Modest Mouse - Float On - Guitar Lesson

Float On - Single

2004 3:30

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About Float On

"Float On" by Modest Mouse is one of the more deceptively simple tracks in Alternative Rock. The song sits in F major at a steady 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, and the main guitar figure is a clean, arpeggiated chord pattern that feels easy at first glance but demands precise right-hand control to keep the notes ringing evenly at tempo. The challenge is not raw speed but consistency: every note in the picking pattern needs the same attack and sustain, so any unevenness in your picking hand becomes obvious immediately. Getting the chord voicings to ring cleanly without muting adjacent strings is the real work here, especially through the transitions. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the main riff slowed down and focus on one chord change at a time before bringing it back up to 120 BPM. Once the picking pattern is locked in, layering in the strummed sections of the song feels very natural.

• The main guitar part uses a clean arpeggiated picking pattern in F major, requiring even right-hand control across every note.
• At 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, the tempo is comfortable but leaves nowhere to hide sloppy chord transitions.
• Practising the arpeggio figure slowly before building back to tempo is the most effective way to clean up the picking consistency.