SONIC YOUTH - "Washing Machine" Tablature

Sonic Youth - Washing Machine

this song doesn't really have a verse/chorus structure, so, i'm just gonna break song down
to it's basic riffs

riff#1 (if you want i'll be the one....)

D------------------------------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------
G---11---11---11---11---10---10---10---10---10---------------------
G---11---11---11---11---10---10---10---10---10---------------------
C-------------------------------------------------11------11--11---

riff#2 (yeah, i take my babe down the street...)

D-----------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------
C-----4---4---4---4-----6---6---6---6-----

riff#3 (all right now...)

D--------------------
D--------------------
D--------------------
G---11-----12--------
G---11-----12--------
C----------------11--

for the break down, repeat riff#2
then kim fades out, but when she plays a riff like this:

D--------------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------------
G-0--0--0---5--5--5----0----0------5--5--5---
G-0--0--0---5--5--5----0----0------5--5--5---
C--------------------------------------------
for the noisy jam part, she mainly plays the open G's
and that's about it


-----

Washing Machine
tabbed by doubldwn11@aol.com

Thurston's tuning: GGDDEbEb


since this song really doesn't have a verse/chorus structure, i'll just give
each section of the song a different designation

intro/ section #1:
this is the only time you play section #1 like this...it's later changed
(look below)

Eb----11--11--11--11--10--10--10--10--4---4--4/13--13--13--13-----
Eb----11--11--11--11--10--10--10--10--4---4--4/13--13--13--13-----
D-----11--11--11--11--10--10--10--10--4---4--4/13--13--13--13-----
D-----11--11--11--11--10--10--10--10--4---4--4/13--13--13--13-----
G-----------------------------------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------------------
play that 4 times....
then, it's on to this...(kim starts singing here)
Section #2

Eb----------------------------------------------------------------
Eb----------------------------------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------------------------------
G----11--11--11--11---10--10--10--10---4--4--4--4---7--7--7--7----
G----11--11--11--11---10--10--10--10---4--4--4--4---7--7--7--7----
that's played three times, follow by this variation:

Eb-------------------------------------------------------------
Eb-------------------------------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------------
G---11--11--11--11---10--10--10--10---4--4--4--4/14--14--14----
G---11--11--11--11---10--10--10--10---4--4--4--4/14--14--14----

then it's on to section #3 (played twice):

Eb-----8--8---8-----14--14---14------8--8----16--16---16-----
Eb-----8--8---8-----14--14---14------8--8----16--16---16-----
D------8--8---8-----14--14---14------8--8----16--16---16-----
D------8--8---8-----14--14---14------8--8----16--16---16-----
G------------------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------------------

now, the whole first half of the song are these 3 parts repeating, one after
the other. But, these sections change after they've been played for the
first time...

Section #1 (change)

Eb---------------------------------------------------------------------
Eb---------------------------------------------------------------------
D----------------------------------------------------------------------
D----------------------------------------------------------------------
G-----8--8--8--8---10--10--10--10----8--8--8--8----11--11--11--11------
G-----8--8--8--8---10--10--10--10----8--8--8--8----11--11--11--11------
after that's played twice, you go on to the previous section #1 riff, played twice:
Eb---11--11--11--11---10--10--10--10----4--4--4/13--13--13--13------------------
Eb---11--11--11--11---10--10--10--10----4--4--4/13--13--13--13------------------
D----11--11--11--11---10--10--10--10----4--4--4/13--13--13--13------------------
D----11--11--11--11---10--10--10--10----4--4--4/13--13--13--13------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

the Section #2 change is actually a combination of the previous parts 1 and 2:
Section #2 (change):

Eb-----11--11--11--11---10--10--10--10---4--4--4/13--13--13--13----
Eb-----11--11--11--11---10--10--10--10---4--4--4/13--13--13--13----
D------11--11--11--11---10--10--10--10---4--4--4/13--13--13--13----
D------11--11--11--11---10--10--10--10---4--4--4/13--13--13--13----
G------------------------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------------------------
that's played twice, then it's on to this, also played twice....
Eb-------------------------------------------------------------------
Eb-------------------------------------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------------------
G-----11--11--11--11---10--10--10--10---4--4--4--4---7--7--7--7------
G-----11--11--11--11---10--10--10--10---4--4--4--4---7--7--7--7------

then it's on to section #3, which really doesn't change....


