Molly Hatchet - Flirtin' with Disaster - Guitar Lesson

Flirtin' With Disaster

1979 4:59

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About Flirtin' with Disaster

Few Southern rock tracks demand as much from a rhythm guitarist as this one. Molly Hatchet built "Flirtin' with Disaster" around a driving, palm-muted riff in E minor that locks in at 120 BPM and never lets up. The challenge is not the notes themselves but the stamina and consistency: keeping that muted chug tight and even across the whole track takes more control than beginners expect. The song also features twin-guitar interplay, so pay close attention to how the two parts weave around each other rather than doubling up identically. E Standard tuning means nothing exotic on the setup side, but the low open E string gets a real workout throughout. If the main riff is slipping at full speed, use the Practice Toolbar to loop it slowed down until your picking hand is locked in. Hard Rock rhythm playing is exactly what this song is built on, and nailing it here will sharpen your right-hand discipline considerably.

• The signature riff relies heavily on palm muting on the low E string, so right-hand muting control is the core technique to develop.
• At 120 BPM in E minor, the track sits at a moderate tempo that still demands consistent picking stamina through repeated riff cycles.
• The song features a twin-guitar arrangement, meaning learning both parts separately will give you a fuller picture of how the riff-work is constructed.