Stray Cats - Rock This Town - Guitar Lesson

About Rock This Town

At 180 BPM in A major, "Rock This Town" is a serious test of right-hand stamina. The driving rockabilly rhythm demands tight, percussive downstrokes with a palm mute that lifts just enough to let the notes bark, and getting that balance consistent at full tempo takes real work. Brian Setzer's lead breaks sit in classic A pentatonic territory but are executed with a slapped, twangy attack that is harder to replicate than the notes themselves. The chord changes are not complicated, but keeping them clean and locked in at this pace is where most players struggle. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the transitions slowed down until your fretting hand stops stumbling, then gradually bring the tempo back up. Stray Cats were one of the bands that brought Punk Rock energy back into a roots-guitar context, and that urgency is exactly what this song demands from your picking hand.

• The song sits at 180 BPM in E Standard tuning, so right-hand endurance and consistent palm muting are the primary physical challenges.
• The lead breaks rely on A pentatonic phrasing delivered with a sharp, slapped picking attack characteristic of rockabilly-style technique.
• Keeping chord changes clean and percussive at full tempo is the core practice goal, making slow looped repetition essential before speeding up.