NEVERMIND (WHAT WAS IT ANYWAY) by Sonic Youth from the NYC Ghosts & Flowers LP tab by Chris Lawrence (silvercircle@shaw.ca) TUNINGS ------- Thurston: FGCFAF# Lee: DFCDFF Kim: DADABB LAYOUT A - B - C A SECTION 00:00-02:00 Kim's verse riff: B----------------------------- B----------------------------- A---8-8--8-8--8--8-8---------- x 31 D---7-7--7-7--7--7-7---------- A---0-0--0-0--0--0-0--8-8-8--- D---0-0--0-0--0--0-0--0-0-0--- Thurston comes in after Kim has played her riff twice: F#------------------------------------------------------11~---------------------------------- A-----------------7br-------------------------------12--------12-----------------7----------- F---7^9-------7^9---------7^9--9-9\11--9-9~~-----11--------------11~~--------7-----9-7-9~~--- C------------------------------------------------------------------------7-9---9------------- G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A-----------7---------------------------7----------------------7--------7----------------------- F-------7-----9-7-9~--7-------------7-----9-7-9br~~~-------7-----9-7-9----9-7----7--7-9-9br~~--- C---7-9---9-------------9--9-9--7-9---9----------------7-9---9-----------------9---------------- G----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F#---------11------------11-------------11-------------11-------------------- A------12------12-----12----12-------12------12-----12----12\----------7br--- F---11------------11-------------11-------------11-----------------7-9------- C---------------------------------------------------------------------------- G---------------------------------------------------------------------------- F---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kim starts singing: F#--10-------------10-10---10-10------10-10------10---10---10-10-------------- A------7-----------------7----------7----------7----7----7-------------------- F--------9-9--9-9---------------------------9--------------------9-9--9-9-9--- C----------------------------------------------------------------------------- G----------------------------------------------------------------------------- F----------------------------------------------------------------------------- F#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A---------------------7-----------------------7-------------------------7----------- F-----------------7-----9-7-9~~-----------7-----9-7-9---7-----------7-----9-7-9br--- C---9-9-9-9-9-7-9---9-----------------7-9---9-------------9--7--7-9---9------------- G----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F-----0---0---0-----0-----0---0----0---0---0-----0---------------------------------- C---2---2---4~--4^2---2-0---0----2---2---4~--4^2---2-0--0-0-0-0---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--- G----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F#----------------------------------------------------------------------10-----10------10-----10------- A---------------------------------------------------------------7---7------7------7-------7------7----- F-------------------------------------------7----7----7---7-9-----9---9------9------9-------9------9--- C---7-9-9-9-9-9-9-9--9-9-9-9-7-7-7--7-9-9-9----9----9---9---------------------------------------------- G------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ F------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ F#---10---- A-----7---- hold this chord until the next section F-----9---- C---------- G---------- F---------- Lee uses his Moogerfooger Ring Modulator to make swooshy noises for most of Kim's verse. He had an expression pedal plugged into it that he would use to change pitch, etc. So, it's tough to tab exactly what he's playing since it's so dependent on the ring mod. He begins by playing notes around the 7th to 9th fret on the middle C/D strings. On the record, it sounds like there's two different tracks, panned left and right. Per his notes, he raises the rate and LFO amount up when Kim begins the "Hipsters stand..." line. This makes for a "wobblier" effect. Around the time she sings "Gave you a flower...", he starts picking some notes in the left speaker without the ring mod, but there is still a ring mod track going in the right speaker: F----------------------------------------------------------------------- F----------------------------------------------------------------------- D-----------9-----9-------10------------------9-----10---10---12---12--- repeat variation til next part C---9-9-9-9---9-9---9-9-9-----9-9-9---9-9-9-9---9-9----9----9----9------ F----------------------------------------------------------------------- D----------------------------------------------------------------------- A SECTION (CONTINUED) 02:00-02:15 Kim continues the same riff, although on live versions she would just strike the first chord without going to the F note on the A string. B---------- B---------- A---8-8---- (live) D---7-7---- A---0-0---- D---0-0---- Thurston: F#--------- A---------- F---------- C---------- x 4 G----7----- F---------- Lee's guitar switches to the center: F----------------------- F----------------------- D------------------14--- x 4 (w/ slight bend on last note sometimes) C---------------12------ F------------16--------- D---(0)----------------- B SECTION 02:15-03:17 Kim plays: B------------------------------ B------------------------------ A--7--9--12---7--9--15-15-15--- x 17 D------------------------------ A------------------------------ D------------------------------ She does play the open D string along with the ascending