This song is powerchord heaven for beginners. Although it is in Eb tuning, it is well worth tuning down and practicing (each string tuned down by 1 fret). If you need help tuning your guitar down to Eb, you can use the tuner in the Help section.
Tune down to Low Eb - Ab - Db - Gb - Bb - Eb
Besides being a good song to know, this tune will help you get better at switching between the E, A and D powerchord shapes.
The D powerchord shape can be particularly tricky at first - especially at speed. The little finger can take a while to get used to playing it. The intro of this song is the hardest part because it involves using the D powerchord shape and some good string control with fast strums.
Remember that powerchord shapes (particularly the E, A and D shapes) offer speed because you can quickly move through chord progressions without having to change your finger shapes much - Just the positions you put them!
If you are confused, make sure to work through the Core Skills sections on Strumming and Palm Muting - especially the video and lessons on using barre chords / powerchords.
Notice that we play the intro powerchords using the thumb / other fingers to mute unwanted strings. This is because you will need to strum quite fast, and also strike muted chords. Playing like this gives you greater string control and helps you strum freely without accidently hitting unwanted notes.
Part of the reason the intro is tricky is because you need to strum quite briskly and switch between the A and D powerchord shapes as follows:
A powerchord shapes: F - Eb
D powerchord shapes: Ab - Bb - C (repeat)
Notice that you need to strike some muted chords as well - this gives a nice rhythmic effect and is easy to do. These muted strikes are usually done as the fretboard fingers switch to the next chord shape. You can learn more about this technique in the Core Skills section on Muting.
After the clean guitar intro, apply as much distortion as possible. If you have a footswitch to your amp / effects pedal, it's time to pump it!
Powerslide into the next powerchord progression at the low end of the fretboard. This time we use the E and A powerchord shapes. These are easier for most people to play than the D powerchord shape. If you can play the intro well, this part will be easier to do.
E powerchord shapes: F - Eb
A powerchord shapes: Ab - Bb - C (repeat)
This is the same chord sequence as the intro, just played lower. Notice that there is no muting during this part - however - if you wish to use your thumb / other fingers to mute unwanted strings for this part it is entirely up to you.
The chords just before the solo are straightforward:
E powerchord shapes: F
A powerchord shapes: Ab - Db
The solo is very short and sweet. It uses notes from the F natural minor scale and involves a little bit of trickery (pull offs, vibrato etc). The rest of the song simply repeats the earlier section (already shown in the ActionTab).
If you have difficulty, remember to break the song down into manageable chunks. For example, start with just the intro and practice it slowly. Concentrate on getting the timing right and no awkward gaps between chord changes. Only once you can do that, work on building up the speed, then move on to practicing the next song segment. If the intro is too tricky, then start learning the next part of the song instead. Once you can do that, you'll find the intro will be easier next time round!
NB, Sometimes powerchords are just represented by putting a 5 at the end of the chord name. So, instead of writing 'G powerchord' you will see it written just as 'G5'. Now if you see it, you'll know what it means!
