Sonic Youth · 1992 · Studio album
Dirty tuning.
E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4, about 7 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured on the CD. 11 of 15 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4 +7 ¢
About 7 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured on the CD.
MeasuredWidely reported
Tune like thisPlay alongAll 15 songs
String 2 sits 7 half steps below its standard B3. On a normal set (.013) it keeps only about 45 % of its usual tension and feels loose. For the usual feel use about a .019 string, or a baritone guitar.
Measured by TuneLit
7 ¢ sharp
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, DGC GED 24485 (1992) | +7.3 ¢ | A 441.9 | 15 | +6.9 to +20.5 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4, with no pitch given (widely reported).
Produced by Butch Vig. Most songs pair Thurston Moore's E G D G E D with Lee Ranaldo's E E B B E F♯; 100% is F♯ F♯ F♯ F♯ E B, Sugar Kane G A B D E G against G G B D G A, and Kim Gordon adds a guitar in D E G D B B on several songs. Guitar Player and Guitar World printed most of the tunings in late 1992. TuneLit measured the 1992 DGC CD about 7 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 441.9); every song that gives a steady reading sits close to it.
15 songs · 11 tuned differently
Every song, ready to tune
Tune opens the tuner in that song's tuning, pitch included. Play along opens the song player set to that tuning, so the track plays in yours. What the labels mean
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Notes
How to get there from the album's E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4: String 6 up a whole step (E → F♯), String 5 down a half step (G → F♯), String 4 up 4 half steps (D → F♯), String 3 down a half step (G → F♯), String 1 down 3 half steps (D → B); the other strings stay.
Both guitars in F♯ F♯ F♯ F♯ E B (Guitar Player, December 1992). Thurston plays slide and says the tuning hardly matters for his part.
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2. Swimsuit Issue
E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4 +7 ¢Measured
Notes
Thurston in E G D G E D, Lee in E E B B E F♯ (Guitar Player, 1992); Kim Gordon adds a guitar in D E G D B B.
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3. Theresa's Sound-World
Different tuning
A2 C3 C3 G3 G♯3 C4 +7 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4: String 6 up 5 half steps (E → A), String 5 up 5 half steps (G → C), String 4 down a whole step (D → C), String 2 up 4 half steps (E → G♯), String 1 down a whole step (D → C); the other strings stay.
Thurston's guitar: A C C G G♯ C. Lee's guitar: A A E E A A with a capo at the 3rd fret. Both in Guitar Player and Guitar World, late 1992.
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4. Drunken Butterfly
Different tuning
F♯2 F♯2 G3 G3 A3 A3 +7 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4: String 6 up a whole step (E → F♯), String 5 down a half step (G → F♯), String 4 up 5 half steps (D → G), String 2 up 5 half steps (E → A), String 1 down 5 half steps (D → A); the other strings stay.
String 1 sits 7 half steps below its standard E4. On a normal set (.010) it keeps only about 45 % of its usual tension and feels loose. For the usual feel use about a .015 string, or a baritone guitar.
Both guitars in F♯ F♯ G G A A (videos); Kim plays a third guitar, tuned F♯ F♯ G A according to Guitar World.
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5. Shoot
Different tuning
F♯2 F♯2 F♯3 F♯3 E3 B3 +7 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4: String 6 up a whole step (E → F♯), String 5 down a half step (G → F♯), String 4 up 4 half steps (D → F♯), String 3 down a half step (G → F♯), String 1 down 3 half steps (D → B); the other strings stay.
Kim sings.
Thurston's guitar: F♯ F♯ F♯ F♯ E B (videos). Lee's guitar: A F♯ E F♯ E B, a variation of the same tuning (band techs).
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6. Wish Fulfillment
Different tuning
E2 E2 B2 B2 E3 F♯3 +7 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4: String 5 down 3 half steps (G → E), String 4 down 3 half steps (D → B), String 3 down 8 half steps (G → B), String 1 down 8 half steps (D → F♯); the other strings stay.
String 1 sits 10 half steps below its standard E4. On a normal set (.010) it keeps only about 30 % of its usual tension and flaps. For the usual feel use about a .018 string, or a baritone guitar.
Lee Ranaldo's song and guitar: E E B B E F♯ (Guitar Player, 1992). Thurston plays E G D G E D, Kim D E G D B B. The Songsterr tab puts Thurston in F♯ F♯ F♯ F♯ E B instead.
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Notes
How to get there from the album's E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4: String 6 up 3 half steps (E → G), String 5 up a whole step (G → A), String 4 down 3 half steps (D → B), String 3 down 5 half steps (G → D), String 1 down 7 half steps (D → G); the other strings stay.
String 1 sits 9 half steps below its standard E4. On a normal set (.010) it keeps only about 35 % of its usual tension and flaps. For the usual feel use about a .017 string, or a baritone guitar.
