Difficulty: Intermediate

Where to Find This Song – The Colour And The Shape track # 11

Release Date – May 20, 1997

The Band –
Dave Grohl – vocals, lead guitar
Nate Mendel – bass
Taylor Hawkins – drums
Craig Shefflet – guitar, vocals

The Main Riff

This song is in drop D tuning.

You should use all downstrokes when strumming this riff. Let each note ring (don’t palm mute it!).

It’s pretty fast at 152 beats per minute. The uneven alternating between mid to low strings in the strumming pattern is really tricky. In other words, it’s easy to play it wrong if you’re not careful!

Fretting Hand

Picking Hand

The song itself isn’t too difficult, but the timing is. One thing to notice when playing this riff is that the entire song is based around power chords. You will never really change the positions of your fingers. Since the song is in dropped d tuning, Dave is able to get a very heavy sound using power chords. With all the riffs, keep in mind that you will be leading with your 1st finger, almost like a dance. Allow your 3rd and 4th fingers to follow, keeping them on the higher strings. Notice also that at the end of the riff, you will be going back to the second set of power chords that you played in the beginning. You will only be playing 3 chords. At the beginning of the measure, you will be playing the “A” string with your 1st finger on the ninth fret, with your 3rd and 4th fingers on the natural “D” string, and the “G” string on the eleventh frets. When you change to the next chord, all you have to do is move your 1st finger to the ninth fret on the dropped d string. Then of course you will move all of your fingers in the SAME position as they are now to the fifth and seventh frets.