Beginners Guide To Playing Punk

Punk. Loved by many, hated by many. If you are one of the latter types, read with an open mind, you might learn something.

Punk and pop-punk get stereotyped as nothing but power chords played in a straight eighth note rhythm. While much of it is, there is much more to the music than that. But, since that is one of the basic tools of punk, we will start there.

1. Power chords.
Power chord is a misnomer, they are not technically chords (For my sake lets just not argue over this point for now). A power chord is composed of a note and its fifth. You can also include the octave or octave of the fifth, or even both if you so desire. Power chords are neither major nor minor, for those of you who care about that sort of thing.

._ _ _ _ _. ._ _ _ _ _.
|_|_|_|_|_|... |_|_|_|_|_|
1_|_|_|_|_|... |_1_|_|_|_|
|_|_|_|_|_|... |_|_|_|_|_|
|_3_|_|_|_|... |_|_3_|_|_|
|_|_|_|_|_|... |_|_|_|_|_|
This is the basic 2 finger way with 6th and 5th string roots.

._ _ _ _ _. ._ _ _ _ _.
|_|_|_|_|_|... |_|_|_|_|_|
1_|_|_|_|_|... |_1_|_|_|_|
|_|_|_|_|_|... |_|_|_|_|_|
|_3_4_|_|_|... |_|_3_4_|_|
|_|_|_|_|_|... |_|_|_|_|_|
This is the basic 3 finger way with 6th and 5th string roots.

._ _ _ _ _. ._ _ _ _ _.
|_|_|_|_|_|... |_|_|_|_|_|
1_|_|_|_|_|... |_1_|_|_|_|
|_|_|_|_|_|... |_|_|_|_|_|
|_3_3_|_|_|... |_|_3_3_|_|
|_|_|_|_|_|... |_|_|_|_|_|
This is the 2finger barre way with 6th and 5th string roots, but you can also barre with your pinky.

The lowest note on each of those is the root, and the next lowest is the fifth. On the 3 string versions the third note is the octave. Ok, so now you can play power chords right? Well, it is time to move on to the next aspect of punk: eighth note rhythms. So you are in four four time, and you want to play punk. Go with eighth notes. In standard notation they look like this:
. _... _... _... _
| | | | | | | |
/ / / / / / / /
Notice that there are eight notes in the four beats, hence a straight eighth note rhythm. Play this using all down strokes for the punk feel. With these too tools, you can play a bunch of songs right now! One problem though, you are going to fall into the stereotype if this is all you do. So we must build up your skills.

2. Barre chords.
These are much like power chords, but they use more strings. They also make use of the third or minor third to give the chord more tonality and depth. Major chords are composed of the root, third and fifth; minor chords are the root, flat third, and fifth. The flat third in the minor chord is also called a minor third.
Here are the basic major and minor barre shapes for 6th then 5th string roots:

Major:
. _ _ _ _ _... x_ _ _ _ _
|_|_|_|_|_|... |_|_|_|_|_|
1_|_|_|_1_1... |_1_|_|_|_1
|_|_|_2_|_|... |_|_|_|_|_|
|_3_4_|_|_|... |_|_3_3_3_|
|_|_|_|_|_|... |_|_|_|_|_|

Minor:
. _ _ _ _ _... x_ _ _ _ _
|_|_|_|_|_|... |_|_|_|_|_|
1_|_|_1_1_1... |_1_|_|_|_1
|_|_|_|_|_|... |_|_|_|_2_|
|_3_3_|_|_|... |_|_3_3_|_|
|_|_|_|_|_|... |_|_|_|_|_|

There are other barre chords that you can use, but these are the basics. Now for a classic punk riff that uses barre chords! Its time to play!

I Wanna Be Sedated: verse riff
e|------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B|--9---9---9---9---|-9---9---9-9-9-x-|-----------------|
G|. -9---9---9---9--|-9---9---9-9-9-x-|-----------------|
D|. -9---9---9---9--|-9---9---9-9-9-x-|-7---7-7-7-7-7-7-|
A|--7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-x-|-7---7-7-7-7-7-7-|
E|------------------|-----------------|-5---5-5-5-5-5-5-|

/--------1--------\ /-------2-------\
e|------------------|-----------------|
B|-9---9---9---9----|-----------------|
G|-9---9---9---9---.|-9---9-9-9-9-9-9-|
D|-9---9---9---9---.|-9---9-9-9-9-9-9-|
A|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7--|-7---7-7-7-7-7-7-|
E|------------------|-0---0-0-0-0-0-0-|
All single notes are palm muted.

