MASTER=DIK by Sonic Youth Tab by Chris Lawrence (silvercircle@shaw.ca) It may be worth reading the full article on this song as there are two different mixes and the variations of the samples/vocals are not reproduced here. http://www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/tab/masterdik.html TUNINGS ------- Lee: EADGBE J: EADGBE LAYOUT: INTRO - A - B - C - A - D - E - A - B - F INTRO 00:00-00:16 The song begins with a loop that I am pretty sure is sampled from Lee's guitar at the end of "Stereo Sanctity". He was using a Kapa Continental for GDD# at this point, which produced very hot sounds when picked behind the bridge. Combined with its whammy bar, Lee put both tricks to good use on "Stereo Sanctity" and "Cotton Crown". Since "Master-Dik" was recorded during the sessions for SISTER, it makes sense that they sampled their own sounds as a foundation. A SECTION 00:16-00:31 The "Stereo Sanctity" loop continues, and the SINGLE version drops a pretty heavy electronic drum beat at 23 seconds. On the SINGLE version, Lee is silent. On the SISTER version, Lee plays: E-------------------------------- B-------------------------------- G-------------------------------- D-------------------------------- A-----4----4----4----4----------- E---3----3----3----3---3\5-5/3--- J Mascis can be heard making fuzz/wah noise in the SISTER version. B SECTION 00:32-01:02 On both versions, this is where the bass and J Mascis properly enter. On the SISTER version Lee is playing chords, which I don't think are in the mix on the SINGLE. I think the "Stereo Sanctity" loop drops out on the SINGLE but stays on SISTER, and I'm pretty sure I also hear a very buried KISS tape in the SISTER mix starting at 00:45 or so. Lee: E------------ B---8---5---- G---8---6---- listen for the strumming pattern // keep playing the A chord D---8---7---- A---6---7---- E-------5---- J Mascis plays w/ heavy wah and fuzz: E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G---------7-7-7-9~~9br-9^10^9^10^9^10^9^10^9^10^9^10^9^10-9^10^9-11br-9^10^9-12br~~~-- D---7~~~~~---------------------------------------------------------------------------- A------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E---------------------------------------------------------------12-15-12-12-12-15-12-12-12-15-12-12-12--- B-----------------------------13b~~~---12~-12-13-12~~-12-13-12------------------------------------------- G---12br~~--------------12-14---------------------------------------------------------------------------- D---------10/9-10-12-14---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This will get you to about 48 seconds in, but to be honest I don't intend on tabbing every note of J's heavily improvised, wah-and-whammy modulated sonic offering. He stays within that range of notes for much of it. Everything here is just an approximation. C SECTION 01:03-01:42 On the SISTER version, the "Stereo Sanctity" loop, guitar, and bass all drop out at the start of this section. On the SINGLE version, there's an actual pause in the beat where Thurston screams and the song resumes. On the SINGLE, the "Stereo Sanctity" loop does not stop until 1:20, when Lee's guitar comes in playing an arpeggiated riff that is not present on the SISTER mix. On the SISTER version, you can hear J Mascis come back in around 01:12, and his guitar is panned back and forth. The "Stereo Sanctity" loop returns around 01:38. I don't think the bass is in the mix at this point, but you can play a low E along with the KISS loop. Lee plays this arpeggiated figure at 1:20 on the SINGLE version. It sounds like he's kind of bending the strings a bit, or there's a chorus or something. E--------------------------------------------------- B--------------------(14)--------------------(10)--- notes on B string optional G---------14-14-------14\---------10-10-------10\--- D---14-14-------14-14-------10-10-------10-10------- A--------------------------------------------------- E--------------------------------------------------- A SECTION 01:42-01:51 This is a transitional section between the two KISS loops. The SISTER mix is fairly simple, the live drums keep going with J's wah guitar, the "Stereo Sanctity" loop, and Thurston riffin' on the mic. Lee and Kim are not heard. D SECTION 01:51-02:25 Lee and