TUNELIT

Sonic Youth · 2006 · Studio album

Rather Ripped tuning.

D2 D♯2 A♯2 D♯3 G3 G3 at concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD. 10 of 12 songs are tuned differently.

Rather Ripped album cover

Album tuning

D2 D♯2 A♯2 D♯3 G3 G3 +4 ¢

At concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD.

MeasuredWidely reported

Tune like thisPlay alongAll 12 songs

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.

Measured by TuneLit

At concert pitch

SourceOffsetEquivalent ASongsSpreadConfidence
CD, Geffen/Universal Japan UICF-1075 (2006)+4.4 ¢A 441.112−0.9 to +6.2 ¢High
 Offset from concert pitch (A 440). Spread: the middle half of the songs, when four or more share the album's pitch. Confidence: how well the notes agree with one grid.

Before we measured, sources said: D2 D♯2 A♯2 D♯3 G3 G3, with no pitch given (widely reported).

Back to a four-piece, with Kim Gordon on bass. Thurston Moore plays D D♯ A♯ D♯ G G and Lee Ranaldo D♯ D♯ A♯ D♯ G G (he started in Thurston's tuning and raised the low string during the sessions); the other songs use C G D G C D against C G D C G D or G G D G G A. TuneLit measured the Japanese CD about 4 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 441.1); Jams Run Free reads 7 ¢ flat. On Incinerate, Do You Believe in Rapture? and Or the lowest string heard is the D♯, so they are listed in Lee's tuning. The bonus tracks Helen Lundeberg and Eyeliner are left out.

12 songs · 10 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

  1. 1. Reena

    Different tuning

    C2 G2 D3 G3 C4 D4 +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    How to get there from E Standard: String 6 down 4 half steps (E → C), String 5 down a whole step (A → G), String 2 up a half step (B → C), String 1 down a whole step (E → D); the other strings stay.

    Thurston in C G D G C D, Lee in C G D C G D (the band's techs). Kim sings and plays bass.

  2. 2. Incinerate

    Different tuning

    D♯2 D♯2 A♯2 D♯3 G3 G3 +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    How to get there from the album's D2 D♯2 A♯2 D♯3 G3 G3: String 6 up a half step (D → E♭); the other strings stay.

    Thurston and Lee build the riff on the D♯ unison; Thurston's guitar has a low D under it that hardly sounds, and he keeps that D for his overdubs, as the main tab shows.

    Lee Ranaldo's guitar: D♯ D♯ A♯ D♯ G G. Thurston Moore's guitar is listed in D D♯ A♯ D♯ G G, but its low D is hardly heard on the record: the lowest open string that sounds is the D♯, so TuneLit lists the D♯ unison. Thurston's chord shapes are the same in both.

    TuneLit's semitone check from the audio hears D♯ as the lowest open string and almost no low D.

  3. 3. Do You Believe in Rapture?

    Different tuning

    D♯2 D♯2 A♯2 D♯3 G3 G3 +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    How to get there from the album's D2 D♯2 A♯2 D♯3 G3 G3: String 6 up a half step (D → E♭); the other strings stay.

    Thurston's guitar adds a low D under the D♯ that hardly sounds on the record.

    Lee Ranaldo's guitar: D♯ D♯ A♯ D♯ G G. Thurston Moore's guitar is listed in D D♯ A♯ D♯ G G, but its low D is hardly heard on the record: the lowest open string that sounds is the D♯, so TuneLit lists the D♯ unison. Thurston's chord shapes are the same in both.

    TuneLit's semitone check from the audio hears D♯ as the lowest open string and almost no low D.

  4. 4. Sleepin Around

    D2 D♯2 A♯2 D♯3 G3 G3 +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Thurston in D D♯ A♯ D♯ G G; Lee in D D♯ A♯ D♯ G C, the same with a C on top.

