We're talking about that aggressively strummed ’chunk’ or ‘crunch’ sound that characterizes nearly every rock tune ever recorded. If you’re utilizing proper left hand muting, you shouldn’t hear the low E string at all, as it will be deadened by the tip of the 3rd finger. Now practice strumming the low E and fretted ‘C’ notes together. Allow the fleshy part of the 3rd finger to fret the ‘C’, while the tip of the finger touches the bottom edge of the low E string. Try this: Grab a C major chord, and lay your 3rd finger a little flatter than usual on the fret. It is most often used in the context of strumming chords to eliminate unwanted open string notes within the chords. Left hand muting is a fairly easily explained, and quickly learned technique, but important nonetheless. Just like with hammer-ons, we are only picking the first note, the second note being sounded by the force generated by the pull-off. Pluck the first note, B, then pull-off to the second note, A. Give it a try: Place your 1st finger on the G string, 2nd fret and place your 3rd finger on the G string, 4th fret. Pull-Offs are simply hammer-ons in reverse we strike a fretted note and then, with another finger already in position behind the fretted note, we pull the finger that is currently fretting the note down and away from the fretboard, creating a sort of ‘pop’ that sounds the second (lower) note.
The second form of hammer-on is from a note that is already fretted the technique is the same, but in this case we can only use fingers 2, 3, or 4 of the fretting hand to complete the hammer-on. For example, the open G string hammered onto the 2nd fret produces the note ‘A’. The first is a hammer-on from an open string, whereby we sound the open string and then ‘hammer’ the string to the desired fret with one of the left hand fingers, raising the pitch. Practice sliding to target notes of varying intervals, and don’t forget to practice sliding with each of the fingers of the fretting hand. Simply choose a starting pitch, a target note, and connect them by way of a slide, using the tip of the finger to maintain contact with the string as the finger slides over the frets. Next up on our list are slides, which are perhaps the most self-explanatory technique of all. When you’re able to accurately and consistently match the pitch of any note from a half step below, apply the same technique to whole step bends (begin 2 frets below the original fretted pitch). Next, fret the B string at the 9th fret, and bend the string upward until the pitch matches the ‘A’ note from the 5th fret, high E string. For example, play the high E string at the fifth fret to produce the note ‘A’. To practice this technique, begin by playing 1/2 step bends, making sure that your bent note matches the true pitch of the fretted note.
This is done most effectively by placing the 3rd, or in some cases, 4th finger on the string to be bent, and bending it up to the desired pitch by pressing upward with the remaining fretting hand fingers behind the fretting finger to provide leverage for the upward bend. The next must-know technique is string bending. In this form of the power chord, the 4th finger is tucked under the 3rd finger on the same fret to double the root, thereby producing a fuller sound. For example, an “A” power chord: E string, 5th fret, A string, 7th fret, D string, 7th fret.
This happens on the 6th and 4th strings (low E and D). It’s important to note that power chords are only played on the lowest three strings.Īnother possibility is to double the root note. What then, is a power chord? The most basic form is composed of only two notes: the root and the fifth, spaced two frets apart, and typically played with the 1st finger on the lowest note (the low E or A string) and the 3rd or 4th finger on the highest note (the A or D string, as the case may be). From Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix to Paul Gilbert and Eddie Van Halen, the most famous rock guitarists in history have all used power chords extensively in their playing. There is probably no single technique more synonymous with rock guitar than power chords. Anyone can sloppily drag the pick across the strings, but what we’re going for here is accuracy and also power, so that we can call upon it whenever the situation demands it, automatically and without thinking.
#Rock guitar for dummies how to#
Read on to learn more!Īs rock guitarists, one of the first and most important things we must learn is how to properly strum the guitar. Want to learn rock guitar? Then you’ve come to the right place! In this blog we’re going to cover 10 absolutely essential techniques to ratchet your rock guitar playing up to the next level.
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