Anyone want to argue now that all punks only use power chords? But its still barre chords you say. What’s your point? Want open chords now?

3. Open chords.
Ok, now some people think, "Punk? Open Chords? That never happens!" Guess what? Those people are wrong! I am not going to sit here an type out every open chord for you, that would be a waste of time. There are many resources you can use to find chords, so do it yourself (a punk motto none the less). Lets just say, learn your open chords, they come in useful. See "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" for an example of a punk song using open chords.

4. Techniques.
Now that you have chords down pat, its time to move up a little bit. We are going to learn some techniques that punk guitarists use commonly in their songs. The first I have already mentioned once: palm muting.

Palm muting gives that chunky sound that is common in a lot of punk songs. It almost sounds like they are playing the chord, but it doesn't quite ring out. This is done by resting the heel of your picking hand on the strings right next to the bridge. The sound of your strings should be muffled. It takes a bit of patience to get this down, as you need to learn how far down the strings you need to rest your hand. Different positions give different sounds. Practice palm muting while strumming power chords, as this is a common technique.

Fret hand muting is another common punk technique. This gives a similar effect to palm muting, and I have even given an example of this. Check bar 2 of "I Wanna Be Sedated," and notice those x’s at the end. Those are the symbol for fret hand muting. This is done by fretting a chord/note normally, then lifting your hand up so that it is still pushing on the strings, but not fretting them. When strummed this should make a 'chicka' sound. You don’t have to make a chord shape, just lay your hand/fingers on the strings without fretting them, but chord shapes make it easier most of the time.

Punk guitar also uses other common techniques such as slides, pull offs, hammer ons, and bends. I'm pretty sure you can find those in another lesson so I don’t think I am going to go in to those.

5. Playing.
So now that you have your tools, you are ready to play. There are two things you can do here: play other people's songs or write you own songs. I would suggest starting by learning songs by other people. This way you get a feel for what other guitarists are doing with the genre. Learn how the songs are constructed and what guitarists do in certain parts of songs. Make sure you don't just learn the main intro riff to your favorite songs, learn the verses, chorus, and any other parts that they have.

So now you want to write your own songs. You have a good grip on chords, some techniques and know how punk songs are formed. So you are ready to go! Well, actually, not yet. How do you plan on writing a song if you know nothing about keys? Learn what a key is, and what a scale is. Learn the major scale and how to use it. Then go here and read, what chords are in what key, and why?. Now that you are armed with basic chord and scale theory you can start to write your own songs.

6. Rhythm.
The most basic section of the punk guitar is the rhythm section. You can always stick to the fast power chords in eighth notes. Or come up with a more complex rhythm and chord switches. Don’t make it too complex during the verse and chorus, the focus in most punk songs is the vocals. Get creative in the instrumental parts such as the intros and breakdowns.

7. Lead.
Yes, lead guitar in a punk band. It isn’t unheard of. In fact it is quite common. This guitar part is often simple as well, playing fast riffs over the rhythm guitar and almost cutting out during the verses. The lead has to be simple during the verses, because again, the vocals take precedence. I’m going to quote a post I made asking about how to play lead punk guitar:

"As lead you want to be simple, yet effective. The best punk leads stand out when they are supposed to, and drift to the back during the singing. That isn't to say they aren't there, they just tone it down a bit so that they dot overpower the vocals. Nothing is worse than a lead guitar overpowering vocals, especially in punk music.

Punk has a lot of straightforward rhythms. Slam beat one and play a bit lighter for the others. The rhythm guitarist will probably be playing straight eighth notes for most of the time, so keep that in mind. Triplets would sound bad over eighths, so don't go for them unless the rhythm is quarter notes. Punk is very rhythm based so you want to have a good rhythm to your lead lines.

Most punk riffs I know stay lower position wise. So I wouldn’t be playing your main riff at the 15th fret. They incorporate a lot of the lower strings, although the high strings do give a nice accompaniment to the low power chords."

8. Performance.
Possibly the best part about punk music is watching it be performed. Live shows are loud, fun, and energetic. Watching a good punk band play is like seeing a musical. They do more than just stand there and play their instruments, they move around. They get the crowd into the show and make sure everyone is having a good time. Jump around, move, make an ass of yourself, as long as it fits the music. Most of all, have fun.

