THE SONIC YOUTH TUNING TUTORIAL Text accompaniment to http://www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/tuning.html Compiled by Chris Lawrence (silvercircle@shaw.ca) Last updated: october 2017. this layout still sucks! Tunings listed from low to high. Next to each tuning will be an explanation on how to tune, which looks like: Eu2 Ad3 etc.. "Eu2" means to tune the E string up 2 frets, or one whole step. "Ad3" means to tune the A string down 3 frets, or one and 1/2 steps. "s" means the note stays the same. The songs each tuning is known to be used on will be given (and the initial of who used it, if the tuning is used by more than one member), followed by any necessary notes. Enjoy! -------------------------------------------------------------- Tuning: A A A A B D How to tune: Eu5 As Du7 Gu2 Bs Ed2 Used on: ? NOTES: Crossed out for Lee's name under Justice is Might on Bad Moon Rising liners. In Total Guitar magazine #46, Lee calls this tuning the "Wall Of Sound" chord. -- Tuning: A A E E F# A How to tune: Eu5 As Du2 Gd3 Bd5 Ed7 Used by Lee on: Justice Is Might NOTES: n/a -- Tuning: A A E E A A How to tune: Eu5 As Du2 Gd3 Bd2 Ed7 Used by Lee on: Silver Rocket, Candle, Cinderella's Big Score, Theresa's Sound-World (w/ capo @ 3rd fret), On The Strip, Youth Against Fascism (live). NOTES: used at least twice on Youth Against Fascism live, and possibly on the album too though GGDDEbEb is the commonly cited tuning for it (tuning is pretty arbitrary for YAF anyway). -- Tuning: A C C G G# C How to tune: Eu5 Au3 Dd2 Gs Bd3 Ed4 Used by Thurston on: Silver Rocket, Candle, Kissability, Cinderella's Big Score, Theresa's Sound-World, On The Strip, Youth Against Fascism (live). NOTES: used on Youth Against Fascism live, though Thurston claims any tuning will suffice. -- A F# E F# E B How to tune: Eu5 Ad3 Du2 Gd1 Bd7 Ed5 Used by Lee on: Becuz, Saucer-Like (live), Washing Machine (1st half), Panty Lies, Skip Tracer, Shoot, My Arena. NOTES: variation on F#F#F#F#EB tuning. also used on 100% live '95/'96. -- B E G D B B How to tune: Ed5 Ad5 Ds Gd5 Bd12 Ed17 Used by Kim on: Bone, Quest For the Cup?, Becuz, Junkie's Promise, Saucer-Like, Washing Machine, Unwind, Little Trouble Girl, No Queen Blues. NOTES: Also used for many Free Kitten songs. -- C C E B G D How to tune: Eu8 Au3 Du2 Gu4 Bd4 Ed2 Used by Thurston on: The Sprawl, 'Cross the Breeze, Disappearer. NOTES: also used on "World Looks Red" in '89. -- C C D# G G D How to tune: Eu8 Au3 Du1 Gs Bd4 Ed2 Used by Lee on: Marilyn Moore NOTES: none. -- C C G D G D How to tune: Ed4 Ad9 Dd7 Gd5 Bd4 Ed2 Used by Lee on: French Tickler NOTES: none. -- C D G A D G How to tune: Ed4 Ad7 Dd7 Gu2 Bu3 Eu3 Used by Kim on: Malibu Gas Station NOTES: superweird tuning! -- C G G D D D How to tune: Ed4 Ad2 Dd7 Gd5 Bd9 Ed14 Used by Kim on: Anagrama, Slaapkamers Met Slagroom, Stil, Contre Le Sexisme, Wildflower Soul, Hoarfrost, French Tickler, The Ineffable Me, Snare, Girl, Heather Angel. NOTES: n/a -- C G C/C C/C G/G A#/C (12-string