Sonic Youth · Washing Machine · song 11
The Diamond Sea tuning.
The Diamond Sea (Sonic Youth, 1995) is in E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4, about 11 cents flat (A ≈ 437), measured by TuneLit from the record.
Song tuning
E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4 −11 ¢
About 11 cents flat (A ≈ 437).
Measured by TuneLit
11 ¢ flat
Measured on this song itself: Tune moves every string −11 ¢.
Sonic Youth · Washing Machine · 1995
About The Diamond Sea
The nearly 20-minute closer of Washing Machine (1995): a Thurston Moore song, then a long improvisation over the open strings. Thurston plays E G D G E D and Lee Ranaldo E E B B E F♯, the pairing from Goo and Dirty, according to set lists and videos; the Songsterr tab of the radio edit has both.
This song has its own setting: TuneLit measured it about 11 ¢ flat (A ≈ 437.2), while the rest of the album sits at concert pitch. Tune takes the 11 ¢ off, so your open strings match the long drone at the end instead of beating against it.
Because so much of the song is open strings ringing for minutes, small tuning errors are easy to hear here. Tune each string with the tuner rather than by ear, and check the unisons in Lee's tuning (two Es at the bottom, two Bs above them) until they stop beating. For Thurston's part, only three strings change from standard: the A down to G, the B down to E and the top E down to D.
Tip: Use the long instrumental ending to check your tuning: if your open E sounds sour against it, set the 11 ¢ flat setting or let Play along move the record.
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 −11 ¢, the notes The Diamond Sea 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 .020 string, or a baritone guitar.
- Turn String 6 to String 1 until each shows ✓ in tune. The Diamond Sea sits 11 cents flat on the record: at A 440 your guitar would sound that much sharp against it, which Tune already corrects.
- Then play The Diamond Sea 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 The Diamond Sea 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 −11 ¢. Choose E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4 at A 440 and The Diamond Sea moves up 11 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 The Diamond Sea in?
E2 G2 D3 G3 E3 D4 −11 ¢: E G D G E D, low to high, at the pitch TuneLit measured on the record.