Now, please remember that these are just some basic guidelines to get you started. Don’t think this is the end all-be all of punk music, because it isn’t. The goal is to get you thinking and working on your own, not to create clones of what I think punk should be. So start here, and go where you will.

Any questions or comments feel free to contact me. PM or e-mail work well, or find me in the MT forum.

Comments

[bedurnk]

This is pretty much a beginner's guide to the basics of all rock music. Punk rock just doesn't extend too far out of the basics. At least a majority doesn't.

[piss_off]

Great article. Someone who actually knows punk is not all about power chords

dammit, the spacing is off and i tried so hard to get it to look right.

glad for the the positve feedback so far guys!

[jaden_123]

Cool... good article.. could use some more examples

[thesmartguy50]

okay, go to the article below this one on the Music Styles menu, called Punk Rock Music... then take another look at this one... and see that THIS one... kicks the other one's... ARSE. The last guy was inefficient, stereotypical, and plagerizical at that (i know, not a word, but you get it). Dude, major kudos to you for this excellent job at telling the world about punk, and even further (albeit, without meaning to). Thanks again, man.

[loserkid013]

I'm very impressed with this column because I thought that everyone who actually knew what real punk is about had been assassinated by simple plan or something. Thank you for giving me just a tiny bit of hope that not everyone in the world is brain dead.

[cazzamia]

great article - and indeed punk isn't just about power chords, u seem to really know your stuff. thanx!

[OldSkool]

Ok first off, the beef people have with punk rock is that it lack creativity, as in its a 4 powerchords or barre chords pattern throught most of the song.
And second, the "barre" chords your showing are extended powerchords.

[OldSkool]

Ok first off, the beef people have with punk rock is that it lack creativity, as in its a 4 powerchords or barre chords pattern throught most of the song.
And second, the "barre" chords your showing are extended powerchords. Still u did a good job showing the basic of rock

^ the barre chords are not extended powerchords. powerchords are better seen as simplified barre chords. the barre chords i showed have at least the root, fifth, and some form of a third (major or minor). powerchords dont have a third, therefor my barre chords are not powerchords.

if people wanna have "beef" with punk cause they think it lacks creativity, im not gonna waste my time arguing with them. i dont have to agree, i wont agree, and it would be a waste of time to try to change thier view.


thanks for the comments everyone, good and bad. its all apreciated, tho i like the good more than the bad

[krplnkinucoffee]

good job. punk is most definetely not just power chords...so thank you


btw ramones = love

haha

[MonkeyOnDope]

Nice lesson punk is all i am playing right now. my parents hate it.HEHEHE

[me_myself_and_i]

great lesson, the author seems like an intelligent fellow, best punk lesson on this site, or the rest of the internet

[PunkYou112]

Nice lesson much better than the other so called punk lesson on this site it was garbage. But my hats off to you for keeping it a lesson instead of just a post up for an idiot to talk stuff he knows nothing about leave that to the commentators

[ionlylookscary]

there was already a lesson like this and im sorry but it was way better
ya know how people say that people who play punk rock arent very bright, yeah well yours was kinda confusing for me

[piss_off]

dud if youve noticed, all the real punk rockers on the punk forum are very bright (johnny nemo, skiracer)

[blinkjared2]

bad article

[Asn1791]

Thank you for putting this lesson on this site. It was very helpful and it shows some actual knowledge of punk. MUCH better than that other idiot's lesson.

[kismet_moira]

finally some real knowledge of punk rock...i think you did a great job!

[the_freak_hole]

One of my friends rubs this shit in my face cuz he can play it and I can't... Well now I know how

spam deleted

[eat_a_boat_oar]

you rule cuz that other dude is a mindless prick. he should eat a boat oar.
..sincerley,
..eat_a_boat_oar

[Whatsisname]

Good Job, quoted not plagerized, no bashing of a style
And I wont even say sh*t here for shock value like I did with the other
Well done

[phrank]

pretty good article, but i wouldve like to see at least something on punk bass guitar-the bass guitarist from rancid is awesome!

[Mike_uk2k]

isn't a beginners guide to plaing punk the same as an advanced guide to playing punk? lol

^ not exactly, but im guessing it would be pretty close

phrank:
pretty good article, but i wouldve like to see at least something on punk bass guitar-the bass guitarist from rancid is awesome!

sorry, i dont play bass. if you would like to see that, why not write it? type something up and post it in the contribution forum and people will help you fix it up so it will be perfect for posting.

