How to play Van Halen — The Trouble With Never riff

TopicsAll ForumsVan HalenA Different Kind Of TruthHow to play Van Halen — The Trouble With Never riff

This topic has 7 voices, contains 6 replies, and was last updated by  vhrob 4336 days ago.

May 5, 2012 at 11:20 am Quote #12623

ron
(11464)

How to play Van Halen — The Trouble With Never riff
Video guitar lesson from their latest album A Different Kind Of Truth
Total Guitar (Jamie Hunt), Sat 5 May 2012, 9:00 am BST

[Load page to watch video]

Eddie tunes his guitar down a semitone (Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb) on this track from Van Halen’s 2012 album A Different Kind Of Truth, which sees the long-awaited return of singer David Lee Roth to the band.

This tuning adds weight to the riff when combined with the wah-wah pedal. The track begins with a syncopated Eb octave riff before Eddie wades in with this heavy, groove-laden riff.

While playing the riff, you should focus on keeping the groove and feel during the melodic fills at the end of each phrase. It’s easy to play these fills straight, but Eddie manages to get personality and expression into every note. This is often due to the speed of his bends and the timing of his vibrato.

Eddie also presses his toe down on the wah pedal to add emphasis to the notes that he wants to jump out of the mix.

Get the sound

Use a guitar with a bridge position humbucker for the fat distorted tone of the single-note riffs. Use a pick that doesn’t bend when you attack the strings, from gauge 0.7mm upwards, for example.

Add shape to each phrase by pressing your toe down on the wah-wah pedal at the start of each line, slowly returning the pedal to the heel position in the middle of each phrase, and then using the toe down position on more expressive notes.


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May 5, 2012 at 12:45 pm Quote #12630

VAiN
(2777)

Seems easy enough, but the play-by-play direction sort of messes me up… I have the tab book on order, can’t wait to start knocking through these!


Resident dickhead. I will hurt your delicate feelings.


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May 5, 2012 at 5:46 pm Quote #12673

eruption1962
(1366)

I’ve been having A LOT of fun cranking out HBSD, She’s The Woman and Beats Workin’…I love the riffs on Beats Workin’


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May 5, 2012 at 8:43 pm Quote #12691

mrmojohalen
(6377)

CHINATOWN:


When you turn on your stereo, does it return the favor?


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May 5, 2012 at 10:47 pm Quote #12699

Mink
(2663)

That guy has it down! I like that song so much better without vocals :mrgreen:



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May 6, 2012 at 2:54 pm Quote #12757

dokkendude
(3023)

Mink: That guy has it down!

no doubt! he’s killin it!


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May 14, 2012 at 2:43 pm Quote #13209

vhrob
(1727)

awesome job on China town bro…. very nice.

yeah ever since the tab book arrived I have been hitting that album pretty hard. I certainly dont have all the solos down yet but I figured out that little boogie riff to As Is the other day. Damn that one rocks. TWN has a nice solo breakdown too.

Rob


vhtrading member since 2000


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