Sonic Youth · Goo · song 1
Dirty Boots tuning.
Dirty Boots (Sonic Youth, 1990) is in E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4, about 9 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured by TuneLit from the record.
Measured by TuneLit
9 ¢ sharp
The album's value, measured on the CD: Tune moves every string +9 ¢.
Sonic Youth · Goo · 1990
About Dirty Boots
The opening track and a single from Goo (1990). Thurston Moore plays E G D G E D, low to high, and Lee Ranaldo E E B B E F♯: the pairing that runs through Goo, Dirty and Experimental Jet Set. Thurston's tuning keeps the low E, D and G strings of standard tuning and only changes three others.
TuneLit measured the Goo CD about 9 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 442.2), and this song reads close to that, so Tune sets Thurston's tuning 9 ¢ up. Lee's tuning takes the same offset.
From standard, Thurston's guitar needs only three changes: the A string down to G, the B string down to E and the top E down to D. Lee's needs more: the A string down to E, the D and G strings down to B, the B string down to E and the top E down to F♯. If you only have one guitar, Thurston's part is the most-viewed track of the Songsterr tab and the easier one to reach.
Tip: Tune the A string down to G and the top two strings down first; the low E, D and G stay where standard tuning puts them.
Step by step
Tune your guitar like the record
- Tap Tune like this: the tuner switches to E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4, every string +9 ¢, the notes Dirty Boots was recorded in.
- From E Standard: String 5 down a whole step (A → G), String 2 down 7 half steps (B → E), String 1 down a whole step (E → D); the other strings stay.
- 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.
- Turn String 6 to String 1 until each shows ✓ in tune. Dirty Boots sits 9 cents sharp on the record: at A 440 your guitar would sound that much flat against it, which Tune already corrects.
- Then play Dirty Boots 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 Dirty Boots instead. Add your own copy, for example from your CD (it never leaves your device); the link already says the song is in E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4 +9 ¢. Choose E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4 at A 440 and Dirty Boots moves down 9 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 Dirty Boots in?
E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4 +9 ¢: E G D G E D, low to high, at the pitch TuneLit measured on the record.