[guitarkid2113]

Good Article. Better than the posers one. I like this one a lot. Thank you for the tips on how to write the music and all.

[john_t_09]

the major chord formation is wrong a

^ oh really? which ones? i dont see any mistakes but if you point it out ill post a correction down here.

[ionlylookscary]

well wow that was five kinds of boring if you woulda had more examples like the other one it woulda been better

[Beno_Day]

Not bad man, better than the other one, but if you really want my opinion, then listen up. You can have a punk song and use EVERY technique in the book. I myself write songs that have all the techniques, tremolo, tapping, whatever. they still are punk. OK, so theyre hard punk, but punk. I'll sum it up here - with the punk motto. DO IT HOW YOU WANT, WHEN YOU WANT, WHERE YOU WANT. F*CK THE RULES. For me, that means i play punk how i want to play it, not how everyone else interprets it.

[LochieW]

Awesome. 5/5.

[newyorkdolls138]

Let me say this:








































Best punk guitar lesson this site has ever seen.

[slashdude666]

how can u hav a guide of punk music? its 3 ****in powerchords

^ i can see that literacy is not your strong point. come back when you learn to read. keep an open mind buddy, dont comment/vote on my lesson without reading it. its obvious you didnt, so dont say you did.

[sean McCormack]

Not very comprehensive, for a guide to punk it doesnt stray past wot is balatantly bvious from listening to a record. Should be called patronising bollocks. Never mind the originallity!

[sean McCormack]

Punk eh? Wots up cant think of sumfin new to od. Got to steal grandpas style. Just leave it alone, punk was great, it was intended to be an elaternative to the commerciallity of the day, people wearing bloody quicksilver and atticus cant play punk so just think up sumfin new instead of perpetuating an anachronism. (deep breath)

[punkrockroxxx]

thanks... that was a big help. Way better than the other two I found on this sight.

sean McCormack wrote:
Punk eh? Wots up cant think of sumfin new to od. Got to steal grandpas style. Just leave it alone, punk was great, it was intended to be an elaternative to the commerciallity of the day, people wearing bloody quicksilver and atticus cant play punk so just think up sumfin new instead of perpetuating an anachronism. (deep breath)

good, after your breath did the blood go back to your head? and did you remember how to spell? no, you never knew how to spell? your first comment was tolerable, even if i didnt like it. so i ignored it because it had some decent criticism. second comment, you come back 5 days later and want to insult me more. what you dont realize is that the only 2 examples i gave are from the days you so happily reminisce about. the fact that you dont realize this and the fact that your whole purpose is to insult me makes me wonder about your maturity level.

my main point: try to write a better one or fuck off

[halison]

gd guide keep it up

[theused27]

this is a great article n im new at guitar and it really helped. its alot better then any of the other sites out there that try to teach you how to play songs.

[Whitelion915]

Wonderful hands down

[Whitelion915]

The grouchy asian was supposed to be happy!

[theused27]

[theused27]

[theused27]

[theused27]

[Ramones Nutter]

good lesson mate, it wasnt excessively generalised like the other one i read the other day. the examples worked well, although it was unclear when you wrote something in standard notation. maybe thats a spacing problem.

anyway, excellent lesson.

[SumGreenNOFX182]

Great lesson, Matte.

[newyorkdolls138]

Use some more examples with lead playing (Black Flag,Dead Kennedys)

[newyorkdolls138]

Use more lead examples (Black Flag, Dead Kennedys)

[BusterSword777]

Good lesson, except that it dosen't take any talent to play punk music.

[BusterSword777]

Good lesson, except for the fact that it takes no talent to play punk music.

[dimebag7]

how bout you pick a power chord and hit that 50 times then put another and your song is complete thats the best punk lesson!

[Lorrainne]

Thanks for such an informative lesson, man. I'm new to punk, (just discovered Greenday this year) and I'm loving playing powerchords and stuff, so this was an excellent story. Thank you very much, and keep up the good work!

[XxLloydxX]

i like it, although i think i discovered most of the stuff by myself =P

[1PuNK]

Good lesson it helped me so much and i have been playing a long time keep it up.....///

[Greenday4Life]

Well done...too bad so many are blind to this.

[appetite]

Nice lesson, i like-opened my mind up a bit. i might combine dome of this with my metal playing.

