WASHING MACHINE by SONIC YOUTH Tab by Chris Lawrence (silvercircle@shaw.ca) Special thanks to Larsen '98 TUNINGS ------- Kim: BEGDBB Thurston: GGDDD#D# Lee: AF#EF#EB / GGCGCD A SECTION 00:00-00:14 Kim: B----7-7-7-6-6-6-0-0-0---0-0-0--- B----7-7-7-6-6-6-0-0-0---0-0-0--- D-------------------------------- x 4 G-------------------------------- E-------------------------------- B-------------------------------- Thurston: D#----11-11-11-11-10-10-10-10-4-4-4/12-12-12-12--- D#----11-11-11-11-10-10-10-10-4-4-4/12-12-12-12--- D-----11-11-11-11-10-10-10-10-4-4-4/12-12-12-12--- x 4 D-----11-11-11-11-10-10-10-10-4-4-4/12-12-12-12--- G------------------------------------------------- G------------------------------------------------- Lee: B-----------14\----------12\----------7--- E-------------------------------5-5-5-5--- x 4 F#----12-12--------10-10--------5-5-5-5--- E----------------------------------------- F#---------------------------------------- A----------------------------------------- B SECTION 00:15-00:28 Kim: B--------------------- B--------------------- D--------------------- G--------------------- x 8 E--------------------- B---5-5-5-5-7-7-7-7--- Thurston: D#------------------------------------------------------ D#------------------------------------------------------ D------------------------------------------------------- D----11-11-11-11-10-10-10-10-4-4-4-4-12-12-12-12-12-12-- x 4 G----11-11-11-11-10-10-10-10-4-4-4-4-12-12-12-12-12-12-- G----11-11-11-11-10-10-10-10-4-4-4-4-12-12-12-12-12-12-- Lee: B---------------------------------------------------------------- E---------------------------------------------------------------- F#--------------------------------------------------------------- E-----12---15------7---10-----7---10----------------------------- F#----10---13------5----8-----5----8-----13-13-13-13-12--12-12--- A---------------------------------------------------------------- B------------------------------------------------------------------------ E------------------------------------------------------------------------ F#----------------------------------------------------------------------- E-----12---15------7---10-----7---10------------------------------------- F#----10---13------5----8-----5----8-----13-13-13-13-15-15-15-15-15-17\-- A------------------------------------------------------------------------ C SECTION 00:28-00:35 Kim: B----7-7-8-0--0-0-0--- B----7-7-8-0--0-0-0--- x 4 D--------------------- G--------------------- E--------------------- B--------------------- Thurston: D#---9-9-9--14--14-14--9-9-9--16--16-16--- D#---9-9-9--14--14-14--9-9-9--16--16-16--- D----9-9-9--14--14-14--9-9-9--16--16-16--- x 2 D----9-9-9--14--14-14--9-9-9--16--16-16--- G----------------------------------------- G----------------------------------------- Lee: B-------------------------------------------------- E-------------------------------------------------- F#-------5-7-8-7--7-5-5---------5-8\7-5--8\7-5-5~-- E----5-7--------------------5-7-------------------- F#------------------------------------------------- A-------------------------------------------------- A SECTION 00:35-00:48 Thurston: D#---0-0-0-0-2-2-2-2-0-0-0-0-3-3-3-3--- D#---0-0-0-0-2-2-2-2-0-0-0-0-3-3-3-3--- D-------------------------------------- x 2 D-------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------- D#---11-11-11-11-10-10-10-10-4-4-4/12-12-12-12--- D#---11-11-11-11-10-10-10-10-4-4-4/12-12-12-12--- D----11-11-11-11-10-10-10-10-4-4-4/12-12-12-12--- x 2 (for this section, but he D----11-11-11-11-10-10-10-10-4-4-4/12-12-12-12--- continues playing it when G------------------------------------------------ kim changes her riff) G------------------------------------------------ Lee: B------------------------------------------------- E------------------------------------------------- F#--------5-5--5-7-5-5----------5-7-8-7-7\5-5-5--- E-----5-7------------------5-7-------------------- F#------------------------------------------------ A------------------------------------------------- B-----------14\----------12\----------7--- E-------------------------------5-5-5-5--- x 2 F#----12-12--------10-10--------5-5-5-5--- E----------------------------------------- F#---------------------------------------- A----------------------------------------- B SECTION 