riff, but the very sharp treble of the Eterna makes the notes on the A string much more prominent. It can sound "wrong" to have the D droning, but it's there. Thurston: F#------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F---19-19--19-19-19-19--18-18--18-18-18-18--14-16--16-16-16-16--14-16-16-16-16--- Lee starts by mirroring Thurston's riff: F--------------------------------------------------------------- F--------------------------------------------------------------- D--------------------------------------------------------------- C--------------------------------------------------------------- F--------------------------------------------------------------- D---10-10--10-10-10-10--9-9--9-9-9-9--5-7--7-7-7-7--5-7-7-7-7--- Then his center guitar starts a lead after Kim begins singing: F-------------------------------------------------------------------- F-------------------------------------------------------------------- D-------------------------------------------------------------------- w/ slight phase + delay C-------12^14-14--12^14-14----------12^14-14-16--16-16-16-16/14-12--- F-------------------------------------------------------------------- D---0---------------------------0------------------------------------ F------------------------------------------------------------------ F--------------\14-14-14\16-16-------14\16-18-18~--18-18\19-19~/--- D------------------------------------------------------------------ C-------12^14------------------------------------------------------ F------------------------------------------------------------------ D---0---------------------------0---------------------------------- F---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D----------------------------12\14-14~~--14---------------------12^14-14-14-14\---- C-------12^14^12^14-14^12^14----------------14-14~~--12-12^14~~-------------------- F---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D---0------------------------------------------------------------------------------ F---------------------------------------------------------------------------- F--------18~18~18~~19~19~19~/----------------14\16~16~16~16~16~~--18~19b~~~-- D---------------------------------------------------------------------------- C------------------------------------12--14~~-------------------------------- F---------------------------------------------------------------------------- D---0---------------------------0-------------------------------------------- A second guitar doubles that last note, bending w/ delay (you can add the unison F string as well). They both bend/return til the next section. C SECTION 03:17-03:48 Kim plays this chord in the same rhythm as her main riff. The way she picks, she often gets the low DA strings in the mix as well, but again, that trebly bite of the Eterna makes them less defined. B------- B------- A---3--- D---0--- A------- D------- Thurston's guitar is now doubled, one in the left and one in the right, playing basically the same thing. It's a simple riff but the timing can be a bit tricky, especially since he doesn't always strike the same harmonics: F#------------------------------ A------------------------------- F-------------------*7*--------- C-------------------*7*--*12*--- G------------------------------- F---9-9--9-9-12-9-9------------- Lee drops off to a low D w/ delay, then starts again w/ ring mod swoops. F-------- F-------- D-------- C-------- F-------- D---0---- C SECTION (continued) 03:48-05:37 Kim returns to her main riff. She plays it three times, then goes back to the previous chord at 3:58 for 2 reps, and then back to the main riff til the end. This moment at 3:58 sounds like it might be an edit to a different take, there's a noticeable shift in the balance of the mix. B----------------------------- B----------------------------- A---8-8--8-8--8--8-8---------- play 21 times (after the above edit) D---7-7--7-7--7--7-7---------- A---0-0--0-0--0--0-0--8-8-8--- D---0-0--0-0--0--0-0--0-0-0--- Strum the last note idly at the very end. Thurston continues the same riff: F#------------------------------ A------------------------------- F-------------------*7*--------- C-------------------*7*--*12*--- G------------------------------- F---9-9--9-9-12-9-9------------- Lee turns off the ring mod and starts playing a trilly little riff: F------------------------12^11^12--- F----------11^12^11^12^11----------- D----------------------------------- C----------------------------------- F----------------------------------- D---0-10-12------------------------- Play that a few times, then switch to: F--------------------7^6^7--- F----------6^7^6^7^6--------- D---------------------------- C---------------------------- F---------------------------- D--0-10-12------------------- Sometimes he combines them: F------------------------------- --------------------- F----------11^12^11^12^11-6-7--- ---6^7^6^7^6-11-12--- etc D------------------------------- OR: --------------------- C------------------------------- --------------------- F------------------------------- --------------------- D--0-10-12---------------------- --------------------- At the very end when everyone's trailing off, he just picks at the 12th fret of the high F strings and then pulls off to the open F strings for a moment and stops. last updated: 09/29/22 ------------------------------------------------ THE SONIC YOUTH GUITAR/BASS TABLATURE ARCHIVE: http://www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/tab/index.html ------------------------------------------------