Aloha folks. Welcome to the Sonic Youth Tuning Tutorial. In text format no longer. Now I've provided 2 ways to view the tunings. By album, as presented on this page, or as a list by tuning. There you'll be able to look up a tuning and see which songs it's been used on, and how to properly tune to it.

Below you'll find all of Sonic Youth's major releases, and you can cross-reference which tunings Thurston, Lee, and Kim used on the songs. Things like Made In USA, The Whitey Album, and Non-LP songs aren't featured here because I don't anticipate a huge demand for them.. if needed, they can be found on the tabs for the songs in question, back at the tabs page.

Next to the tuning will be a white or blue dot. You can click these dots to show information on the tuning in the bottom frame. If a dot is white, the only information given is where the tuning is confirmed, if it is confirmed (unconfirmed tunings are shown in light blue text). If a dot is blue, this means there's an additional note that relates to the song, such as whether a slide, capo, drumstick, or something else is used. Albums where Kim plays guitar will have Kim shown. Otherwise she's playing bass in standard. If I write "n/a", they don't perform on the song (they usually only sing).

SONG Thurston   Lee   Kim  
THE BURNING SPEAR   E A D G B E     E A D G B E   bass 
I DREAMED I DREAM E A D G B E E A D G B E bass 
SHE IS NOT ALONE E A D G B E E A D G B E bass 
I DON'T WANT TO PUSH IT E A D G B E E A D G B E bass 
THE GOOD AND THE BAD bass   E A D G B E EADGBE

SONG Thurston   Lee   Kim  
SHE'S IN A BAD MOOD        ?        ?  bass  
PROTECT ME YOU ?      bass         n/a 
I WANNA BE YR DOG bass   E A D G B E n/a 
SHAKING HELL bass   E A D E C D ?
INHUMAN bass   ? ?
THE WORLD LOOKS RED ? E A D E C D bass  
CONFUSION IS NEXT n/a  E A D E C D bass 
MAKING THE NATURE SCENE bass   E A D E C D n/a 

SONG Thurston   Lee  
KILL YR IDOLS  G G D D D# D#   G G D D D# D# 
BROTHER JAMES G G D D D# D# G G D D D# D#
EARLY AMERICAN G G D D D# D# G G D D D# D#

SONG Thurston   Lee  
INTRO F# F# F# F# E B F# F# F# F# E B
BRAVE MEN RUN F# F# F# F# E B F# F# F# F# E B
SOCIETY IS A HOLE F# F# F# F# E B F# F# F# F# E B
I LOVE HER ALL THE TIME G G C C A# A# D# D# C# C# G G
GHOST BITCH G G C C A# A# E E B F# B E
I'M INSANE n/a D D D D E A
JUSTICE IS MIGHT n/a A A E E F# A
DEATH VALLEY '69 F# F# F# F# E B F# F# F# F# E B
FLOWER G G D D D# D# G G D D D# D#
HALLOWEEN F# F# F# F# E B F# F# F# F# E B

SONG Thurston   Lee  
TOM VIOLENCE F# F# G G A A F# F# G G A A
SHADOW OF A DOUBT F# F# F# F# E B F# F# A A E E
STARPOWER F# F# F# F# E B F# F# F# F# E B
IN THE KINGDOM #19 ? ?
GREEN LIGHT G G D D D# D# G G D D D# D#
DEATH TO OUR FRIENDS F# F# F# F# E B F# F# F# F# E B
SECRET GIRL anything anything
MARILYN MOORE G G C C D# D# C C D# G G D
EXPRESSWAY TO YR SKULL E G# E G# E G# E G# E G# E G#

SONG Thurston   Lee  
SCHIZOPHRENIA F# F# G G A A D D D D A A
CATHOLIC BLOCK F# F# F# F# E B D D D D A A
BEAUTY LIES IN THE EYE bass F# F# C# C# C# C#
STEREO SANCTITY G G D D D# D# G G D D D# D#
PIPELINE/KILL TIME F# F# F# F# E B F# F# F# F# E B
TUFF GNARL F# F# F# F# E B D D D D A A
PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY E G# E G# E G# E G# E G# E G#
HOTWIRE MY HEART E A D G B E E A D G B E
COTTON CROWN G G D D D# D# G G D D D# D#
WHITE KROSS F# F# G G A A F# F# G G A A

