"Wild In The Streets" by Bon Jovi - Guitar Lesson Overview

"Wild In The Streets" by Bon Jovi is a high-energy anthem from their iconic Slippery When Wet album. This song is a quintessential example of 1980s rock, blending powerful riffs with catchy melodies that get audiences moving. Our note-for-note guitar lesson for this song focuses on key techniques like power chords, palm muting, alternate picking, and double stops. Each of these techniques plays a critical role in creating the driving, high-energy sound of this classic rock hit, and mastering them will enhance your overall guitar playing ability. This lesson is taught by Jamie Humphries.

Key Techniques in "Wild In The Streets"

Power Chords

Power chords are a staple of rock guitar, and "Wild In The Streets" makes heavy use of them to drive the song’s aggressive rhythm. Power chords are typically made up of just the root and fifth notes, giving them a bold, open sound. This simplicity makes them easy to move around the fretboard, perfect for fast-paced rock riffs like the ones found in this song.

Learning to master power chords is essential for any aspiring rock guitarist. They provide the backbone for countless rock, punk, and metal songs. Our lesson breaks down the power chord progressions in "Wild In The Streets," showing you how to play them with the tight, punchy sound that gives the song its edge. Once you've mastered power chords, you’ll be able to confidently tackle a wide range of rock classics.

Palm Muting

Palm muting is a technique that involves resting the side of your picking hand lightly on the strings near the bridge while you play. This technique creates a muted, percussive sound, perfect for adding dynamics to your rhythm playing. In "Wild In The Streets," palm muting is used to create contrast between the open, ringing chords and the tight, rhythmic sections, giving the song its infectious groove.

Mastering palm muting will add precision and control to your playing, allowing you to create dynamic contrast in your rhythm sections. This lesson will walk you through the palm muting patterns in the song, helping you achieve the tight, punchy sound that defines the rhythm guitar parts. Palm muting is a crucial skill for any rock guitarist looking to add depth and energy to their playing.

Alternate Picking

Alternate picking is a technique that involves alternating between downstrokes and upstrokes with your pick, allowing for faster and more efficient picking. This technique is especially important for playing fast riffs and solos, like those found in "Wild In The Streets." Richie Sambora uses alternate picking to keep the fast-paced rhythms tight and accurate, delivering the high-energy feel of the song.

Mastering alternate picking is key to increasing your speed and precision on the guitar. By alternating between downstrokes and upstrokes, you can play faster and more fluidly while maintaining control. This lesson will help you develop your alternate picking technique, showing you how Sambora applies it throughout the song’s rhythm and lead sections.

Double Stops

A double stop is when you play two notes simultaneously, often creating a powerful and harmonically rich sound. In "Wild In The Streets," double stops are used to add texture and harmony to the guitar parts, giving the riffs a fuller and more aggressive sound. Whether in the riffs or the lead sections, double stops are an essential part of the song’s guitar work.

Mastering double stops will allow you to add more depth to your playing, creating harmonies without needing a second guitarist. Our lesson will teach you how to incorporate double stops into your playing just like Richie Sambora, helping you achieve a thicker and more dynamic sound.

About the Guitarist: Richie Sambora

Richie Sambora, Bon Jovi's lead guitarist and co-songwriter, is renowned for his melodic yet hard-hitting guitar style. In "Wild In The Streets," Sambora blends catchy riffs with soaring leads, crafting a sound that is both anthemic and raw. Sambora’s mastery of rock guitar techniques such as power chords and alternate picking, coupled with his expressive use of vibrato and string bending, helped shape Bon Jovi’s sound and make them one of the biggest bands of the 1980s. His influence on rock guitarists spans decades, and learning his parts will give you insight into his unique blend of technique and feel.

Conclusion

Learning to play "Wild In The Streets" by Bon Jovi is an excellent opportunity to improve your rock guitar skills. By focusing on key techniques like power chords, palm muting, alternate picking, and double stops, you’ll gain greater control over your guitar playing, enabling you to tackle a wide range of rock songs with confidence and precision.

Richie Sambora’s playing style, as showcased in this song, is the epitome of powerful, melodic rock guitar. By mastering the techniques found in "Wild In The Streets", you’ll not only be able to play this classic song note for note, but you’ll also enhance your overall technical abilities as a guitarist. Whether you're just starting or looking to fine-tune your skills, this lesson provides the tools and insights you need to take your guitar playing to the next level.

Let our expert lesson guide you through these essential techniques and give you the confidence to play this classic Bon Jovi anthem with power and precision.

Guitar Techniques Covered in This Lesson

• Power Chords
• Palm Muting
• Alternate Picking
• Double Stops