  5. 5. What a Waste

    Different tuning

    C2 G2 D3 G3 C4 D4 +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    How to get there from E Standard: String 6 down 4 half steps (E → C), String 5 down a whole step (A → G), String 2 up a half step (B → C), String 1 down a whole step (E → D); the other strings stay.

    Kim sings.

    Thurston in C G D G C D, Lee in C G D C G D (the band's techs).

  6. 6. Jams Run Free

    Different pitch

    D2 D♯2 A♯2 D♯3 G3 G3 −7 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Thurston in D D♯ A♯ D♯ G G; Lee in D♯ A♯ D♯ B C♯ F♯. Kim sings. The semitone check hears D♯ as the lowest string, the low string of Lee's guitar; Thurston's low D hardly sounds.

    Thurston Moore's guitar: D D♯ A♯ D♯ G G (the band's techs). Lee Ranaldo plays D♯ A♯ D♯ B C♯ F♯.

  7. 7. Rats

    Different tuning

    D♯2 A♯2 D♯3 B2 C♯4 F♯3 +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    How to get there from the album's D2 D♯2 A♯2 D♯3 G3 G3: String 6 up a half step (D → D♯), String 5 up 7 half steps (E♭ → A♯), String 4 up 5 half steps (B♭ → D♯), String 3 down 4 half steps (E♭ → B), String 2 up 6 half steps (G → C♯), String 1 down a half step (G → F♯).

    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: D♯ A♯ D♯ B C♯ F♯. Thurston plays bass on this one and Kim a guitar in D A D A B B with a capo at the 1st fret.

  8. 8. Turquoise Boy

    Different tuning

    C2 G2 D3 G3 C4 D4 +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    How to get there from E Standard: String 6 down 4 half steps (E → C), String 5 down a whole step (A → G), String 2 up a half step (B → C), String 1 down a whole step (E → D); the other strings stay.

    Kim sings.

    Thurston in C G D G C D, Lee in G G D G G A (the band's techs).

  9. 9. Lights Out

    Different tuning

    C2 G2 D3 G3 C4 D4 +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    How to get there from E Standard: String 6 down 4 half steps (E → C), String 5 down a whole step (A → G), String 2 up a half step (B → C), String 1 down a whole step (E → D); the other strings stay.

    Thurston in C G D G C D, Lee in C G D C G D (the band's techs).

  10. 10. The Neutral

    Different tuning

    C2 G2 D3 G3 C4 D4 +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    How to get there from E Standard: String 6 down 4 half steps (E → C), String 5 down a whole step (A → G), String 2 up a half step (B → C), String 1 down a whole step (E → D); the other strings stay.

    Kim sings.

    Thurston in C G D G C D, Lee in C G D C G D (the band's techs).

  11. 11. Pink Steam

    D2 D♯2 A♯2 D♯3 G3 G3 +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Thurston in D D♯ A♯ D♯ G G, Lee in D♯ D♯ A♯ D♯ G G; a long instrumental opening before the vocal.

  12. 12. Or

    Different tuning

    D♯2 D♯2 A♯2 D♯3 G3 G3 +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    How to get there from the album's D2 D♯2 A♯2 D♯3 G3 G3: String 6 up a half step (D → E♭); the other strings stay.

    Thurston's guitar adds a low D under the D♯ that hardly sounds on the record.

    Lee Ranaldo's guitar: D♯ D♯ A♯ D♯ G G. Thurston Moore's guitar is listed in D D♯ A♯ D♯ G G, but its low D is hardly heard on the record: the lowest open string that sounds is the D♯, so TuneLit lists the D♯ unison. Thurston's chord shapes are the same in both.

    TuneLit's semitone check from the audio hears D♯ as the lowest open string and almost no low D.

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 Rather Ripped in?

Sonic Youth recorded Rather Ripped (2006) in D2 D♯2 A♯2 D♯3 G3 G3 at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit on the CD. 10 songs use other tunings or pitches, listed song by song on this page.