guitar w/ 10 strings) How to tune: Ed4 Ad2 Dd2/Dd2 Gd7/Gd7 Bd4/Bd4 Ed6/Ed4 Used by Lee on: Free City Rhymes, Renegade Princess, Side2Side (album) NOTES: 12-string guitar with only 1 string for E and A (in standard). I'm not sure whether the Cs are in unison or tuned an octave apart like a normal 12-string would be, though I'd imagine they'd be an octave apart. I think Lee used this tuning on side2side for the studio version, but he used a G# tuning for the post-album tour. -- C G C C C G How to tune: Ed4 Ad2 Dd2 Gd7 Bu1 Ed9 Used by Lee on "Hammer Blows" from his "Between the Times and the Tides" LP, "The Rising Tide" from his "Last Night on Earth" LP, and "Moroccan Mountains" & "Thrown Over the Wall" from his "Electric Trim" LP. -- C G D C G D How to tune: Ed4 Ad2 Ds Gd7 Bd4 Ed2 Used by Lee on: Rain On Tin, Pattern Recognition, Dude Ranch Nurse, I Love You Golden Blue, Reena, What a Waste, Lights Out, The Neutral, Anti-Orgasm, What We Know, Malibu Gas Station, and Thunderclap. Notes: n/a -- C G D G B B How to tune: Ed4 Ad2 Ds Gs Bs Ed5 Used by Thurston on: Anagrama, Slaapkamers, Stil, Sunday, Wildflower, Hoarfrost, French Tickler, Karen Koltrane, The Ineffable Me, Snare, Girl, Heather Angel, Free City Rhymes, Renegade Princess, and Sympathy for the Strawberry. NOTES: tuning stolen from pavement. also used on the majority of thurston's 'psychic hearts' record. the pavement tuning was actually just CGDGBE, but thurston gave it a little sonic alteration w/ the unison Bs on top... USED ON ALL OF "PSYCHIC HEARTS" and "CHELSEA LIGHT MOVING" LPs, plus "No Go" "Sunday Stage" "The Ecstasy" from CLM tour -- C G D G C D How to tune: Ed4 Ad2 Ds Gs Bu1 Ed2 Used by Thurston on: The Empty Page, Disconnection Notice, Rain on Tin, Karen Revisited, Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style, Plastic Sun, Unmade Bed, Dripping Dream, Kim Gordon/Mariah Carey & The Arthur Doyle Hand Cream, Stones, New Hampshire, Peace Attack, Reena, What a Waste, Turquoise Boy, Lights Out, The Neutral, What We Know, Malibu Gas Station, Thunderclap. NOTES: alteration of pavement tuning. also used on "Trees Outside the Academy" LP for "Frozen GTR" "The Shape is in a Trance" "Silver > Blue" "Off Work" and "Trees Outside the Academy" and on "Demolished Thoughts" LP for "January" "Space" and "Orchard Street". Possibly "Heavenmetal". All of "The Best Day" (except title track though James is in this tuning) and all of "Rock and Roll Consciousness". -- C G D A C D How to tune: Ed4 Ad2 Ds Gu2 Bu1 Ed2 Used by Kim on: What We Know, Thunderclap -- D D A E A D How to tune: Ed2 Ad7 Dd5 Gd3 Bd2 Ed2 Used by Lee on "Angles" "Shouts" and "Stranded" from his "Between the Times and the Tides" LP, and "Last Night on Earth" and "Late Descent #2" from his "Last Night on Earth" LP. -- D D A F# A D How to tune: Ed2 Ad7 Dd5 Gd1 Bd2 Ed2 Used by Thurston on: Sacred Trickster, Anti-Orgasm, Leaky Lifeboat, Antenna, Calming the Snake, Poison Arrow, No Way, Walkin Blue, Massage the History. Used by Kim on: