Go With The Flow – Guitar Lesson Breakdown

"Go With The Flow" by Queens of the Stone Age is a high-energy, riff-heavy song that showcases the distinctive sound of modern rock. Our detailed, note-for-note guitar lesson of this track breaks down the core techniques used throughout the song, giving you the tools to master its powerful riffs and dynamic rhythms. Whether you’re a fan of Queens of the Stone Age or looking to enhance your rock guitar playing, Sam Bell will help you understand and execute the techniques that make this song so iconic.

The Guitarists Behind the Sound

"Go With The Flow" prominently features the guitar work of Josh Homme, the frontman and creative force behind Queens of the Stone Age. Known for his gritty tone, unconventional approach to rock, and rhythmic playing, Homme’s style in this song reflects his unique approach to riff-driven rock music. His guitar playing combines aggressive, straightforward riffs with subtleties that enhance the song’s dynamic feel. Homme’s influence has stretched far beyond his own band, inspiring a generation of guitarists with his focus on tone, groove, and raw power.

Core Techniques in "Go With The Flow"

Our guitar lesson focuses on breaking down several important techniques used in "Go With The Flow." Each of these techniques is designed to improve your ability to create driving rock rhythms, punchy riffs, and fluid transitions. Let's dive into each of these techniques:

1. Power Chords

One of the most prominent techniques in the song is the use of power chords. These chords form the backbone of the song’s main riff and drive the rhythmic intensity throughout. Power chords are a staple in rock music, and mastering them will allow you to easily move between chords while maintaining a thick, powerful sound.

Benefits: Learning power chords helps you understand how to create strong, rhythmic foundations in songs, enhancing your control over chord transitions in rock and metal music.

2. Palm Muting

Palm muting is a key component of the rhythmic drive in "Go With The Flow." By lightly resting the side of your picking hand on the strings while striking the strings, palm muting creates a percussive, muted sound that tightens up the rhythm. This technique is essential for adding variation and dynamics to your playing, helping you to control the intensity of your riffs.

Benefits: Palm muting improves your ability to create dynamic contrasts, from heavy, chugging rhythms to open, ringing chords, enhancing your overall control of articulation.

3. Alternate Picking

The fast, consistent strumming pattern in the main riff utilises alternate picking, where the player alternates between downstrokes and upstrokes. This technique is essential for maintaining the song’s relentless energy and fast tempo without tiring out your picking hand.

Benefits: Mastering alternate picking helps improve your speed, precision, and stamina, allowing you to play fast passages more efficiently and with less effort.

4. Syncopated Rhythms

Josh Homme’s use of syncopated rhythms in the verse sections adds complexity and groove to the song. Syncopation involves emphasising off-beats or unexpected beats, which gives the song a rhythmic push-pull feel. Understanding how to incorporate syncopation into your playing can make your rhythm guitar work more interesting and dynamic.

Benefits: Syncopated rhythms build your sense of timing and rhythm, helping you create more complex and engaging grooves in your playing.

5. Slides

Throughout the song, you’ll notice transitions between power chords and notes are often executed using slides. Sliding from one position to another adds fluidity to your playing, ensuring seamless transitions between notes or chords. This technique is common in rock, creating a smoother sound between chord changes.

Benefits: Practicing slides improves your fretboard navigation and helps make your playing sound more connected and professional, especially in fast transitions.

6. String Bending

Though subtle, string bending is used in certain moments to add tension and release in the lead sections of the song. Bending a string to raise the pitch allows for expressive phrasing and can add a bluesy, vocal-like quality to your playing.

Benefits: String bending improves finger strength and control, helping you add expressiveness to your solos and riffs by altering the pitch of notes on the fly.

Techniques List

Below is a list of the key guitar techniques featured in our "Go With The Flow" lesson. Each of these techniques is essential for capturing the sound of the song and can be applied to a wide range of rock music. Click on the links to explore each technique in greater detail:

• Power Chords
• Palm Muting
• Alternate Picking
• Syncopated Rhythms
• Slides
• String Bending

By mastering these techniques, you’ll not only be able to play "Go With The Flow" with precision, but also enhance your overall rock guitar skills, adding versatility and dynamism to your playing. Dive into the lesson and take your guitar playing to the next level!

List of Guitar Techniques Used in This Lesson

• Power Chords
• String Bending
• Vibrato
• Alternate Picking

Each of these techniques contributes to the dynamic sound of "Go With The Flow" and can significantly enhance your guitar playing prowess. Our lessons are crafted to ensure you not only learn a song but also master the guitar techniques essential for any aspiring guitarist.