00:49-01:02 Thurston: D#---11-11-11-11-10-10-10-10-4-4-4/12-12-12-12--- D#---11-11-11-11-10-10-10-10-4-4-4/12-12-12-12--- D----11-11-11-11-10-10-10-10-4-4-4/12-12-12-12--- x 2 D----11-11-11-11-10-10-10-10-4-4-4/12-12-12-12--- G------------------------------------------------ G------------------------------------------------ D#------------------------------------------------------ D#------------------------------------------------------ D------------------------------------------------------- D----11-11-11-11-10-10-10-10-4-4-4-4-12-12-12-12-12-12-- x 2 G----11-11-11-11-10-10-10-10-4-4-4-4-12-12-12-12-12-12-- G----11-11-11-11-10-10-10-10-4-4-4-4-12-12-12-12-12-12-- C SECTION 01:02-01:09 Lee: B------------------------------------------------------- E------------------------------------------------------- F#-------5-7-8-7--7-5-5---------5-7-8-7--8\7--5--5--5~-- E----5-7--------------------5-7------------------------- F#------------------------------------------------------ A------------------------------------------------------- A SECTION 01:09-01:22 Lee: B------------------------------------------ E------------------------------------------ F#---5-5--5-5--5-7-5-5----5-7-8--7--5--5--- E------------------------------------------ F#----------------------------------------- A------------------------------------------ B-----------14\----------12\----------7--- E-------------------------------5-5-5-5--- x 2 F#----12-12--------10-10--------5-5-5-5--- E----------------------------------------- F#---------------------------------------- A----------------------------------------- B SECTION 01:22-01:36 C SECTION 01:36-01:43 Lee: B--------------------------------------------- E--------------------------------------------- F#-------5-7-8-7--5-5-5---------5---5-7-5-5--- E----5-7--------------------5-7--------------- F#-------------------------------------------- A--------------------------------------------- A SECTION 01:43-01:56 Thurston: D#---0-0-0-0-2-2-2-2-0-0-0-0-3-3-3-3--- D#---0-0-0-0-2-2-2-2-0-0-0-0-3-3-3-3--- D-------------------------------------- x 4 D-------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------- Lee: B-------------------------------------------- E-------------------------------------------- F#-------5-7-8-7--7^8^7-5--------7----5--5--- E----5-7---------------------5^7---7--------- F#------------------------------------------- A-------------------------------------------- B-----------14\----------12\----------7--- E-------------------------------5-5-5-5--- x 2 F#----12-12--------10-10--------5-5-5-5--- E----------------------------------------- F#---------------------------------------- A----------------------------------------- B SECTION 01:57-02:27 Kim: B--------------------- -------------------- B--------------------- -------------------- play about 18 times until fade... D--------------------- -------------------- G--------------------- -------------------- E--------------------- sometimes: ----------7-7-7-7--- B---5-5-5-5-7-7-7-7--- --5-5-5-5-7-7-7-7--- At roughly 2:22, the stereo field of the song changes, as Kim's guitar fades out and Thurston and Lee (now in a new tuning) return, in proper left and right stereo with Kim (and the drums) returning down the center at 2:55. Thurston strums this chord: D#----16---- D#----16---- D-----12---- D-----12---- G------0---- G------0---- Lee drops out at 1:57 to literally switch guitars. Every night he would use his Travis Bean Artist for the first part of the song, then switch to the Gibson Les Paul. At 2:22 he fades in on this chord: D-----5---- C-----5---- G-----7---- C-----7---- G-----0---- G-----0---- D SECTION 02:27-09:33 Kim doesn't enter until 2:50 or so, but her riff carries the remainder of the song: B------------------- B------------------- D---0--0-0--5-5-5--- (don't always play the D string) G---0--0-0--5-5-5--- E------------------- B------------------- Around 5:10 she stops the riff and just plays the open G string continuously until the end of the song. Thurston: D#----------16----------16--------16-----------16--- D#----------16----------16--------16-----------16--- repeat simile while kim sings D-----12-12----12-14-14----12--12----12-14-14------- D-----12-12----12-14-14----12--12----12-14-14------- G------0--------0-----------0---------0------------- G------0--------0-----------0---------0------------- Around 