Anti-Orgasm, Calming the Snake, Poison Arrow, No Way, Walkin Blue. NOTES: Also used by Thurston on "Trees Outside the Academy" LP for "Honest James", "Fri/End", "Wonderful Witches + Language Meanies" & "Never Day" and on "Demolished Thoughts" LP for "In Silver Rain with a Paper Key" "Mina Loy" "Blood Never Lies" and "Circulation", and on "The Best Day" for "The Best Day". -- D D D D E A How to tune: Ed2 Ad7 Ds Gd5 Bd7 Ed7 Used by Lee on: I'm Insane NOTES: tuning seems arbitrary on this song (see Gila Monster vid..) -- D D D D A A How to tune: Ed2 Ad7 Ds Gd5 Bd2 Ed7 Used by Lee on: Schizophrenia, Catholic Block, Tuff Gnarl, Sacred Trickster, Leaky Lifeboat, Antenna, Calming the Snake, Poison Arrow, No Way, Walkin Blue, Massage the History. NOTES: n/a -- D D# A# D# G G How to tune: Ed2 Ad6 Dd4 Gd4 Bd4 Ed9 Used by Thurston on: Incinerate, Do You Believe in Rapture?, Sleepin' Around, Jams Run Free, Pink Steam, Or, Helen Lundeberg, Eyeliner. NOTES: During initial songwriting for 'Rather Ripped', Lee began using this tuning as well, but tweaked it to D# D# A# D# G G as sessions progressed. His parts on the Helen/Eyeliner 7" may be in this tuning, though. -- D D# A# D# G C How to tune: Ed2 Ad6 Dd4 Gd4 Bd4 Ed4 Used by Lee on: Sleepin' Around Notes: a variation of D D# A# D# G G. -- D E G D B B How to tune: Ed2 Ad5 Dd7 Dd5 Bd12 Ed17 Used by Kim on: Swimsuit Issue, Wish Fulfillment, On The Strip, Creme Brulee. NOTES: n/a -- D F C D F F How to tune: Ed2 Ad4 Dd2 Gd5 Bd6 Ed11 Used by Lee on: Nevermind, Small Flowers Crack Concrete, StreamxSonik Subway, NYC Ghosts & Flowers. NOTES: n/a -- D G D D B B How to tune: Ed2 Ad2 Ds Gd5 Bd12 Ed17 Used by Kim on: Free City Rhymes, Renegade Princess NOTES: I'm *almost* positive this is right (it's what I was told by her guitar tech on the nyc ghosts tour), but there's a chance it may be slightly off. I would appreciate some type of confirmation (ie: seeing that mustard LP's headstock or something).. -- D A A D D A How to tune: Ed2 As Dd5 Gd5 Bd9 Ed7 Used by Lee on: Junkie's Promise NOTES: pretty sure that's how to tune it.... -- D A D F# A D How to tune: Ed2 As Ds Gd1 Bd2 Ed2 Used by Lee on "Home Chds" from his album "Last Night on Earth". -- D A D G G B How to tune: Ed2 As Ds Gs Bd4 Ed5 Used by Kim on: Female Mechanic Now On Duty, Karen Koltrane, Herinneringen, Lightnin'. NOTES: xx -- D A D G B D How to tune: Ed2 As Ds Gs Bs Ed2 Used by Lee on "Last Looks" from his Electric Trim LP. -- D A D A B B How to tune: Ed2 As Ds Gu2 Bs Ed5 Used by Thurston on: Junkie's Promise Used by Kim on: Nevermind, Small Flowers Crack Concrete, The Empty Page, Disconnection Notice, Karen Revisited, New Hampshire (capo 5), Rats (capo 1). NOTES: n/a -- D A D A B D How to tune: Ed2 As Ds Gu2 Bs Ed2 Used by Kim on: Leaky Lifeboat, Antenna, Massage the History. NOTES: n/a -- D A# D F C A# How to tune: Ed2 Au1 Ds Gd2 Bu1 Ed6 Used by Lee on "Off the Wall" and "Xtina As I Knew Her" from his "Between the Times and the Tides" LP, "Key/Hole" from his "Last