Decent proof that you need more than 3 chords to make punk music :p

[tidus730]

great post. one question: is there an advantage to just downstroke as opposed to up/down strumming?

[tidus730]

personally, i use the latter cuz i find i can play faster that way

[musicmartyr]

Just reading around on the lessons. Great job, you're article seems very accurate. I find it hard to write out a lesson, I'm usually teaching people first-hand. BTW, you could probably make alot of cash giving lessons. If you don't already, you should try it-you'd be good.

[pommegrenade]

how??.....could u play punk with 3 powerd chords??? There are certainly more or r u being sarcastic and teaching us random stuff?

[pommegrenade]

how???.....could u play punk with 3 damn power chords?

[black romance]

Hey nice lesson, It helped me a bunch. I just got an electric guitar for x-mas, and i'm finally able to play punk....but i had no idea how. Then i found your lesson, and i built up furthur off of this info, and now i'm GREAT!!!! ((sry, not bein conceeded, just sayin i really improved)) So, keep it up!!!! i'm

[notoriousnumber]

a necrophiliac?

[Punk Rocker]

awesome man

[Not Now]

Really helpful, great guide =)

[theused27]

mhmm thats great

[theusedrocks]

great lesson! it's pretty much how i write my music.

[fenderplyer1]

IF THERE IS ANY NEWBIE GUITAR PLAYERS,ITS NOT THAT HARD I AM LEAD GUITAR IN A PUNK BAND, JUST PRACTICE, LIKE ME 5 HOURS A DAY OR U CAN GET SUSPENDED FROM SCHOOL FOR SMOKING WEED AND PLAY ALL DAY LIKE WELL NEVERMIND GOOD LUCK, OH PRACTICE SWITCHING FROM ONE POWER CHORD TO ANOTHER UNTILL YOU CAN DO IT WITH OUT LOOKING.

[James Dissent]

Ive got to say that this is a pretty good article. Having been playing in a punk band for over 4 years now, it really is way more than just power chords. Just a word of advice, there are more "punk" bands out there than just The Ramones, next time you should use a different band instead of using the stereotypical ramones riffs. I find that using a song that is pretty much everyones first song to learn doesn't really get to the point that punk music is based on scales and rhythm. I'll use these riffs from a local punk band in New England, you'll notice that they used a pattern using a scale....
vERSE
E-----
B-----

G--7----5----3-----3-7---
--
D--7----5----3----7--
3-7-----
A--5----3----1-
---7--1-5-----
E-----5--
---

CHORUS
E-----
B-
----
G----3--7-----
D-5
--3--7-7-----
A-5--1--5-
7-----
E-3-----5-----



I realize you cant see the strumming pattern so you wont be able to understand what I mean. Keep in mind though that if you have a good bass line it really keeps everyone else in the band energetic...causing spontanious riffs that are awesome....there is just nothing like a sick ass bass line.

[James Dissent]

wow the comment box really butchered those riffs...

vERSE
E-----
B-----

G--7----5----3-----3-7-
----
D--7----5----3----7
--3-7-----
A--5----3----
1----7--1-5-----
E-----5
-----

CHORUS
E-----

B-----
G----3--7-----
D
-5--3--7-7-----
A-5--1--
5-7-----
E-3-----5-----

^ the only reason i used the ramones is because if i used a lot of other bands for examples we would have a comment section arguing about the punk-ness of that band. so i stuck with the ramones and the clash so no one could debate over my choices. thanks for the comment tho, and i wish i could understand your tab cause it looks interesting.

[Punk Rocker]

Dude you rule. How about an advance punk lesson, if that is even possible.

[Greenday1989]

this guide is awesome rock on dude

[James Dissent]

well maybe me and jof1029 should do another huge guide to it. we could fuse our ideas and shit and our ideology since we have experience with it and maybe we'll come up with something, let me know if your interested dude.

[emoben]

Wow this is helpfull thnku!!!

[Darth Chridious]

i didn't eaven read it, punk is unconventional and rubbish music (no offence) if you want to play punk my suggestion is to do your own thing. tutorials in punk won't do you much good that is why you dont see many music books on teaching punk. punk is far too easy and is made up, if you know a few chords you can make up your own punk you dont even need to know about the guitar.

im just writing this to say that you just wasted your time

[BlueTails]

I'm gonna have to agree with Darth Chridious (except read what you're commenting on) to an extent...although props to you Jof for taking the time to demonstrate some power chords for the beginners. I'm sure it helped them out.
But I'll put money on there not being an "advanced punk" lesson put out, and there's a reason for that. It's just not an advanced style.

