Green Day - Longview - Guitar Lesson

Dookie

1994 3:53

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About Longview

Few bass lines in 1990s rock are as recognisable as the one that opens "Longview," but the guitar part on this Green Day track has its own demands worth taking seriously. The rhythm guitar locks into a driving, palm-muted punk chug that powers the verses, and keeping that muting tight and consistent at the song's pace is harder than it sounds when you first run through it. The chorus opens up into full open chords, so you need a clean shift between the muted verse feel and the more aggressive strumming that hits on the changes. Because the song sits in E major, the chord shapes are beginner-friendly, but the real work is in the right hand: the pick attack, the muting, and the rhythmic precision are what separate a flat run-through from something that actually grooves. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the verse-to-chorus transition slowed down until the shift in picking feel becomes automatic.

• The verse rhythm guitar relies heavily on palm muting, so right-hand technique and consistent pick pressure are the main things to drill.
• Sitting in E major, the chord shapes are approachable for intermediate players, but the punk strumming rhythm demands tight timing throughout.
• Looping the chorus entry slowed down with the Practice Toolbar will help you nail the shift from muted chugging to open, full-strum chords.