TUNELIT

Sonic Youth · 2009 · Studio album

The Eternal tuning.

D2 D2 A2 F♯3 A3 D4 at concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD. 4 of 12 songs are tuned differently.

The Eternal album cover

Album tuning

D2 D2 A2 F♯3 A3 D4

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

MeasuredWidely reported

Tune like thisPlay alongAll 12 songs

String 5 sits 7 half steps below its standard A2. On a normal set (.036) it keeps only about 45 % of its usual tension and feels loose. For the usual feel use about a .054 string, or a baritone guitar.

Measured by TuneLit

At concert pitch

SourceOffsetEquivalent ASongsSpreadConfidence
CD, Sonik Tooth / Hostess Japan (2009)+1.6 ¢A 440.412+0.5 to +2.4 ¢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 D2 A2 F♯3 A3 D4, with no pitch given (widely reported).

The last album, on Matador, with Mark Ibold on bass and Kim Gordon on guitar. Thurston Moore's D D A F♯ A D runs through eight songs, against Lee Ranaldo's D D D D A A from the Sister days; three songs return to C G D G C D. TuneLit measured the Japanese CD at concert pitch (+2 ¢), every song within a few cents: the steadiest record in the catalogue. The bonus tracks Pay No Mind and No Garage are left out.

12 songs · 4 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. Sacred Trickster

    D2 D2 A2 F♯3 A3 D4Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Thurston in D D A F♯ A D, Lee in D D D D A A; both in the Songsterr tab. Kim sings.

  2. 2. Anti-Orgasm

    D2 D2 A2 F♯3 A3 D4Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Thurston and Kim in D D A F♯ A D (Kim scrapes hers with a metal file); Lee in C G D C G D.

  3. 3. Leaky Lifeboat (For Gregory Corso)

    D2 D2 A2 F♯3 A3 D4Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Thurston in D D A F♯ A D, Lee in D D D D A A, Kim in D A D A B D.

  4. 4. Antenna

    D2 D2 A2 F♯3 A3 D4Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Thurston in D D A F♯ A D, Lee in D D D D A A, Kim in D A D A B D.

  5. 5. What We Know

    Different tuning

    C2 G2 D3 C3 G3 D4Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    How to get there from the album's D2 D2 A2 F♯3 A3 D4: String 6 down a whole step (D → C), String 5 up 5 half steps (D → G), String 4 up 5 half steps (A → D), String 3 down 6 half steps (F♯ → C), String 2 down a whole step (A → G); the other strings stay.

    String 3 sits 7 half steps below its standard G3. On a normal set (.017) it keeps only about 45 % of its usual tension and feels loose. For the usual feel use about a .025 string, or a baritone guitar.

    Lee Ranaldo's song and guitar: C G D C G D (the band's techs). Thurston plays C G D G C D, Kim C G D A C D. The Songsterr tab puts all three in C G D G C D.

  6. 6. Calming the Snake

    D2 D2 A2 F♯3 A3 D4Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Thurston and Kim in D D A F♯ A D (Kim with a metal file), Lee in D D D D A A.

  7. 7. Poison Arrow

    D2 D2 A2 F♯3 A3 D4Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Thurston and Kim in D D A F♯ A D, Lee in D D D D A A.

  8. 8. Malibu Gas Station

    Different tuning

    C2 G2 D3 G3 C4 D4Measured

    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's guitar: C G D G C D. The list gives Lee both G G D G G A and C G D C G D (the Songsterr tab has C G D C G D); Kim plays an unusual C D G A D G.

  9. 9. Thunderclap for Bobby Pyn

    Different tuning

    C2 G2 D3 G3 C4 D4Measured

    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, Kim in C G D A C D.

  10. 10. No Way

    D2 D2 A2 F♯3 A3 D4Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Thurston and Kim in D D A F♯ A D, Lee in D D D D A A.

  11. 11. Walkin Blue

    Different tuning

    D2 D2 D3 D3 A3 A3Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    How to get there from the album's D2 D2 A2 F♯3 A3 D4: String 4 up 5 half steps (A → D), String 3 down 4 half steps (F♯ → D), String 1 down 5 half steps (D → A); the other strings stay.

    Lee Ranaldo's song and guitar: D D D D A A, the Schizophrenia tuning. Thurston and Kim play D D A F♯ A D.

  12. 12. Massage the History

    D2 D2 A2 F♯3 A3 D4Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    Thurston on acoustic guitar in D D A F♯ A D, Lee on slide in D D D D A A, Kim in D A D A B D. Mark Ibold plays bass on the whole album.

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 The Eternal in?

Sonic Youth recorded The Eternal (2009) in D2 D2 A2 F♯3 A3 D4 at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit on the CD. What We Know uses C2 G2 D3 C3 G3 D4; Malibu Gas Station and Thunderclap for Bobby Pyn use C2 G2 D3 G3 C4 D4; Walkin Blue uses D2 D2 D3 D3 A3 A3.