Sonic Youth · Dirty · song 7
Sugar Kane tuning.
Sugar Kane (Sonic Youth, 1992) is in G2 A2 B2 D3 E3 G3, about 7 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured by TuneLit from the record.
Measured by TuneLit
7 ¢ sharp
Measured on this song itself: Tune moves every string +7 ¢.
Sonic Youth · Dirty · 1992
About Sugar Kane
A single from Dirty (1992), sung by Thurston Moore. Thurston uses the Teen Age Riot tuning, G A B D E G, and Lee Ranaldo plays G G B D G A; Guitar World printed both in November 1992. Lee's part is the one most people learn: it is by far the most-viewed track of the Songsterr tab.
TuneLit measured the Dirty CD about 7 ¢ sharp and gives the song that value. This song on its own reads closer to concert pitch, about 1 ¢, not quite far enough from the album to get its own setting; if the 7 ¢ setting sounds bright against the record, use A 440.
The two tunings share the low G and the B and D strings in the middle, so two guitarists can trade parts easily. For Lee's G G B D G A: raise the low E to G, drop the A string to the same G, drop the D string to B and the G string to D, and bring the top two strings down to G and A.
Tip: If you play Lee's part, tune the two low G strings together first, then check the A on top against the record's opening figure.
Step by step
Tune your guitar like the record
- Tap Tune like this: the tuner switches to G2 A2 B2 D3 E3 G3, every string +7 ¢, the notes Sugar Kane was recorded in.
- 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.
- Turn String 6 to String 1 until each shows ✓ in tune. Sugar Kane sits 7 cents sharp on the record: at A 440 your guitar would sound that much flat against it, which Tune already corrects.
- Then play Sugar Kane along with the record: its lowest open note and your String 6 should ring together without a wobble.
Or the other way round
Move the record into your tuning
Rather keep your guitar as it is? Let Play along move Sugar Kane instead. Add your own copy, for example from your CD (it never leaves your device); the link already says the song is in G2 A2 B2 D3 E3 G3 +7 ¢. Choose G2 A2 B2 D3 E3 G3 at A 440 and Sugar Kane moves down 7 cents, at its own speed. Slow it down or loop a few bars to learn it, and save the result as a WAV file.
Questions
What tuning is Sugar Kane in?
G2 A2 B2 D3 E3 G3 +7 ¢: G A B D E G, low to high, at the pitch TuneLit measured on the record.