Muse - Stockholm Syndrome - Verse - Guitar Lesson

Absolution

2003 4:56

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About Stockholm Syndrome - Verse

The verse of "Stockholm Syndrome" drops you straight into one of the more physically demanding riffs in Muse's catalog. Matt Bellamy builds the verse around a driving, palm-muted low-D power chord pattern that takes full advantage of Drop D tuning, letting you hammer the open sixth string and slide into chord shapes with one finger across the bottom two strings. At 120 BPM in G minor, the groove is relentless but not blindingly fast, so the challenge is less about speed and more about keeping your picking tight and your muting consistent across every repetition. The riff also calls for precise left-hand control, since sloppy fretting will smear the rhythmic edge that gives the part its tension. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop just the verse riff slowed down until the picking-hand muting feels automatic, then gradually bring the tempo back up. This kind of alternative rock riff rewards patience: nail the feel at a lower speed before worrying about playing it full-throttle.

• Drop D tuning is essential here: it lets you barre the bottom two strings for power chords with a single finger, freeing up the rest of your hand.
• Consistent palm muting on the low D string is the key technique in the verse, and any inconsistency will undermine the riff's driving, percussive feel.
• At 120 BPM the riff sits at a moderate pace, making it a good candidate for looping slowed down to lock in right-hand accuracy before playing up to speed.