Night on Earth" LP, and "New Thing" from his Electric Trim LP. -- D# D# A# D# G G How to tune: Ed1 Ad6 Dd4 Gd4 Bd4 Ed9 Used by Lee on: Incinerate, Do You Believe in Rapture?, Pink Steam, Or. Notes: see D D# A# D# G G above. -- D# D# C# C# G G How to tune: Ed1 Ad6 Dd1 Gd6 Bd4 Ed9 Used by Lee on: I Love Her All The Time, Nic Fit NOTES: w/ screwdriver behind 9th fret. might be D# C# G# -- D# A# D F A# C How to tune: Ed1 Au1 Ds Gd2 Bd1 Ed4 Used by Thurston on "Benediction" and "Illuminine" from his "Demolished Thoughts" LP. -- D# A# D# B C# F# How to tune: Ed1 Au1 Du1 Gd8 Bu2 Ed10 Used by Lee on: Jams Run Free, Rats. NOTES: Mark Ibold plays a guitar in this tuning on 'Rats' for live performances on the 2006 Rather Ripped tour (Thurston plays bass). -- E E B B E F# How to tune: Es Ad5 Dd3 Gd8 Bd7 Ed10 Used by Lee on: Dirty Boots, Swimsuit Issue, Wish Fulfillment, Chapel Hill, JC, Purr, Skink, Tokyo Eye, Sweet Shine, The Diamond Sea, Hits of Sunshine. NOTES: n/a -- E E B B F# F# Used by Kim on Sympathy for the Strawberry, Mariah Carey(?) -- E E B E B B Used by Lee on: Empty Page, Sympathy for the Strawberry, Peace Attack. -- E E E E F# F# How to tune: Es Ad5 Du2 Gd3 Bd5 Ed10 Used by Lee on: 'Cross the Breeze NOTES: n/a -- E E B E G# B How to tune: Es Ad5 Dd3 Gd3 Bd3 Ed5 Used on: Winner's Blues (T), Compilation Blues, Razorblade (K). NOTES: acoustic tuning -- E E B E B E How to tune: Es Ad5 Dd3 Gd3 Bs Es Used on: Ghost Bitch? NOTES: shown in Bad Moon liners as "mellow" tuning for Society is a Hole. SIAH seems to be in F#F#F#F#EB however, though this open E style tuning would work well for the acoustic guitar part on Ghost Bitch. In Total Guitar #46, Lee says this tuning is good for "drone like power chords". -- E E B F# B E How to tune: Es Ad5 Dd3 Gd1 Bs Es Used on: Ghost Bitch NOTES: shown in Bad Moon liners as Society tuning. see above tuning for elaboration. -- E F# C# F# A# C# How to tune: Es Ad3 Dd1 Gd1 Bd1 Ed3 Used by Lee on "Tomorrow Never Comes" from his "Between the Times and the Tides" LP. -- E G D G E D How to tune: Es Ad2 Ds Gs Bd7 Ed2 Used by Thurston on: Dirty Boots, Tunic, Titanium Expose, Swimsuit Issue, Wish Fulfillment, Chapel Hill, Purr, Skink, Screaming Skull, Bone, Tokyo Eye, The Diamond Sea, Female Mechanic Now On Duty, Hits of Sunshine. Used by Kim on: My Friend Goo, Lee #2, Inhuman (live). -- E G# E G# E G# How to tune: Es Ad1 Du2 Gu1 Bd7 Ed8 Used on: Expressway (TL), PCH (TL), Paper Cup Exit (TL) and Inhuman live (L). NOTES: n/a -- E A D E C D How to tune: Es As Ds Gd3 Bu1 Ed2 Used by Lee on: World Looks Red, Confusion is Next. NOTES: both w/ screwdriver behind 9th fret. -- E A D G B E How to tune: ahem.. Used by Thurston and Lee on all of the first EP and Mildred Pierce. Also used on plenty of covers, including I Wanna Be Yr Dog, Hotwire My Heart, the Ramones set on Hold That Tiger, etc etc NOTES: despite being recorded in standard, most of the first EP doesn't rely on any specific tuning. the majority of SY's covers are in standard