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Soundgarden - Fell on Black Days - Guitar Lesson

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Key E minor
Soundgarden - Fell on Black Days guitar lesson video
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Classic Rock

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Bass6
Mid7
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Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
Superunknown (Deluxe Edition) album cover
Superunknown (Deluxe Edition)
1994 4:43
Listen on Spotify
Soundgarden Grunge 1994 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Fell on Black Days

"Fell on Black Days" is one of the more deceptively straightforward tracks on Superunknown, but getting it to feel right takes real attention. Soundgarden built the song around a descending, slightly brooding guitar figure that sits comfortably in E minor, and the challenge is less about speed than about tone and weight. The picking hand needs to stay controlled and deliberate, letting notes ring without getting muddy. Chris Cornell's rhythm guitar work here rewards players who focus on dynamics, pulling back where the arrangement breathes and leaning in where it thickens. The song also has some subtle chord voicings that differ from a straight open-position E minor approach, so pay attention to the exact shapes rather than defaulting to familiar patterns. If the descending figure or any transitional passage is giving you trouble, use the Practice Toolbar to loop it slowed down until the fingering becomes automatic before bringing it back up to tempo.

  • The song centers on a descending guitar figure in E minor that demands clean fretting and controlled picking rather than technical speed.
  • Paying close attention to chord voicings, rather than defaulting to open-position shapes, is key to nailing the authentic feel of the part.
  • Using the Practice Toolbar to slow down the transitional passages helps lock in the fingering before committing to full tempo.

How to Play Fell on Black Days

Key: E minor · Tempo: 88 BPM

Loop each section and focus on clean, even timing rather than speed, with the metronome at 88 BPM.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Thayil used Les Pauls in the studio when he needed maximum tonal weight and sustain for heavy passages. The PAF humbuckers and thick mahogany body delivered that warm-but-articulate character essential to Soundgarden's crushing riffs.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Similar to the Standard, the Custom provided Thayil with extra body mass and tonal density for studio work on tracks requiring pronounced low-end grind. Its PAF pickups maintained the midrange definition Soundgarden needed even at maximum saturation.

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier
Amp

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

The Dual Rectifier's cascading gain stages and tight low-end response became the sonic foundation of Soundgarden's heaviness, delivering that saturated tube crunch while preserving the midrange presence that made each riff cut through the mix.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Thayil's signature tool for creating vocal-like feedback textures and howling overtones during sustained passages, transforming the wah beyond typical solo use into a tone-shaping device that defined Soundgarden's psychedelic heaviness.

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
Pedal

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay

Used sparingly for ambient passages and spacious studio textures, the DD-3 added dimension to Soundgarden's soundscapes without cluttering the aggressive rhythm tone Thayil built from cranked tubes and direct playing.

MXR Phase 90
Pedal

MXR Phase 90

The Phase 90 provided swirling, psychedelic textures that complemented Soundgarden's darker aesthetic, adding subtle motion to sustained passages while keeping the tone grounded in the raw, tube-driven heaviness of the core setup.

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