the first section changes a second time right before it goes to the breakdown (where
kim's guitar stands alone)...it goes like this (play it 4 times):

Eb-----------------------------------------------------------------
Eb-----------------------------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------
G----8--8--8--8---10--10--10--10----8--8--8--8---11--11--11--11----
G----8--8--8--8---10--10--10--10----8--8--8--8---11--11--11--11----


so, here's the structure of the first half of the song..

section #1 (normal)
section #2 (normal)
section #3 (normal)
section #1 (change)
section #2 (change)
section #3 (normal)
section #1 (change)
section #2 (change)
section #3 (normal)
section #1 (second change)...
then, it's on to the breakdown, where it's just kim's voice and guitar..
rising out of that (about 2:20), is T playing this little thing:

Eb----------
Eb----------
D-----17----
D-----17----
G-----(0)---
G-----(0)---

he plays that awhile, until 3:01, where he changes to this figure...

Eb---------------------------------------
Eb---16----------------16----------------
D---------14---14------------------------
D------------------------------12--------
G----------------------------------------
G----------------------------------------
he plays that, with an occasional change, until about 3:40, when he exits...
he comes back at 3:58 with this:

Eb-------------------------------------------------------
Eb------18(bend and hold--18--18---18release)----16------
D--------------------------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------
G--------------------------------------------------------
G--------------------------------------------------------
play that twice, then go to this part, which consists of pinch harmonic:
Eb--------------------------------------
Eb--------------------------------------
D---------------------------------------
D--12--12--12---15---12---15---15(b)----
G---------------------------------------
G---------------------------------------
that is played twice, and is follow by this figured:

Eb--------------------------------------------
Eb--------------------------------------------
D---------------------------------------------
D-----------15---12---------12---12----15-----
G------12-------------15----------------------
G---------------------------------------------
and that's played repeatedly until the song dissolves into pure noise...



Lee's tuning (first half): AF#EF#EB
(second half): GGCGCD

like thurston, lee plays different parts for each section of the song....

section #1 (normal):
B----0---0----14\----0---0----12\--------
E------------------------------------10--
F#-----------------------------------9---
E----------------------------------------
F#---------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------

section #2 (normal):
B-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
F#----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
F#----10----13------5----8-----5---8-----13--12----10---13---5---8---5--8---13/15---
A-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

section #3 (normal):
B------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------
F#-------5----5---7--5---3/5----7--5--5-------5---8---7---5-----8--7--5--5-----
E-----5-----------------------------------5------------------------------------
F#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------------------

section #1 (change):
B-------------------------------------------------------------------0--14\--0--12\--------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10--
F#----3/5---5---5--7--5--5---7--5--5-------5--8--7--5---8--7--5--5---------------------9--
E--------------------------------------5--------------------------------------------------
F#----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
feel free to add some variety from time to time during this part.....
unlike thurston's parts, lee's sections two and three remain the same througout the song..

so, lee's structure is...
section #1 (normal)
section #2
section #3
section #1 (change)
section #2
section #3
section #1 (change)
section #2
section #3
section #1 (change)


Lee's second half:
like thurston, lee takes out (to change guitars) during the break down.
when he returns, he just noodles around with this chord:

D-----5----
C-----5----
G-----7----
C-----7----
G----(0)---
G----(0)---

when kim comes back in, he switches to this:

D------------5---------5-----------5-----------------------
C-----5---------5-----------5----------5--------5----------
G---------7---------7------------7----------7-------7------
C----------------------------------------------------------
G----0-----------------------------------------------------
G----------------------------------------------------------
he plays that most of time when kim sings, with a bit of variation...
every now and again, he chimes in with this little riff:

D-------------------------------
C------9(br)---7--------7-------
G-------------------9-----------
C-------------------------------
G---------------------------0---
G-------------------------------
he'll play that, and then go back to the previous part....

once T starts his lead part, lee kind of sits back, and does very little.
he does play around with that chord shown previously, and plays some stuff with
delay high up on the neck. from there on out, it's just delay madness from lee...
that's it....peace