Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun - Guitar Lesson

Superunknown (Deluxe Edition)

1994 5:19

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About Black Hole Sun

Few songs from the 1990s grunge era reward close study of chord voicings the way "Black Hole Sun" does. Soundgarden built the song around a sequence of unusual, open-voiced chords that sit in G major but constantly pull against it, giving the progression its unsettling, dreamlike quality. The shapes themselves are not technically brutal, but landing each one cleanly and making the transitions flow smoothly takes real attention. The challenge is letting each chord ring fully while keeping your fretting hand relaxed enough to move without clanking the strings. Pay particular attention to the verse progression, where the root movement drops in unexpected directions and your muscle memory from standard chord vocabulary will not help much. Pick out the trickiest two-chord transitions, loop them slowed down using the Practice Toolbar, and build speed only once each change feels automatic. The lead work over the chorus asks for a controlled, slightly heavy vibrato, so keep that in mind when you move past the rhythm parts.

• The song's distinctive sound comes largely from unconventional chord voicings in G major that move through unexpected root movements, making the progression harder to memorise than it looks.
• Kim Thayil's lead guitar tone on the original recording is heavily processed, so a touch of chorus or modulation will help you get closer to that swirling quality.
• Smooth transitions between the unusual open-voiced chords are the main technical hurdle, making slow isolated repetition of each change the most productive way to practise.