Crazy Crazy Nights by KISS

Licklibrary is proud to present a comprehensive note-for-note guitar lesson on "Crazy Crazy Nights" by KISS. Released in 1987 as part of the album Crazy Nights, this song became one of KISS's anthems, showcasing their signature hard rock sound with infectious hooks and high-energy guitar riffs. In this detailed lesson, we break down the techniques used in this iconic song, allowing you to replicate the precise feel and sound that made KISS a rock powerhouse. Whether you're a beginner looking to develop your rock chops or an intermediate player seeking to refine your skills, this lesson covers a range of essential guitar techniques. Michael Casswell breaks down this classic 80s rocker in this exclusive Lick Library video tutorial.

Guitar Techniques Found in "Crazy Crazy Nights"

Power Chords

The driving force behind "Crazy Crazy Nights" is the use of power chords. Power chords, often found in rock and metal music, are simple yet powerful, creating a solid foundation for rhythm guitar. In this song, they form the backbone of the rhythm section, giving the track its punch and energy.

Benefits: Mastering power chords improves your ability to play rhythm guitar with a tight, clean sound, crucial for rock songs like this. Learning these helps players develop hand strength and finger coordination while keeping rhythm tight.

Alternate Picking

The song’s lead sections and riffs feature alternate picking, which involves alternating between downstrokes and upstrokes. This technique is used to play quick, consistent notes, adding precision and speed to the performance.

Benefits: Practicing alternate picking enhances your picking accuracy and speed, vital for handling the song's fast-paced leads. It also improves coordination between your picking and fretting hands, an essential skill for playing clean, high-speed passages.

String Bending

Throughout the solo in "Crazy Crazy Nights," string bending is heavily featured. This expressive technique involves pushing the string upwards or downwards to raise the pitch. It's used to add emotion and flair to the guitar parts, particularly during lead lines.

Benefits: String bending helps you develop finger strength and control while also improving your sense of pitch. This is an important skill for adding expression to solos, making your playing more dynamic and emotional.

Slides

Guitar slides are a notable feature in the song, particularly in connecting power chords and lead notes. Sliding smoothly from one fret to another gives the song its fluid motion and a polished, rock-ready sound.

Benefits: Learning to slide effectively improves your ability to transition between notes or chords smoothly, adding sophistication to your playing. Slides are also key in creating a legato feel, making your solos sound seamless.

Vibrato

Vibrato is another technique used extensively in the song's lead sections. This technique involves rapidly oscillating the pitch of a note by bending the string slightly back and forth. It adds sustain and emotion to sustained notes, giving the song's guitar parts a powerful, expressive feel.

Benefits: Developing a strong vibrato allows for more expressive playing. Vibrato is essential for adding personality and emotion to your guitar solos, which makes it indispensable for advanced lead guitarists.

Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs

There are several instances of hammer-ons and pull-offs throughout the lead section. These legato techniques are essential for playing fluid lines without relying on the pick for every note.

Benefits: Learning hammer-ons and pull-offs enhances finger dexterity and speed. This technique allows you to play faster runs with less effort and more fluidity, making it perfect for high-energy solos like the one in this song.

Pinched Harmonics

Pinched harmonics add an extra layer of aggression to the solo sections in "Crazy Crazy Nights." This technique creates a high-pitched squeal when executed properly by slightly pinching the string with the thumb as you pick.

Benefits: Pinched harmonics give you the ability to add flair and excitement to your solos. They are also useful for diversifying your playing style, offering a contrast between standard notes and harmonics.

Palm Muting

The rhythm guitar sections in the song make extensive use of palm muting. By resting the side of the picking hand on the strings near the bridge, palm muting creates a choppy, percussive sound that tightens up the rhythm parts.

Benefits: Mastering palm muting is crucial for controlling dynamics and tightening up rhythm guitar playing. It is also key in creating contrast between muted and open chord sections, which gives songs like this their distinctive, punchy rhythm.

Tapped Harmonics

The solo features tapped harmonics, which involve lightly tapping the string at specific fret points to create a chiming, bell-like harmonic tone. This technique adds texture to the solo, making it more intricate and unique.

Benefits: Tapped harmonics improve your accuracy and finger independence, adding variety to your lead playing. They’re also a great way to add new tonal textures to solos and create interesting harmonic overtones.

The Guitarists Behind "Crazy Crazy Nights"

The guitar work on "Crazy Crazy Nights" is performed by KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick, who joined the band in the mid-'80s. Kulick’s playing was a key part of the band's more polished, arena-rock sound during this era. His technical proficiency and ability to blend melodic lead playing with high-energy rhythm work made him an integral part of KISS’s evolving sound.

Bruce Kulick was known for his clean, articulate lead playing and his use of classic rock techniques combined with more modern, technical skills. His contributions on Crazy Crazy Nights helped KISS maintain their relevance in the rapidly changing rock landscape of the 1980s, and his influence can be felt throughout the song’s precise yet powerful guitar work.

Guitar Techniques Used in These Lessons

• Power Chords
• Alternate Picking
• String Bending
• Slides
• Vibrato
• Hammer-Ons
• Pull-Offs
• Pinched Harmonics
• Palm Muting
• Tapped Harmonics

This lesson on "Crazy Crazy Nights" by KISS will sharpen your rock guitar skills and provide you with a solid foundation in essential guitar techniques.