PS...Old school Green Day fan, still love Blink 182, and love The Offspring, not dissing the genre, just stating that its not an advanced style.

[hammetfan86]

im not a punk fan or anything, just wandering around the site, i thought it was a good lesson, i play more metal type music, but any beginner would find this very helpful, i'm just gonna say, even if u dont plan to play punk, and ur new to guitar, look at this lesson, it will help you out in any style of guitar you want to pursue

[hammetfan86]

oh, i'm sorry, just takin a shot at dimebag darril there, just because punk doesnt bring out the full potential of guitar, at least they have lyrics to fall back on, unlike....pantera...*shudder*

[~~cemetary~~]

rad-tastic.
as i understand (for the stuff i do) it's 3 chords for the verse with picking and 3 other chords for the chorus.
but i'm self taught and a compltete and utter dipshit too

[sing4am]

OK... so to start playing punk I play simple power chords / barre chords and then keep it quiet when I sing and then maybe throw in some open chords. uh-huh and the bass, drums, 'lead' guitar, back up singing all just happen to fall into place. great, 5 stars.

ps all those tabs of riffs, choruses, interludes you made to defrintiate between one-another were superb.

[zeppelin450]

EXACTLY!!! Not too much more than power chords...
This is just Punk, not punk rock, because it is not punk!

[zeppelin450]

I mean it's not music!

[zep_hed449]

If youre beginning by playing punk music odds are that you wont amount to much of a guitarist, to be honest punk music is for the half ass musician who really is too lazy to push himself to the next level

[simonzwaan]

sweet thing
u even know what punk is
the guy in the othe lesson thought fallout boy and switchfoot were punk

[arkameedees]

i'm new to punk rock myself, so my oppinion probably doesn't mean much. but i just want to say that this lesson was by far the best lesson on this site, it beat the hell out of the other poser lesson i looked at before this one. and as for punk being for lazy people, u musn't have seen very many punk concerts. watch anti-flag,or rancid, or NOFX play,and then tell me if they're lazy.
thanks, and god bless.

[texas skunk]

real punk rock is heavy guitar with cool patterns, bad ass bassists, and lyrics that really make sense and have meaning

[Strombollii]

you know, although this guide isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination...
its pretty damn good.

[jammer-91]

Nice.... heres a guy who really knows what punk is!!!

Try and adjust the tabs.

[I_Dont_Know]

kudos, i never really hear barre chords in punk... but the reason tthere probably won't be an advanced one to you guys out there is because most people stop playing punk after a while and start playing harder stuff. or they advance in soloing or something like that. with teh exception of a few.


i think that eigth note thing was a little untrue and the 4 chord progression, it can me more diverse with 5 chords like brainstew and other songs.

[ashreph]

thankz...

[guitar_hero04]

Very good! I definetly understand punk guitar much more now. thanks

[br4vw]

Well done dude - know one here has any grounds to critisize you - keep up the good work!

[stevieraywolf]

nice lesson dude. and for the whole style battle goin on, i listen to it ALL!!!!! That's right, i listen to hard rock, punk, blues, alt rock, and... well... anything. Punk's not too hard on the guitar, true, but it's about all the members of the band fittin together, unlike hard rock like Pantera or Guns n Roses just gettin out there and lettin good ol' Slash show off. It's all good, just depends on how unstubborn you are. And don't get the wrong idea here, i love GnR, just, i love green day too.

[DNRDustin]

this whole thread is a bullshit stereo-type. there is way more to punk than the 77 punk style. but on that note you could have at least used the "New York Dolls" or the "Dead Boys" as a reference. but im sure youre just a deuche bag who doesnt really know know what punk rock is you good charlett listenin to bastard!

[ay up!]

pretty good work but...
i was just lookin at this outta interest, who really needs lessons on how to play punk
just play anything that sounds pretty good is wot i do

[Teh Freak]

Punk rock rocks, I don't care what anyone thinks. This is a nifty lesson.

I love all kinds of rock and metal and hardcore (when I say "hardcore", you should be thinking of stuff like Hatebreed). I mean LOVE. Metal is so super fantastic... I love to headbang and I'll mosh a little if the spirit grabs me. But then again I also like techno and classical and instrumental bluegrass and traditional celtic folk music and a bit of regge... and even a little rap.

I do however hate pop, and most country.