as well. I actually think "Shaking Hell" and "Nature Scene" might be in standard, at least originally. Used by Lee on "Fire Island (Phases)" from his "Between the Times and the Tides" LP and "Let's Start Again" from "Electric Trim". -- E B E E A B How to tune: Es Au2 Du2 Gd3 Bd2 Ed5 Used by Lee on: Eric's Trip, Hey Joni, Kissability. NOTES: n/a -- E B E G G B Used by Kim on: Plastic Sun, Mariah Carey(?) -- F G C F A F# How to tune: Ed11 Ad14 Dd2 Gd2 Bd2 Ed10 Used by Thurston on: Nevermind, Small Flowers Crack Concrete, side2side, Streamxsonik Subway, NYC Ghosts & Flowers, Lightnin'. NOTES: n/a -- F F C C A A How to tune: Eu1 Ad4 Dd2 Gd7 Bd2 Ed7 Used by Lee on Mary-Christ, Lee #2 and Here. -- F F C F F G# How to tune: Eu1 Ad4 Dd2 Gd2 Bd4 Ed8 Used by Lee on "Waiting For a Dream" from his "Between the Times and the Tides" LP. -- F F C G C C How to tune: Eu1 Ad4 Dd2 Gs Bu1 Ed4 Used by Lee on "Ambulancer" from his "Last Night on Earth" LP and "Circular" & "Electric Trim" from his Electric Trim LP. -- F F D# F A# C How to tune: Eu1 Ad4 Du1 Gd2 Bd1 Ed4 Used by Lee on "Blackt Out" from his "Last Night on Earth" LP. -- F# F# F# F# E B How to tune: Eu2 Ad3 Du4 Gd1 Bd7 Ed5 Used by Thurston and Lee on: Intro, Brave Men Run, Society is a Hole, Death Valley '69, Halloween, Starpower, Death to Our Friends, Pipeline, Tuff Gnarl, Kool Thing, 100%, Saucer-Like. Used by Thurston on: Shadow of a Doubt, Catholic Block, Mary Christ, Shoot, Waist, Sweet Shine, Becuz, Panty Lies, I Love You Golden Blue. NOTES: one of the oldest and most popular SY tunings. often used by Thurston nowadays on older songs where specific tuning isn't relevant, such as Burning Spear, She is Not Alone, and The World Looks Red. -- F# F# G G A A How to tune: Eu2 Ad3 Du5 Gs Bd2 Ed7 Used on: Tom Violence (TL), Schizophrenia (T), White Kross (TL), Drunken Butterfly (TL), Skip Tracer (T). NOTES: n/a -- F# F# A A E E How to tune: Eu2 Ad3 Dd5 Gd10 Bd7 Ed12 Used by Lee on: Shadow of a Doubt -- F# F# C# F# A# C# How to tune: Eu2 Ad3 Dd1 Gd1 Bd1 Ed3 Used by Lee on "By the Window" from his "Last Night on Earth" LP. -- F# F# C# C# C# C# How to tune: Eu2 Ad3 Dd1 Gu6 Bu2 Ed3 Used by Lee on: Beauty Lies in the Eye (may be F# F# C# F# C# C#....or something else...) -- F# A A F# F# F# How to tune: Eu2 As Dd5 Gd1 Bd5 Ed10 NOTES: Lee's "Alternate Death Valley tuning - good for something". Don't know of this ever being used w/in SY. -- G G B D G A How to tune: Eu3 Ad2 Dd3 Gd5 Bd4 Ed7 Used by Lee on: Sugar Kane, Genetic. NOTES: Lee also used this on Jet Set, likely.. -- G G C C A# A# How to tune: Eu3 Ad2 Dd2 Gd7 Bd1 Ed6 Used by Thurston on: I Love Her All The Time, Ghost Bitch NOTES: played w/ drumstick behind 12th fret. -- G G C G C C How to tune: Eu3 Ad2 Dd2 Gs Bu1 Ed4 Used by Lee on "Lecce, Leaving" from his "Last Night on Earth" LP with a capo at the 2nd fret. -- G G C G C D How to tune: Eu3 Ad2 Dd2 Gs Bu1 Ed2 Used by Lee on: Bull in the Heather, Starfield Road, Self-Obsessed and Sexxee, In the Mind of The Bourgeois