3:30 he backs off to lightly strumming the chord (0-0-12-12-16-16), then he drops out completely, before coming back in with this sick lick at 3:57: D#------------------------------------------------------- D#------18b~~~-r18-16~~~~-------18b~~~-18-18-r18-16~~~~-- the 18th fret is bent up about 1 1/2 steps D-------------------------------------------------------- (21st fret) D-------------------------------------------------------- shake w/ trem bar too G-------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------------------------- D#-----------------------14--- D#--------------13----13------ 12th fret is lightly muted, 13th + 14th frets are pinch harmonics D---12-12-12-12----12--------- D----------------------------- play twice G----------------------------- G----------------------------- D#------------------------------------------- D#------------------------------------------- play simile 10 times D-------------------------x-x---------------- D--------------15-14------x-x--12-12-15-15--- w/ pinch harmonic attempts G-----12---12--------15---------------------- + increased sloppiness G-------------------------------------------- Dissolve into low G drone around 5:00: D#------ -------------------------------------- D#------ -------------------------------------- D------- -------------------------------------- D------- -------------------------------------- G---12-- then: ---12--12-12-12-12--12b-12-12-12-12r-- bend the 12th fret 1/2 step and hold it G----0-- ----0---0--0--0--0---0---0--0--0--0--- Around 5:30 he turns on his Mutron Wah/Vol and takes the song to another level. At this point, there's no sense in really transcribing anything - go watch the Easter set and see that spin cycle in action. The Wah comes off at 7:50 and he starts playing the open G strings. At 8:00 he starts picking something like: D#------------------------------16-16-16-16--- D#------------------------------16-16-16-16--- D---------12-----12-------12------------------ Play four times D---------12-----12-------12------------------ G------0------0------0--0----0---------------- G------0------0------0--0----0---------------- Switch to a variation like this: D#-------------------------------------------- D#-------------------------------------------- D---------12-----12-------12----12-12-12-12--- Play four times D---------12-----12-------12----12-12-12-12--- G------0------0------0--0----0---------------- G------0------0------0--0----0---------------- Then start picking behind the bridge. At first he just plays one "note" steadily then begins playing a rhythm of sorts before fading out. Lee starts picking around the same chord shape: D---------------------5----------- C-------------5-----------5------- G--------7-------7----------7----- etc repeat simile C----------7-------7----------7--- G------0-------------------------- G----0---------------------------- When Kim starts singing, he adds a little lick: D---------------------5-------7br--5-5-- or: ---7br-5------- C-------------5-----------5------------- ---------5^7--- G--------7-------7----------7----------- --------------- C----------7-------7-------------------- --------------- G------0-------------------------------- --------------- G----0---------------------------------- --------------- Then he just sinks back into arpeggiating the chord, getting quieter as Kim sings her last lines... When Thurston starts his flaming lead, Lee kinda just rocks out around the open G strings. There are a few moments where he plays something noteworthy, but for the most part just holds it down. Around 5 minutes in Lee just starts letting his open strings feedback, with some nice analog delay encouragement. He goes from a lower drone to a higher squeal and back to open G & C... Around 7 minutes in he starts light pick scrapes w/ ring mod + delay, Thurston's wah cloud mostly dominates the mix at this point. When Thurston turns off the wah, Lee mostly sticks to lightly playing open G strings, then winds down completely. last updated: 05/20/22 ------------------------------------------------ THE SONIC YOUTH GUITAR/BASS TABLATURE ARCHIVE: http://www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/tab/index.html ------------------------------------------------