SONG Thurston   Lee  
TEENAGE RIOT G A B D E G G G D D G G
SILVER ROCKET A C C G G# C A A E E A A
THE SPRAWL C C E B G D G G D D G G
'CROSS THE BREEZE C C E B G D E E E E F# F#
ERIC'S TRIP B B x x F# F# E B E E A B
TOTAL TRASH  G G D D D# D#   G G D D G G 
HEY JONI G A B D E G E B E E A B
CANDLE A C C G G# C A A E E A A
RAIN KING D# D# A A E E E B E E A A
KISSABILITY A C C G G# C E B E E A B
THE WONDER G G D D D# D# G G C# D G G
HYPERSTATION G G D D D# D# G G C# D G G
ELIMINATOR JR G G D D D# D# G G D D G G

SONG Thurston   Lee   Kim  
DIRTY BOOTS E G D G E D E E B B E F# bass 
TUNIC E G D G E D G G D D G G bass 
MARY-CHRIST F# F# F# F# E B F F C C A A bass 
KOOL THING F# F# F# F# E B F# F# F# F# E B bass 
MOTE G G D D D# D# G G D D F F bass 
MY FRIEND GOO bass G G D F F G EGDGED
DISAPPEARER C C E B G D ? bass 
MILDRED PIERCE E A D G B E E A D G B E bass 
CINDERELLA'S BIG SCORE A C C G G# C B B E E A A bass 
TITANIUM EXPOSE E G D G E D G G D D G G bass 
LEE #2 bass F F C C A A EGDGED?

SONG Thurston   Lee   Kim  
100% F# F# F# F# E B F# F# F# F# E B bass 
SWIMSUIT ISSUE E G D G E D E E B B E F# DEGDBB
THERESA'S SOUND-WORLD A C C G G# C A A E E A A bass 
DRUNKEN BUTTERFLY F# F# G G A A F# F# G G A A F#F#GA
SHOOT F# F# F# F# E B A F# E F# E B bass 
WISH FULFILLMENT E G D G E D E E B B E F# DEGDBB
SUGAR KANE G A B D E G G G B D G A bass 
ORANGE ROLLS, ANGEL'S SPIT G G D D D# D# G G D D G G bass 
YOUTH AGAINST FASCISM A C C G G# C A A E E A A bass 
NIC FIT G G D D D# D# D# D# C# C# G# G# bass 
ON THE STRIP A C C G G# C A A E E A A DEGDBB
CHAPEL HILL E G D G E D E E B B E F# bass 
JC E G D G E D E E B B E F# bass
STALKER ? ? bass 
PURR E G D G E D E E B B E F# bass 
CREME BRULEE ... ... DEGDBB

SONG Thurston   Lee   Kim  
WINNER'S BLUES E E B E G# B n/a  n/a 
BULL IN THE HEATHER G G D D D# D# G G C G C D bass 
STARFIELD ROAD G G D D D# D# G G C G C D bass 
SKINK E G D G E D E E B B E F# bass
SCREAMING SKULL E G D G E D G G C G C D bass 
SELF-OBSESSED AND SEXXEE G G D D D# D# G G C G C D bass  
BONE E G D G E D F# F# F# F# E B BEGDBB
ANDROGYNOUS MIND G G D D D# D# G G C G C D bass 
QUEST FOR THE CUP G G D D D# D# G G C G C D BEGDBB
WAIST F# F# F# F# E B F# F# F# F# E B bass  
DOCTOR'S ORDERS G G D D D# D# G G C G C D bass  
TOKYO EYE E G D G E D E E B B E F# bass
IN THE MIND OF THE
BOURGEOIS READER		 G G D D D# D# G G C G C D bass  
SWEET SHINE E G D G E D E E B B E F# bass  

SONG Thurston   Lee   Kim  
BECUZ F# F# F# F# E B A F# E F# E B BEGDBB
JUNKIE'S PROMISE D A D A B B D A A D D A BEGDBB
SAUCER-LIKE F# F# F# F# E B F# F# F# F# E B BEGDBB
WASHING MACHINE G G D D D# D# A F# E F# E B /
G G C G C D 		BEGDBB
UNWIND G G D D D# D# G G C G C D BEGDBB
LITTLE TROUBLE GIRL E G D G E D ? BEGDBB
NO QUEEN BLUES G G D D D# D# G G C G C D BEGDBB
PANTY LIES F# F# F# F# E B A F# E F# E B bass  
SKIP TRACER F# F# G G A A A F# E F# E B bass  
THE DIAMOND SEA E G D G E D E E B B E F# bass  