I think it's good to listen to a lot of stuff, and keep to keep your mind open to all kinds of music. You never know where you may draw inspiration from. If you're ever in a creative slump, ask people what they listen to and research it and listen to it... and listen to stuff that's similar to it. You may find all kinds of new stuff to get the creativity back.

Just an idea.

-Teh Freak.

[Teh Freak]

Eh, typo... *reggae.

[Qazwer]

I've been going through here and seeing these goddamn metal heads trying to act like badasses by saying punk is pointless. It's getting old. Punk is not about being a solo-out-of-your-ass guitarist. It's about putting a point across. The music gets quiet during vocals so that people can be sure to hear what the band is saying(with the exception of Anti-Flag who sing too fast to understand). More yet, punk musicians don't need the "I'm a badass, and I'll kick your ass if you don't agree with me" image to be respectable.

[joeyramoney]

"punk" is an attitude, not a style of guitar playing.

[agingpunker]

Good lesson overall - but if folks are looking to learn punk music... they're kinda missing the point... don't learn, invent (but indeed you can sometimes invent more if you actually know your instrument). Take the lesson, learn it, then forget about it and see what happens. And just to throw my hat in the ring, the definition of power chords in the lesson is correct (root and fifth only).

[VelvetAlley411]

Good lesson,Congrats on not being an idiot

[rockstaraxe]

Some of the people posting are being kinda harsh, I think it was a damn good lesson, I have been teaching myself for a year, and it helped me. Punk rules whatever anyone else says, thnx

[deathtoaji]

great article

[deathtoaji]

DNRDustin wrote:

this whole thread is a bullshit stereo-type. there is way more to punk than the 77 punk style. but on that note you could have at least used the "New York Dolls" or the "Dead Boys" as a reference. but im sure youre just a deuche bag who doesnt really know know what punk rock is you good charlett listenin to bastard!

lamo

[deathtoaji]

what about the bass guitar?

[penguin shoulde]

Actually, power chords are Major and Minor. An example differentiating the two would be a Major power chord (what you described) and a Minor, add the minor 5th instead of the major fifth. So, it'd look like

e|-----|
B|-----|
G|-5----5-|
D|-5----6-|
A|-3----3-|
E|-----|

With the first being Major and the second being Minor.

[werty22]

^The first one is a power chord. The second is a minor sixth interval. There's no such thing as a minor fifth.

[billytalentROKS]

pretty good article

[pist off]

Great lesson!

[lp in dc]

U stupid bitch u wasted ur time and more importantly my time. How in fuking hell am i going to learn anything with this stupid shit!

[XxPunkMafiaxX]

BusterSword777 :
Good lesson, except for the fact that it takes no talent to play punk music

U sir, are a total wanker. go back 2 masturbation and get a girlfriend. Just coz punk doesnt use such things as sweep picking and shredding like metal music doesnt mean its for retards. If Steve Jones (Sex Pistols) Joe Strummer (Clash) or Johnny Ramone started shredding they wud **** up punk music. dull twat. its all about the techniques that make punk...punk

[mccann685]

good article keep it up

[damagecontrol77]

deathtoaji wrote:

what about the bass guitar?

If you playing street punk you probably want to strum to the triple kick. then just play some basslines here and there.

[damagecontrol77]

All you retards talking smack about punk haven't even heard of other punk bands than may write better music.

Punk ain't about showing off how you can play a modal scale, sweep pick, shred a sick solo, or your skills. If a punk guitarist wanted to do that they would sign up for a freakin competition or some shit.

This dude is just trying to help some people get into punk. I'm not into that pop-punk shit or even some more mainstream bands but if it's a means of getting tehem into 'real' punk (black flag, bad brains, cockney rejects, toy dolls, etc.) , then that's alright by me.

[Anti-Society JW]

This is a good lesson. Finally an article that knows punk.

[12XU]

Interesting article "Beginners Guide to Playing Punk". I am a long time fan and just picked up a guitar for the first time and this article is the best I have seen so far. A great intro to punk guitar.. thanks.

The negative comments on this thread are hilarious. If it isn't "punk sucks" it's about how much the author sucks. Do these people think they are in a classical guitar forum or the advanced section of punk rock? Maybe they are just a little slow.

[PunkMeGrunge]

Very very good.
I've been playing punk for about a year now, and I certainly wish I had come across this before.
Although I didn't learn anything new here, I bet a lot of people did.
Good details, good lesson.
Booyah.

