Sonic Youth Guitar Tunings
Sonic Youth has used standard and alternate guitar tunings across their recorded discography. Below you will find 18 songs with exact string notes and tuning configurations.
Sonic Youth Songs & Guitar Tunings
| Song Title | Tuning required | Genre / Style | Tune Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teen Age Riot | G - A - B - D - E - GTeen Age Riot Noise | Rock / Classic | Tune |
| Dirty Boots | EGDGBECustom Tuning (EGDGBE) | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| Drunken Butterfly | F#F#GGAACustom Tuning (F#F#GGAA) | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| Ghost Bitch | GGCCA#A#Custom Tuning (GGCCA#A#) | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| I Love Her All The Time | GGCCA#A#Custom Tuning (GGCCA#A#) | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| Incinerate | D#D#A#D#GGCustom Tuning (D#D#A#D#GG) | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| Junkies Promise | DADABBCustom Tuning (DADABB) | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| Karen Revisited | CGDGCDCustom Tuning (CGDGCD) | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| Kool Thing | F#F#F#F#EBCustom Tuning (F#F#F#F#EB) | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| Schizophrenia | F#F#GGAACustom Tuning (F#F#GGAA) | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| Silver Rocket | ACCGG#CCustom Tuning (ACCGG#C) | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| Stones | CGDGCDCustom Tuning (CGDGCD) | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| Sugar Kane | EGDGBECustom Tuning (EGDGBE) | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| Teenage Riot | G - A - B - D - E - GTeen Age Riot Noise | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| Thunderclap For Bobby Pyn | CGDACDCustom Tuning (CGDACD) | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| Tom Violence | F#F#GGAACustom Tuning (F#F#GGAA) | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| Tunic Song for Karen | GGDDGGCustom Tuning (GGDDGG) | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| What We Know | CGDACDCustom Tuning (CGDACD) | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
Sonic Youth's Most Used Tunings
Custom Tuning (EGDGBE)
Teen Age Riot Noise
String Pitch Guide: Custom Tuning (EGDGBE)
Primary tuning reference used for 16 songs in Sonic Youth's catalog.
Sonic Youth Guitar Tuning Overview
Sonic Youth utilizes a dynamic selection of guitar tunings to achieve distinct voice leading, open resonance, and chord voicings across their music. While standard tuning forms the foundation for many tracks, alternate tunings—such as drop tunings and open tunings—play a pivotal role in shaping their signature guitar sound.
Using our interactive tuner above, you can inspect each string note required for Sonic Youth songs, tune your guitar using microphone pitch detection, and explore chord voicings for each song.