then he changes to: B--------------------------------------------------------------- B--------------------------------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------------------------------- D--------------------------------------------------------------- x 2 G---*7*-*7*--*7*---*7*-*7*--*7*---*7*-*7*--*7*---*7*-*7*--*7*--- C---*7*-*7*--*7*---*7*-*7*--*7*---*7*-*7*--*7*---*7*-*7*--*7*--- Let the very last note ring for a few beats before going to the next section. Lee: A#----------------------*12*~~~~~------------------------ shake the A# note w/ bar G------------------*12*---------------------------------- A--------*12*-*12*--------------------------------------- D---*12*------------------------------------------------- G----------------------------------*12*-*12*-*12*-*12*--- G-------------------------------------------------------- w/ variations and such, then: A#---------------------------------------------------------------------------*12*~~~~~--- G-----------------------*12*~~~~----------------------------------------*12*------------- A--------*12*-*12*--------------------------------------------*12*-*12*------------------ D---*12*-----------*12*----------------------------------*12*---------------------------- G----------------------------------*12*-*12*-*12*-*12*----------------------------------- G---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kim lightly plays the 12th fret. She may also mix in 12th fret harmonics. B----------------------------------------- G---12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12--- etc G---12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12--- D----------------------------------------- A----------------------------------------- D----------------------------------------- A SECTION 07:11-08:27 Thurston turns on his phaser: B--------------------------------------------------------------------------- B--------------------------------------------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------------------------------------------- D--------------------------------------------------------------------------- x 9 G---*12*-*12*--*12*---*12*-*12*--*12*---*12*-*12*--*12*---*12*-*12*--*12*--- C---*12*-*12*--*12*---*12*-*12*--*12*---*12*-*12*--*12*---*12*-*12*--*12*--- The final repeat breaks up on the 3rd "beat" when the tape runs out. In live versions, he would just play the open strings instead of harmonics, and end the song by strumming behind the bridge. Lee starts with some ring mod noise (and possibly a synth overdub down the center?) then plays his main riff under the vocal: A#---5-----4--------------------5-----4--------------- w/ delay G-------3-----2--5\8---------------3-----2--5~~~------ A----------------------------------------------------- x 2 D----------------------------------------------------- G----------------------------------------------------- G----------------------------------------------------- A#---5-----4------------------------------------- G-------3-----2--5\8----------------------------- A------------------------------------------------ D------------------------------------------------ G-------------------------5-5-5-5-----5-5-5-5---- (tape cuts out) G-------------------------5-5-5-5-----5-5-5-5---- Kim: B----------------3----------------3----------------5----------------5--- G---0-0-0-3--3-3-3---0-0-0-3--3-3-3---0-0-0-5--5-5-5---0-0-0-5--5-5-5--- G---0-0-0-3--3-3-3---0-0-0-3--3-3-3---0-0-0-5--5-5-5---0-0-0-5--5-5-5--- x 3 D----------------------------------------------------------------------- A----------------------------------------------------------------------- D----------------------------------------------------------------------- B----------------3----------------3----------------3----------------3--- G---0-0-0-3--3-3-3---0-0-0-3--3-3-3---0-0-0-3--3-3-3---0-0-0-3--3-3-3--- G---0-0-0-3--3-3-3---0-0-0-3--3-3-3---0-0-0-3--3-3-3---0-0-0-3--3-3-3--- the tape breaks up D----------------------------------------------------------------------- on the final notes A----------------------------------------------------------------------- D----------------------------------------------------------------------- F SECTION 08:27-09:17 Just make noise. Last updated: 02/24/24 ------------------------------------------------ THE SONIC YOUTH GUITAR/BASS TABLATURE ARCHIVE: http://www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/tab/index.html ------------------------------------------------