Patience by Guns N' Roses

"Patience" by Guns N' Roses is an acoustic rock classic that highlights a range of intricate guitar techniques, making it an ideal piece for guitarists looking to advance their skill set. The Licklibrary lesson on "Patience" takes you through each note and nuance of this iconic song, providing you with in-depth guidance to capture its soulful sound accurately. From Slash's emotive string bending to subtle fingerpicking patterns, this lesson is designed to help guitarists understand and master the key techniques that make this song unique. By learning "Patience," guitarists will develop versatility, technical control, and expressive playing, essential for any rock guitarist's toolkit. Michael Casswell breaks down this acoustic rock classic in this exclusive Lick Library video tutorial.

About the Guitarists: Slash and Izzy Stradlin

"Patience" features the remarkable guitar work of Slash and Izzy Stradlin, two of rock's most influential guitarists. Known for his emotive lead guitar and innovative style, Slash brings a blend of blues-inspired string bending and melodic phrasing to the song. Izzy Stradlin complements Slash’s playing with steady, rhythm-driven parts that add depth and atmosphere to the composition. Together, their dual guitar work defines the band’s distinctive sound, combining rock with blues and acoustic elements. Learning from their performance on "Patience" provides guitarists with insights into playing complementary parts in an ensemble and using subtle techniques to add texture and emotion to a song.

Song Breakdown: Key Techniques in "Patience"

Fingerpicking

The main riff of "Patience" is driven by delicate finger-picking, creating a soft and intricate sound that sets the song’s introspective mood. Mastering this technique requires finger independence and precision, as each note needs to be distinct yet flow smoothly. For guitarists, learning finger-picking helps enhance control and allows for a nuanced, expressive playing style, suitable for both acoustic and electric arrangements.

Hammer-ons and Pull-offs

Throughout the verses, Slash uses hammer-ons and pull-offs to add a smooth, flowing quality to the notes. These techniques create a legato sound that enhances the song’s gentle vibe. Practicing hammer-ons and pull-offs improves finger strength and fluidity, essential for fast, melodic playing.

Slides

Slides are used in the song’s pre-chorus and bridge sections to create a seamless transition between notes. This technique adds a sense of movement and contributes to the song's expressive feel. Learning to slide accurately between notes can help guitarists develop a smooth, polished playing style, enhancing transitions and adding emotion to solos.

String Bending

String bending is a signature technique in Slash’s playing, and in "Patience," it’s used sparingly but effectively to emphasise certain notes. This technique allows guitarists to add expression and create vocal-like inflections in their solos. String bending also improves finger strength and control, helping guitarists add emotional depth to their lead playing.

Barre Chords

The song includes various barre chords, which add a full-bodied sound and are fundamental in shaping the harmony. Practicing barre chords builds finger strength and stamina, as it requires pressing down multiple strings with one finger. Mastering barre chords also enables guitarists to play complex chord progressions across the fretboard.

Vibrato

In the solo sections, vibrato is used to sustain notes and add a unique character to each held note. This technique is key in adding an expressive, “singing” quality to the guitar, especially in emotive solos. Practicing vibrato helps guitarists control the pitch and sustain of a note, bringing personality and dynamics to their playing.

Arpeggios

The song’s chord progressions often feature arpeggios, where the notes of a chord are played individually rather than strummed together. This creates a melodic, flowing sound that enhances the song’s gentle atmosphere. Learning arpeggios can help guitarists improve their picking accuracy and develop an understanding of chord structures and harmony.

Chord Progressions

At its core, "Patience" features beautiful chord progressions that provide a rich foundation for the vocal melody and solos. By focusing on chord transitions, guitarists gain insight into constructing mood and atmosphere through harmony. Mastering chord progressions aids in developing rhythm and timing, allowing guitarists to move smoothly between chords and create balanced arrangements.

Benefits of Learning These Techniques

Studying the techniques found in "Patience" can transform a guitarist's approach to playing and add depth to their musical repertoire. Each technique offers specific benefits:

• Fingerpicking allows for detailed, expressive playing, useful in both acoustic and electric settings.
• Hammer-ons and pull-offs enhance fluidity and add melodic flow, essential for solos and fills.
• Slides enable smooth transitions, enhancing phrasing and emotional impact.
• String bending introduces vocal-like expression, adding intensity and emotion to lead lines.
• Barre chords build stamina and enable full-sounding chord progressions across the fretboard.
• Vibrato adds a signature sound to sustained notes, enhancing expressiveness.
• Arpeggios and chord progressions improve harmony understanding and picking precision, broadening stylistic capabilities.

Each of these techniques is a building block for rock and blues guitar, helping guitarists not only play this song but also apply these skills to their compositions and improvisations.

Guitar Techniques Used in "Patience"

• Finger-picking
• Hammer-ons
• Pull-offs
• Slides
• String bending
• Barre chords
• Vibrato
• Arpeggios
• Chord progressions

The "Patience" guitar lesson on Licklibrary provides guitarists with the skills and techniques to capture the song’s essence while expanding their musical abilities. Whether you’re an aspiring lead guitarist or a rhythm player, learning these techniques will help you play more expressively and develop a versatile approach to the guitar.