SONG Thurston   Lee   Kim  
CONTRE LE SEXISME ? ? CGGDDD
SUNDAY   C G D G B B     G G D A G A   bass  
FEMALE MECHANIC NOW ON DUTY E G D G E D G G D G G A DADGGB
WILDFLOWER SOUL C G D G B B G G D A G A CGGDDD
HOARFROST C G D G B B G G D E G B CGGDDD
FRENCH TICKLER C G D G B B C C G D G D CGGDDD
HITS OF SUNSHINE E G D G E D E E B B E F# bass  
KAREN KOLTRANE C G D G B B G G D A G A# DADGGB
THE INEFFABLE ME C G D G B B G G D A G A CGGDDD
SNARE, GIRL C G D G B B G G D A G A CGGDDD
HEATHER ANGEL C G D G B B G G D A G A CGGDDD

SONG Thurston   Lee   Kim  
FREE CITY RHYMES C G D G B B C G C C G A#/C DGDDBB
RENEGADE PRINCESS C G D G B B C G C C G A#/C DGDDBB
NEVERMIND
(WHAT WAS IT ANYWAY?)		 F G C F A F# D F C D F F DADABB
SMALL FLOWERS CRACK CONCRETE  F G C F A F#   D F C D F F DADABB
SIDE2SIDE F G C F A F# C G C C G A#/C bass  
STREAMXSONIK SUBWAY F G C F A F# D F C D F F bass  
NYC GHOSTS & FLOWERS F G C F A F# D F C D F F bass  
LIGHTNIN' F G C F A F#      synth      DADGGB
trumpet

SONG Thurston   Lee   Kim   Jim  
THE EMPTY PAGE CGDGCD EEBEBB DADABB bass  
DISCONNECTION NOTICE CGDGCD GGDGGA DADABB bass  
RAIN ON TIN CGDGCD CGDCGD bass   GGDEGB
KAREN REVISITED CGDGCD GGDGGA DADABB bass/gtr
RADICAL ADULTS LICK
GODHEAD STYLE		 CGDGCD GGDGGA bass   GGDDD#D#
PLASTIC SUN CGDGCD GGDGGA EBEGGB bass  
SYMPATHY FOR THE STRAWBERRY CGDGBB EEBEBB
organ 		EEBBF#F# bass  

SONG Thurston   Lee   Kim   Jim  
PATTERN RECOGNITION GGDDD#D# CGDCGD GGDDD#D# bass
UNMADE BED CGDGCD GGDGGA bass GGDEGB
DRIPPING DREAM CGDGCD GGDGGA bass GGDDD#D#
KIM GORDON & THE ARTHUR DOYLE HAND CREAM CGDGCD GGDGGA EBEGGB bass
STONES CGDGCD GGDGGA bass GGDDD#D#
DUDE RANCH NURSE GGDDD#D# CGDCGD GGDDD#D# bass
NEW HAMPSHIRE CGDGCD GGDGGA DADABB bass
PAPER CUP EXIT EG#EG#EG# EG#EG#EG# bass GGDEGB
I LOVE YOU GOLDEN BLUE F#F#F#F#EB CGDCGD
organ 		bass GGDEGB
PEACE ATTACK CGDGCD EEBEBB bass GGDEGB

SONG Thurston   Lee   Kim  
REENA C G D G C D C G D C G D bass 
INCINERATE D D# A# D# G G D# D# A# D# G G bass
DO YOU BELIEVE IN RAPTURE? D D# A# D# G G D# D# A# D# G G bass 
SLEEPIN' AROUND D D# A# D# G G D D# A# D# G C bass 
WHAT A WASTE C G D G C D C G D C G D bass
JAMS RUN FREE D D# A# D# G G D# A# D# B C# F# bass 
RATS bass D# A# D# B C# F# DADABB (capo1)
TURQUOISE BOY C G D G C D G G D G G A bass 
LIGHTS OUT C G D G C D C G D C G D bass 
THE NEUTRAL C G D G C D C G D C G D bass 
PINK STEAM D D# A# D# G G D# D# A# D# G G bass 
OR D D# A# D# G G D# D# A# D# G G bass
HELEN LUNDEBERG D D# A# D# G G D D# A# D# G G bass 
EYELINER D D# A# D# G G D D# A# D# G G bass

 

COMING SOON: A CLOSER LOOK AT NON-LP TUNINGS...