RAIN KING by Sonic Youth Tab by Chris Lawrence (silvercircle@shaw.ca) w/ special thanx to Raj Paden! TUNINGS ------- Thurston: D#D#AAEE Lee: EBEEAA The album version is tuned quite sharp. This tab is based primarily on the 2007 Glasgow version of the song.   LAYOUT: A - B - C - D - E - D - E - C - B - C - G - D - A A SECTION 00:00-00:30 Thurston: At first, Thurston is just digging his strings into the pickup and doing exaggerated whammy bar exercises on the open E strings (or harmonics). Then he starts building up on this: E---0--- E---0--- (palm muted) A---0--- A---0--- D#------ D#------ On the album, this section features two tracks of Thurston guitar. One is doing the random whammy/pickup squeakin', and one is making chug-chug noises by muting the string around the first fret. Then he starts building up on A, but it may be a shape like this: G#------ D#------ C---9--- C---9--- A---0--- D#------ Lee: Begin by picking squawky notes high up the fretboard w/ delay, then build up on this chord: A------- A------- E---5--- E---5--- w/ palm mute B---5--- E---5--- B SECTION 00:31-01:06 Thurston: E---5--8---5-8-5-8br-5---5--5---5-5-3-5-6-6-6-5--- E---5--8---5-8-5-8br-5---5--5---5-5-3-5-6-6-6-5--- play twice A------------------------------------------------- A------------------------------------------------- you can drone the A strings if you want D#------------------------------------------------ D#------------------------------------------------ E---5--10---10-10-8-10b-10-10-10-10r-8---5--5---5-5-3-5-6-6-6-5--- E---5--10---10-10-8-10b-10-10-10-10r-8---5--5---5-5-3-5-6-6-6-5--- A----------------------------------------------------------------- A----------------------------------------------------------------- D#---------------------------------------------------------------- D#---------------------------------------------------------------- Play entire segment twice. On the album, and in particular PUT BLOOD IN THE MUSIC, it seems like he could be playing: G#----------------------------------------------------- D#----------------------------------------------------- C---9--12--9-12-9-12br-9---9--9---9-9-7-9-10-10-10-9--- etc C---9--12--9-12-9-12br-9---9--9---9-9-7-9-10-10-10-9--- A---0-------------------------------------------------- drone A throughout as you wish D#----------------------------------------------------- Lee: A--0--3------0--0--- ---0--5-----0--0--- A--0--3------0--0--- ---0--5-----0--0--- E--0---------0--0--- x 2 ---3--3-----0--0--- repeat all of this twice E--0---------0--0--- ---3--3-----0--0--- B--5---------5--5--- ---3--3-----5--5--- E--5---------5--5--- ---3--3-----5--5--- You can also play the 5th fret on the middle E strings when playing the 5th fret root chords, instead of leaving them open. C SECTION 01:07-01:09 Thurston: E----0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--- E----0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--- A----0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--- A----0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--- D#---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--- D#---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--- In the Glasgow 2007 film, he just strums the open strings. In PUT BLOOD IN THE MUSIC, he has his fretting hand positioned so most of the strings are open, but he could be fretting/muting the lowest string with his thumb around the 13th to 14th fret. Lee doesn't play during this section. D SECTION 01:10-01:33 Thurston: E-------------------16--------------------- trem pick all the high notes E-------------------16--------------------- A----/---15----/-15--/--------------------- A----/---15----/-15--/--------------------- x 4 D#--18----/---18--/-------0--0-0-0-0-0-0--- D#--18----/---18----------0--0-0-0-0-0-0--- On the record, he might be playing: G#-------------------12-------------------- D#--------------------/-------------------- C---------12------12--/-------------------- C---------12------12----------------------- A----12----/---12--/----------------------- D#----/----/---/---/------0--0-0-0-0-0-0--- Lee: A---------------------------------------------------13--13-13-13--13-13-13--- A---------------------------------------------------13--13-13-13--13-13-13--- E---5--5--5-5-5--12--12--12-12-12--11--11--11-11-11-11--11-11-11--11-11-11--- x 4 E---5--5--5-5-5--12--12--12-12-12--11--11--11-11-11-11--11-11-11--11-11-11--- B---5--5--5-5-5--12--12--12-12-12--11--11--11-11-11-11--11-11-11--11-11-11--- E---5--5--5-5-5--12--12--12-12-12--11--11--11-11-11-11--11-11-11--11-11-11--- E SECTION 01:34-01:45 Thurston: E---0-0-5-0-3^5-0-5--0-5-0-6-6-5------------------- ---10---12---13---12--- E---0-0-5-0-3^5-0-5--0-5-0-6-6-5------------------- ---10---12---13---12--- A---0------------------------------5---7---8---7--- play octave up on repeat: ----/----/----/----/--- A---0------------------------------5---7---8---7--- ----/----/----/----/--- D#---------------------------------/---/---/---/--- ----------------------- D#------------------------------------------------- ----------------------- Lee: A---19-------20---22--- A---19-------20---22--- trem pick // play variation twice E---17--------/----/--- E---17--------/----/--- B----/----------------- E---------------------- D SECTION 01:46-02:10 E SECTION 02:10-02:22 C SECTION 02:22-02:34 This is the longest "wah break". B SECTION 02:34-03:10 C SECTION 03:10-03:13 G SECTION 03:13-03:31 Thurston: E-------5---3^5-3-0--- E-------5---3^5-3-0--- A---0-0---0----------- repeat variation x 12 A---0-0---0----------- D#-------------------- D#-------------------- Lee: A-------------------------------- A-------------------------------- E--5--5-5-3^5-3-5--5-5-3^5-3^5--- repeat variation of this E--5--5-5-3^5-3-5--5-5-3^5-3^5--- B--5------------5---------------- w/ slight palm mute E--5------------5---------------- D SECTION 03:32-03:55 A SECTION 03:56-04:39 Thurston: E----X-X--X---X--X---- E----X-X--X---X--X---- A----X-X--X---X--X---- basically just mute the strings very close to the nut A----X-X--X---X--X---- and strum this rhythm D#---X-X--X---X--X---- D#---X-X--X---X--X---- you might get harmonics on the D# strings Lee just slides shapes very high up the fretboard w/ delay, then mimics Thurston's part with rhythmic mutes. ------------------------------------------------ THE SONIC YOUTH GUITAR/BASS TABLATURE ARCHIVE: http://www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/tab/index.html ------------------------------------------------