[mikeymanb4u]

makes me want to crack open a cold one and play some dag nasty . **** yeah bitches.

[mikeymanb4u]

mother f#u#c#k#e#r

[Balzy]

great article for beginning, thanks

[Balzy]

aha

[JakoDog92]

What are these supposed to mean? I don't get what they are...
._ _ _ _ _. ._ _ _ _ _.
|_|_|_|_|_|... |_|_|_|_|_|
1_|_|_|_|_|... |_1_|_|_|_|
|_|_|_|_|_|... |_|_|_|_|_|
|_3_3_|_|_|... |_|_3_3_|_|
|_|_|_|_|_|... |_|_|_|_|_|

and
. _... _... _... _
| | | | | | | |
/ / / / / / / /

[IRISH_PUNK13]

GOOD LESSON IT ACTUALLY GAVE ME SOME IDEAS FOR MY PLAYING

[jbiafra]

to JakoDog92:
the chord shapes should be read much easier as follows, (eADGBE):
1-3-3-x-x-x
x-1-3-3-x-x

note that the numbers depict finger position and not necessarily fret positions, although you can play the chord at that position. note also that the chord can be played anywhere on the neck as long as you keep that one fret space between your index and ring finger. the chord is based on an open E or open Am chord respectively, and actually starts at the second fret, using the nut instead of your index finger as a barre.

The second thing you questioned is supposed to be a depiction of musical note, which is difficult to display in text. if you've ever seen two musical notes connected up top by a single line, the image is supposed to be 4 sets of that, if you can understand that.

My personal reason for posting was to ask for a more detailed lead section. I've been soloing in pentatonic and blues scale forms. I was wondering if there's any recommended or tried and true methods for playing lead in punk.

[jbiafra]

^^apologies, not Am, just open A.

[cornmancer]

You don't learn punk you either feel angry and play loud and fast, or you don't feel it and move on

[cornmancer]

[quote]Punk rock rocks, I don't care what anyone thinks. This is a nifty lesson.

I love all kinds of rock and metal and hardcore (when I say "hardcore", you should be thinking of stuff like Hatebreed). I mean LOVE. Metal is so super fantastic... I love to headbang and I'll mosh a little if the spirit grabs me. But then again I also like techno and classical and instrumental bluegrass and traditional celtic folk music and a bit of regge... and even a little rap.

I do however hate pop, and most country.

I think it's good to listen to a lot of stuff, and keep to keep your mind open to all kinds of music. You never know where you may draw inspiration from. If you're ever in a creative slump, ask people what they listen to and research it and listen to it... and listen to stuff that's similar to it. You may find all kinds of new stuff to get the creativity back.

Just an idea.

-Teh Freak./quote]

You have to be gay.

[superfish123]

great lesson some actual musical theory behind the superficial ideas
i'm also happy to see the majority of feedback is positive orr has constructive criticism

[The Dries]

Good article, tbh i've been playing guitar since 13 and i've played in black metal, neoclassical metal and thrash metal bands but a prefer punk because there is less pressure and you can actually enjoy playing rather than worrying about having to hit every single note in the Emin7 sweep cleanly.

It would be nice to see more on punk lead, paticularly scales, i think the Pentatonic Major and Dorian mode are used most commonly in punk (or at least they're the ones i use most often). Octaves and Arpeggios would be good also.

[lao123]

Hmmm... so many people insulting punk and that its just 3 powerchords etc. They should just shut the **** up. Its like saying hip-hop is crap. Even though in my opinion it is, people are allowed their own opinion. You don't have to go insult someones lesson they put alot of effort into.

[Indiemad]

dont forget the great smashing of instruments

[Duhjlimos]

Not bad, but for ****s sake, it's not all about power chords!!!

[ProgFanDave]

My problem with punk music is that it's a sideshow, not an art. As you said in the last segment of your lesson, punk musicians seem to care more about what the crowd thinks of them as individuals instead of musicians. Metal gigs also have bands interacting with the crowd, but at least the main focus is the music.

When I hear of a Punk musician who has the potential to be an influence through his or her musical prowess instead of his on stage antics, then I'll reconsider Punk as a plausible art.

But all of that aside, your lesson was very good.

[C0FF1NCAS3]

Nice, literally join a punk band today with no clue about punk. For me punk was The Clash and Iggy Pop. This will be very helpful in preparing for an audition and showing knowledge of the music.