[Dr Chocolate]

i've been playing guitar for almost 25 years now. and i dont think i've ever seen a single song of Sonic Youth in any guitar magazine. now why is this?

the closest i've seen is an interview with Thurston interviewing Dan Fleming (i think)
but no sheet music/guitar tab

so as it gets tougher and tougher out there for a band to make any money, i would like to propose this question to the band (if they even stop in around here)


would the band consider selling a total B&W D.I.Y. zine like with guitar tabs, or scales, or however it is that you guys write it out?

and then, just to sweeting the pot. there should be a spiral binder coffee table sized, so it can sit on the floor and i can play along with style as well.
okay, maybe not, but i'm sure a nice hardcover idea would also sell

i've always thought it was stupid that Sonic Youth dont seem to get any recognition in most of those guitar magazines. and considering that Guitar World puts out "special issues" a few times a year. they should just bring out an entire magazine on Sonic Youth.

i'd love to have one
but whatever you know.
the hand written by the band idea would be kinda cool wouldn't it?

[Jeremy]

Because they're in wildly different tunings that the transcriber probably doesn't want to go "out of their element" and figure it out? Because their might not be as big as a market as what you might think, or at least enough to register the space in the magazine?

The tabs on this site and elsewhere are either great or give you a decent idea on what to play around with.

Additionally, Thurston said the band doesn't write any music down, they just try to remember it. This actually posed a couple problems during the DDN tour as Thurston couldn't remember some of the parts he had.

[Dr Chocolate]

if i ever learn to play piano then Wish Fullfillment will be on my list
i cant play piano worth crap, but i sat down and played it once
sounds awesome!

yeah. it's true. how much of a market can there be for it?
i would imagine it would be quite a bit.
theres bound to be at least 1 or 2 songs that EVERYBODY must know, or of.

actually a great idea would be that the whole entire magazine was done up with quotes from other guitar players.

if it's packaged right. it'd sell.
besides. those magazines are usually only $10
it'd sell.

i'm just fucking dreaming. that's all that it really is. i'm sure we all know there wont be a hope in hell of it ever happening.

same as, you know how Frank Zappa went all huge orchestra to play his music before he died. how's about that same idea happen about Sonic Youth. yeah, there's no market right? it'd be neat to see an orchestra just go balls out on Sonic Youth that it's just beyond insane sounding.



somewhere there should be a
KEEP DREAMING KID
reference in there

[Chris Lawrence]

i have tons of guitar magazines from '86 onwards with SY in them, usually good in-depth interviews. but you're right, VERY rarely tabs...in fact, i think i've only seen them in one goo-era magazine, and it was more of an exercise in how to use alternate tunings, so a riff here and there, not full tabs. i'll see if i can find it.

i still don't understand how the band notates their chord charts (e.g. sensational fix cover etc)..

[Lee is Free]

There was an in depth piece in Guitar Player ages ago (early 90s?) that had a bunch of TABs, but I can't remember if they were done in our tunings or, crazy, in standard tuning... Joe Gore wrote the piece. He was later in PJ Harvey's band for awhile....

[Chris Lawrence]

that's the one i was thinking of, i dug up my copy...it's the august 1991 issue:

 

the first example is how to play the intro to "cross the breeze" in the proper tuning, and then in standard tuning. all of the other examples are in the proper tunings ("cotton crown" main riff, "dirty boots" intro/verse, several parts of "schizo", and both gtr parts for "expressway").

[skipvacuum]

Originally Posted by Lee is Free

There was an in depth piece in Guitar Player ages ago (early 90s?) that had a bunch of TABs, but I can't remember if they were done in our tunings or, crazy, in standard tuning... Joe Gore wrote the piece. He was later in PJ Harvey's band for awhile....

i have that somewhere,it actually had bits in sonic tunings,and standard tuning. i was always under the impression...it was done to show how hard it would be to play em in standard tuning...i know "cross the breeze" was one tab'd

[Dr Chocolate]

yeah, i've never seen that Guitar Player magazine

this is the only one i've ever seen

that'd be Don & Thurston in the middle there

 

[Magic Wheel Memory]

[quote=Chris Lawrence]that's the one i was thinking of, i dug up my copy...it's the august 1991 issue:
quote]

I still have this issue. I believe it used the phrase "reckless abandon" to describe SY, Primus and Fishbone. I also recall being shocked to read that Thurston was 33 years old, since he looked every bit of 18 or 20 on the cover.