Kim also drop out. J Mascis plays wanky trash throughout both. Around 2:10, J starts playing a figure like this, with heavy wah and some pinch harmonics: E------------------------------------ B------------------------------------ G---14~15~--14~15~--14~15~14~-------- D----------------------------15~----- A-------------------------------15~-- E------------------------------------ After a few times: E---------------------------------- B---------------------------------- G------14------14-15-16-17-18-19/-- play the last bit w/ almost a staccato trem pick (!) D---15----15----------------------- A---------------------------------- E---------------------------------- E SECTION 02:25-03:25 Lee goes back and forth between A and F - this isn't the clearest tab, just listen for the rhythm and when he accents the high strings. E------------1-1-1-------------5------1-1-1-------------5------1-1-1-------------5------------------- B--------1---1-1-1-1\5-5-5--5--5--1---1-1-1-1\5-5-5--5--5--1---1-1-1-1\5-5-5--5--5--1---------------- G---6-6--2---2-2-2-2\6-6-6--6--6--2---2-2-2-2\6-6-6--6--6--2---2-2-2-2\6-6-6--6--6--2---2--2-2-2-2--- D---7-7--3---3-3-3-3\7-7-7--7--7--3---3-3-3-3\7-7-7--7--7--3---3-3-3-3\7-7-7--7--7--3---3--3-3-3-3--- A---7-7--3---3-3-3-3\7-7-7--7--7--3---3-3-3-3\7-7-7--7--7--3---3-3-3-3\7-7-7--7--7--3---3--3-3-3-3--- E---5-5--1---1-1-1-1\5-5-5--5--5--1---1-1-1-1\5-5-5--5--5--1---1-1-1-1\5-5-5--5--5--1---1--1-1-1-1--- At 2:42, just stick on that last F chord w/ varying palm mute At 3:08 he changes to: E----------- B---1---2--- G---2---2--- x 6 D---3---2--- you could also slide up to the A barre chord like before A---3---0--- E---1------- J continues w/ heavy wah + fuzz: E--------------------------------------------------------------------------- B--------------------------------------------------------------------------- G--------------------------------------------------------------------------- D---7~~~--7\9-10-9---10-9-10-9^10^9------10-------------------12-13br~13~~~- A-----------------------------------10------10\12~~--12-12-15--------------- E--------------------------------------------------------------------------- E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D---12--11-12-11-12-11-12-11-14~~~~--14-15-14~--------------------------------------10/9~~~--10-9-10-9~~~ A-----------------------------------------------15-15-14^15^14--14-14-12-10-12~~~12---------------------- E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When everyone starts sticking on F, J goes into deep whammy bar wah storm shred mode. On the SISTER version, J can be heard playing straight through, but in the SINGLE mix he drops out when the KISS loop starts up again, which doesn't happen in the SISTER mix. The tail end of his shred that they did mix into the SINGLE version is something like this: E---------------------------------------------12br~~~~~--12-12-15^12-12--12-12-15^12-12--12-15-17~~~~~-- B---12-12-12-13-12-13-12-13-12-------------------------------------------------------------------------- G------------------------------14-12-14-12-12----------------------------------------------------------- D------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A SECTION 03:25-03:41 On both versions, Lee plays: E-------------------------------- B-------------------------------- G-------------------------------- D-------------------------------- A-----4----4----4----4----------- E---3----3----3----3---3\5-5/3--- J Mascis continues noisily improvising around the same basic themes. B SECTION 03:41-04:17 Lee: E------------ B---8---5---- G---8---6---- this time keep strumming while running the A chord up the fretboard D---8---7---- A---6---7---- E-------5---- J Mascis continues noisily improvising around the same basic themes. F SECTION 04:17-05:11 The song abruptly cuts to a guitar playing F# to E, with the E chord banged out continuously as the song fades. I'm not sure if this is a sample from something, or something they played themselves - any ideas? I've heard Mellencamp's name thrown around... Last updated: 02/22/23 ------------------------------------------------ THE SONIC YOUTH GUITAR/BASS TABLATURE ARCHIVE: http://www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/tab/index.html ------------------------------------------------