Sonic Youth · 1987 · Studio album
Sister tuning.
F♯2 F♯2 F♯3 F♯3 E3 B3, about 6 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured on the CD. 7 of 10 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
F♯2 F♯2 F♯3 F♯3 E3 B3 +6 ¢
About 6 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured on the CD.
MeasuredFrom tabs
Tune like thisPlay alongAll 10 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
6 ¢ sharp
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, Blast First BFFP 20 CD (1987) | +6.4 ¢ | A 441.6 | 10 | Too few songs | High |
Before we measured, sources said: F♯2 F♯2 F♯3 F♯3 E3 B3, with no pitch given (community).
Thurston Moore stays with the F♯ tunings while Lee Ranaldo brings in D D D D A A, the low drone under Schizophrenia, Catholic Block and Tuff Gnarl. TuneLit measured the Blast First CD about 6 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 441.6). Hot Wire My Heart, a Crime cover in standard tuning, reads about 20 ¢ sharp. The CD bonus track Master-Dik is left out.
10 songs · 7 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 F♯2 F♯2 F♯3 F♯3 E3 B3: String 4 up a half step (F♯ → G), String 3 up a half step (F♯ → G), String 2 up 5 half steps (E → A), String 1 down a whole step (B → 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.
Lee's D D D D A A guitar is the lead part in the Songsterr tab, which gives both parts in these tunings.
Thurston's guitar: F♯ F♯ G G A A, as Guitar Player printed it in 1991. Lee's guitar: D D D D A A.
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2. (I Got a) Catholic Block
F♯2 F♯2 F♯3 F♯3 E3 B3 +6 ¢Measured
Notes
Thurston in F♯ F♯ F♯ F♯ E B, adding slide near the end; Lee in D D D D A A.
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3. Beauty Lies in the Eye
Different tuning
F♯2 F♯2 C♯3 C♯3 C♯4 C♯4 +6 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's F♯2 F♯2 F♯3 F♯3 E3 B3: String 4 down 5 half steps (F♯ → C♯), String 3 down 5 half steps (F♯ → C♯), String 2 up 9 half steps (E → C♯), String 1 up a whole step (B → C♯); the other strings stay.
String 3 sits 6 half steps below its standard G3. On a normal set (.017) it keeps only about 50 % of its usual tension and feels loose. For the usual feel use about a .024 string, or a baritone guitar.
Lee's guitar: F♯ F♯ C♯ C♯ C♯ C♯, the middle C♯s in unison and the top two an octave above, worked out from a 1987 recording. Thurston plays bass.
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4. Stereo Sanctity
Different tuning
G2 G2 D3 D3 D♯3 D♯3 +6 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from E Standard: String 6 up 3 half steps (E → G), String 5 down a whole step (A → G), String 3 down 5 half steps (G → D), String 2 down 8 half steps (B → E♭), String 1 down 13 half steps (E → 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♯ (videos and set lists).
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5. Pipeline/Kill Time
F♯2 F♯2 F♯3 F♯3 E3 B3 +6 ¢Measured
Notes
Both guitars in F♯ F♯ F♯ F♯ E B; Lee sings.
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6. Tuff Gnarl
F♯2 F♯2 F♯3 F♯3 E3 B3 +6 ¢Measured
Notes
Thurston in F♯ F♯ F♯ F♯ E B, Lee in D D D D A A (a 1987 video).
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7. Pacific Coast Highway
Different tuning
E2 G♯2 E3 G♯3 E3 G♯3 +6 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's F♯2 F♯2 F♯3 F♯3 E3 B3: String 6 down a whole step (F♯ → E), String 5 up a whole step (F♯ → G♯), String 4 down a whole step (F♯ → E), String 3 up a whole step (F♯ → G♯), String 1 down 3 half steps (B → G♯); the other strings stay.
String 1 sits 8 half steps below its standard E4. On a normal set (.010) it keeps only about 40 % of its usual tension and flaps. For the usual feel use about a .016 string, or a baritone guitar.
Both guitars in E G♯ E G♯ E G♯, the Expressway tuning (videos and set lists).
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8. Hot Wire My Heart
Different tuning
E Standard +20 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's F♯2 F♯2 F♯3 F♯3 E3 B3: String 6 down a whole step (F♯ → E), String 5 up 3 half steps (F♯ → A), String 4 down 4 half steps (F♯ → D), String 3 up a half step (F♯ → G), String 2 up 7 half steps (E → B), String 1 up 5 half steps (B → E).
The record reads about 20 ¢ sharp; the semitone check even leans a half step higher, so check your low string against the record by ear.
A cover of the San Francisco band Crime, played in standard tuning (bootlegs).
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9. Kotton Krown
Different tuning
G2 G2 D3 D3 D♯3 D♯3 +6 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from E Standard: String 6 up 3 half steps (E → G), String 5 down a whole step (A → G), String 3 down 5 half steps (G → D), String 2 down 8 half steps (B → E♭), String 1 down 13 half steps (E → 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 printed it in 1989, 1991 and 1992.
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10. White Kross
Different tuning
F♯2 F♯2 G3 G3 A3 A3 +6 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's F♯2 F♯2 F♯3 F♯3 E3 B3: String 4 up a half step (F♯ → G), String 3 up a half step (F♯ → G), String 2 up 5 half steps (E → A), String 1 down a whole step (B → 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, the Tom Violence tuning (videos and set lists).
On its own, this song measures sharper: CD +17.2 ¢ (medium confidence). Tune uses the album's +6 ¢.
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 Sister in?
Sonic Youth recorded Sister (1987) in F♯2 F♯2 F♯3 F♯3 E3 B3, about 6 cents sharp (A ≈ 442), measured by TuneLit on the CD. 7 songs use other tunings or pitches, listed song by song on this page.
Why does Sister sound out of tune with my guitar?
Hot Wire My Heart sits about 20 cents sharp (A ≈ 445), so a guitar tuned to A 440 clashes with it. The Tune buttons on this page set the tuner's reference to match the record, so you only tune the strings.