Thurston's guitar: G A B D E G, the Teen Age Riot tuning. Lee's guitar: G G B D G A. Both in Guitar World, November 1992; the tab agrees.
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8. Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit
Different tuning
G2 G2 D3 D3 D♯3 D♯3 +7 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4: String 6 up 3 half steps (E → G), String 3 down 5 half steps (G → D), String 2 down a half step (E → E♭), String 1 down 11 half steps (D → E♭); the other strings stay.
String 1 sits 13 half steps below its standard E4. On a normal set (.010) it keeps only about 20 % of its usual tension and flaps. For the usual feel use about a .021 string, or a baritone guitar.
Both guitars in G G D D D♯ D♯ (Guitar Player, December 1992). The techs' notes give Lee G G D D G G, but he picks out the G D D♯ tuning on a 1992 show.
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9. Youth Against Fascism
Different tuning
G2 G2 D3 D3 D♯3 D♯3 +7 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4: String 6 up 3 half steps (E → G), String 3 down 5 half steps (G → D), String 2 down a half step (E → E♭), String 1 down 11 half steps (D → E♭); the other strings stay.
String 1 sits 13 half steps below its standard E4. On a normal set (.010) it keeps only about 20 % of its usual tension and flaps. For the usual feel use about a .021 string, or a baritone guitar.
Ian MacKaye of Fugazi plays an extra guitar.
Guitar Player (December 1992) gives G G D D D♯ D♯ for both guitars, but live Thurston played A C C G G♯ C and Lee A A E E A A, and the fan who compiled the band's tuning list believes those were on the record too. Thurston has said any tuning will do.
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10. Nic Fit
Different tuning
G2 G2 D3 D3 D♯3 D♯3 +7 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4: String 6 up 3 half steps (E → G), String 3 down 5 half steps (G → D), String 2 down a half step (E → E♭), String 1 down 11 half steps (D → E♭); the other strings stay.
String 1 sits 13 half steps below its standard E4. On a normal set (.010) it keeps only about 20 % of its usual tension and flaps. For the usual feel use about a .021 string, or a baritone guitar.
The only Songsterr tab lifts the whole G G D D D♯ D♯ tuning a half step (G♯ G♯ D♯ D♯ E E).
Thurston's guitar: G G D D D♯ D♯; Lee's guitar: D♯ D♯ C♯ C♯ G♯ G♯. A one-minute Untouchables cover.
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11. On the Strip
Different tuning
A2 C3 C3 G3 G♯3 C4 +7 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4: String 6 up 5 half steps (E → A), String 5 up 5 half steps (G → C), String 4 down a whole step (D → C), String 2 up 4 half steps (E → G♯), String 1 down a whole step (D → C); the other strings stay.
Kim sings.
Thurston's guitar: A C C G G♯ C; Lee's guitar: A A E E A A; Kim's guitar: D E G D B B (all from the band's techs).
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12. Chapel Hill
E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4 +7 ¢Measured
Notes
Thurston in E G D G E D, Lee in E E B B E F♯ (Guitar Player, December 1992).
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13. JC
E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4 +7 ¢Measured
Notes
Thurston in E G D G E D, Lee in E E B B E F♯ (live videos). Kim plays bass, with slide at the end.
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14. Purr
E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4 +7 ¢Measured
Notes
Thurston in E G D G E D, Lee in E E B B E F♯ (the band's techs); the main tab agrees.
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15. Crème Brûlée
Different tuning
D2 E2 G2 D3 B2 B2 +7 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4: String 6 down a whole step (E → D), String 5 down 3 half steps (G → E), String 4 down 7 half steps (D → G), String 3 down 5 half steps (G → D), String 2 down 5 half steps (E → B), String 1 down 15 half steps (D → B).
String 1 sits 17 half steps below its standard E4. On a normal set (.010) it keeps only about 15 % of its usual tension and flaps. For the usual feel use about a .027 string, or a baritone guitar.
Kim sings and plays the guitar part.
Kim Gordon's guitar: D E G D B B, from the band's techs. Thurston and Lee play little: the song grew out of a studio improvisation while Thurston tried to get an amplifier working.
What the labels mean
- Measured
- TuneLit measured the pitch on an original CD or LP. The tuning name still comes from the sources.
- Official
- The band, a member, their producer or their guitar tech said it.
- Widely reported
- Trusted outlets, guides and tabs agree, but the band did not say it directly.
- From tabs
- From community tabs, or from players who tune along with the record.
- Disputed
- Sources disagree. The likeliest setting is shown; the notes name the other one.
Each song shows one label, the strongest it has, in this order. How we measure recordings →
Questions
What tuning is Dirty in?
Sonic Youth recorded Dirty (1992) in E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4, about 7 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured by TuneLit on the CD. 11 songs use other tunings or pitches, listed song by song on this page.