This simple motorhead tune is another great song for beginners to learn. It's a brilliant song for learning timing and controlling those powerchords with some muting. Sepultura also did a cover version of it, however they tune differently. The original song (here) is in Eb tuning - each note is one note lower than Standard E tuning. Use the ActionTab tuner to help you retune!
The main riff of this song revolves around the Eb powerchord held at the 7th fret. Notice that the low Eb string is thumb-muted. Remember to remove the thumb to get that nice Low open E string into play when it's needed! The other strings are also tightly controlled using muting as shown in the ActionTab. Watch as well how the chords are strummed. Following that strumming pattern precisely is the key to getting that nice, pounding rhythm. The magic is all in the direction of the pick strokes!
The main riff repeatedly follows this pattern:
Eb5 - (rest) - Eb5 - Eb5 - Low open Eb note - (rest)
Eb5 - (rest) - Eb5 - Eb5 - Eb5 - Low open Eb note (rest)*
- Repeat these 2 lines lots!!
*Eb5 is a shorthand way of saying Eb powerchord. The (rest) just means a short pause in the rhythm. Notice that during the first (rest) on each of the above lines that all the strings are muted. To do this, simply strike the Eb powerchord and shortly afterwards release the pressure from your fingers so that they still touch the strings, but they are not fretting any notes. This will kill the strings and mute them. A soon as you have done this apply the pressure again on the notes to sound the next Eb powerchord. Lastly, as the Low open Eb string is played, remember to mute out all the other strings.
The trickiest part of the song is the double hammers and vibrato (occurs where Lemmy sings 'your bones will build my palaces, your eyes will stud my crown'). Notice how the 3rd and 4th fingers are both used rather than just fretting the 3rd finger across both strings at the 6th fret. This is purely in order to get a better vibrato.
Now after that you could just move your whole hand up to play exactly the same strings (except at fret 9 with your index finger, fret 11 with your 3rd and 4th fingers). That may suit some people more, rather than playing it as shown - which is by switching across to the next 2 strings and having a slightly more awkward time with the 3rd and 4th fingers being on the 6th and 7th frets, and your 1st and 2nd fingers being on the 4th and 5th frets. Its up to you which way you'd prefer to play that part - its just that way in the ActionTab for accuracy's sake.
With those vibratos - don't go overboard, just a light amount will do!
The rest of the song is very similar to what you already know. Just one other thing worth pointing out is that you will need to lower the whammy bar for the Low Eb (you can't miss it) in the little sequence of notes just before the end.
Once you can play this ActionTab through you will know the entire song, because the entire tune just repeats again from start to finish (albeit with a lot of fast strikes at the last chord next time round to end the song).