Reader, Washing Machine (2nd half), Unwind, No Queen Blues. NOTES: probably used on more jet set tunes... -- G G C# D G G How to tune: Eu3 Ad2 Dd1 Gd5 Bd4 Ed9 Used by Lee on: The Wonder, Hyperstation NOTES: n/a -- G G D D D# D# How to tune: Eu3 Ad2 Ds Gd5 Bd8 Ed13 Used by Thurston and Lee on: Kill Yr Idols, Brother James, Early American, Flower, Green Light, Stereo Sanctity, Cotton Crown, Total Trash, Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit, Youth Against Fascism, Blues Blur. Used by Thurston on: The Wonder, Hyperstation, Eliminator Jr, Mote, Bull in the Heather, Starfield Road, Self-Obsessed and Sexxee, In The Mind of the Bourgeois Reader, Washing Machine, Unwind, No Queen Blues, Androgynous Mind, Nic Fit, Pattern Recognition, Dude Ranch Nurse. Used by Kim on: Pattern Recognition, Dude Ranch Nurse. Used by Jim on: Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style, Dripping Dream, Stones. NOTES: another old favorite. probably used on more than this, too.. -- G G D D F F How to tune: Eu3 Ad2 Ds Gd5 Bd6 Ed11 Used by Lee on: Mote Notes: n/a -- G G D D G G How to tune: Eu3 Ad2 Ds Gd5 Bd4 Ed9 Used by Lee on: Teenage Riot, The Sprawl, Eliminator Jr, Tunic, Titanium Expose. NOTES: Possibly also used on "Orange Rolls" and "Total Trash" instead of GDEb. -- G G D E G B Used by Lee on: Hoarfrost (capo 5th fret) Used by Jim on: Rain on Tin, Unmade Bed, Paper Cup Exit (capo 4), I Love You Golden Blue (capo 11), Peace Attack. -- G G D F F G How to tune: Eu3 Ad2 Ds Gd2 Bd6 Ed9 Used by Lee on: My Friend Goo -- G G D G G A How to tune: Eu3 Ad2 Ds Gs Bd4 Ed7 Used by Lee on: Female Mechanic Now On Duty, Disconnection Notice, Karen Revisited, Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style, Plastic Sun, Unmade Bed, Dripping Dream, Kim Gordon & the Arthur Doyle Hand Cream, Stones, New Hampshire, Turquoise Boy. Also used by Lee on "Lost" from "Between the Times and the Tides". NOTES: lee puts a capo at the 2nd fret halfway thru Female Mechanic. -- G G D G B D How to tune: Eu3 Ad2 Ds Gs Bs Ed2 Used by Lee on: "Uncle Skeleton" from "Electric Trim". -- G G D A G A How to tune: Eu3 Ad2 Ds Gu2 Bd4 Ed7 Used by Lee on: Anagrama, Slaapkamers, Stil, Wildflower Soul, The Ineffable Me, Snare, Girl, Heather Angel. NOTES: n/a -- G G D A G A# How to tune: Eu3 Ad2 Ds Gu2 Bd4 Ed6 Used by Lee on: Karen Koltrane NOTES: n/a -- G A B D E G How to tune: Eu3 As Dd3 Gd5 Bd7 Ed9 Used by Thurston on: Teenage Riot, Hey Joni, Sugar Kane, Genetic. NOTES: in Total Guitar #46 Lee comments that this tuning is good for "bright and thrashy riffs". -- G# A# G#/A# A#/A C#/D# E/F# (12-string guitar w/ 10 strings) How to tune: Eu4 Au1 Du6/Dd4 Gu2/Gd10 Bu2/Bd8 Es/Ed10 Used by Lee on: Side2Side live NOTES: I have no idea if those are the proper octaves for those notes, but if using a standard 12-string set of strings (w/ the octave E and A removed), that would seem to be the logical tuning pattern.. -- this document copyright © 1997-2014 chris lawrence (silvercircle@shaw.ca)