Van Halen - Hot For Teacher - Verse, PreChorus & Chorus - Guitar Lesson

About Hot For Teacher - Verse, PreChorus & Chorus

Few rock guitar parts announce themselves as boldly as the opening of "Hot for Teacher." Van Halen built the track around Eddie Van Halen's raw, percussive approach to E minor, and the verse riff is a perfect example of his rhythm playing: low-string power chords driven with aggressive pick attack and a loose, almost swaggering feel that is harder to nail than it looks. The pre-chorus tightens things up, demanding clean chord changes under pressure, while the chorus locks into a driving groove that rewards players who can stay relaxed and precise at the same time. Getting the right swagger into the verse riff is the main challenge here. The tendency is to rush, so try isolating just a two-bar loop of the verse in the Practice Toolbar, slowing it down until you can feel the pocket before bringing it back up to tempo. A solid right-hand muting technique is essential throughout all three sections to keep the low end tight and punchy.

• The verse riff relies heavily on low-string power chords with tight palm muting, so right-hand control is the core technique to develop.
• The song is in E minor, which keeps the riff centered around open low-E shapes and makes aggressive pick attack a key part of the feel.
• All three sections share a driving rhythmic feel, so looping them slowed down is the best way to lock in the pocket before playing at full speed.