Thunderstruck Guitar Lesson

This is a real mixed bag of technique and ability - but no matter where you are in your guitar journey, this is one worth trying! I need to give a disclaimer before we start - there will not be any tabs available in this lesson write-up. Instead, please use Dion's amazing video lesson as your main resource. This write-up will serve as additional help with images and fretboard diagrams supporting the video, as well as some additional insight into the technique.

With that said - let's get going!

Thunderstruck intro riff

It's hard to imagine how many people have picked up the guitar thanks to this very intro alone. It's fast, it's fun, and immediately reminds you what rock music, and guitar, is all about. What's even better? It only needs five notes to do all of this. Let's break it down!

Part A

The timing of riff is slightly awkward, as the track actually starts with an anacrusis - a fancy word for a 'pickup bar'. If neither of these terms are familiar to you yet, it's basically a shorthand way of saying that there's space that exists before the first actual bar of the music - let's call it 'bar 0'. Anyways, this bar 0 matters, as the track actually starts on the 'and' of the fourth beat by picking the open B-string. From there on, it continues with the iconic pattern of 4-0-7-0 - all of which are played on the B-string.

This might sound pretty irrelevant, but I believe that it's important to think of it as 4-0, then 7-0, not just 4-7 with the open B-string thrown in the middle. This will help you create the rhythmic distinction between each note, and just general help clean up your playing.

If picking this is just that step too hard, you're more than welcome to use legato - hammer-ons and pull-offs - throughout instead. If you decide to go down this route, try not to pick at all - as it could get pretty messy. Instead, use a technique called 'hammers from nowhere' - as the name implies, we're hammering-on without picking the string first. With the right tone and a bit of finger-strength, this shouldn't feel too difficult!

Part B

Anyways, let's get back to the riff. The second set of four bars of the riff simply moves the frets up by one - now we're playing 5-0-8-0 in the same pattern.

As for the structure so far, it's just part A and B together played twice for the first sixteen bars! If you're anything like me, you're probably just a little bit curious about the theory behind this riff - what key are we in?! Well, that's actually a great question, and there's a simple answer, and a very not so simple answer… I'll just take a quick moment of your time to explain!

The simple answer? We're in the key of B. No, I didn't forget to write 'major' or 'minor' - due to the powerchord nature of this track, the harmony remains relatively ambiguous, but we certainly feel that our 'home' is the B powerchord. This is incredibly common in rock music, especially AC/DC's tracks. As a test, try playing B major then B minor and see which one feels best throughout the first sixteen bars. I'm confident that neither of them will feel quite right.

The not so simple answer? The aforementioned ambiguous nature of the harmony allows for a variety of different scales with the tonal centre of B. For instance, the initial 4-0-7-0 pattern fits within B major perfectly. However, that changes the second we move up to the 5-0-8-0 pattern, where the notes are more suited to B minor.

But - due to the context of the first pattern, B minor doesn't quite feel right either - it's feels more like B Phrygian (min + b2), or even B Byzantine (Phrygian + major 3rd)… But I digress - the whole point is that it doesn't really have an exact key, nor does it really matter. What matters is that B is our tonal centre, and as long as we resolve back to B, you're in the money! Spoiler - the B pentatonic scales, mostly minor, are the ones to know for the rest of the track!

Thunderstruck Verse 1

Okay, technically this part is still played in the intro as well, but this is the main riff for the verse, so I thought it'd be easier to visualise this way. This is the continuation of the fast riff that has more of a descending pattern to it - let's take a look at all the frets needed:

Once again, we're just playing on the B-string, using the same techniques as before. Use the diagram above to find the right frets needed, but please use the video as your main resource to put them all together in the right order.

The key thing to focus on for this tricky riff is that you're always using the same fingers every time you practice/play it. This is going to be the fastest way to get your muscle-memory up to speed. Otherwise, you're basically having to relearn it every time, and the speed will take ages to build. I'd recommend copying Dion's fingering pattern - he's a man you can trust to do things right on guitar!

Riff change

After the first verse finishes, we get propelled straight into another, but this time, the focus is on a handful of powerchords rather than the previous single-string riff!

Firstly, make sure that you're comfortable with these powerchords, as they're going to make plenty of appearances throughout the track! This verse is made up of a two-bar pattern repeated four times. Using the chords above, follow the video to replicate the exact rhythmic pattern. One important thing to note is that it's all down-strummed, regardless of how quick it's played!

This will be the last time I mention it before I drive us all insane - please use the video to get the exact rhythm - the diagrams are here to let you break things down a bit more in your own time! After the first two verses, we get a slight break - some might argue that this is the first chorus, but it doesn't feel that way to me. The break is simply the verse riff played through once, followed by a B powerchord held for four bars - that's all it is!

Are your fingers still tired from the intro and first verse? Well, this second verse lets you relax for a bit longer! All we need to do for the second verse is strike a B powerchord and let it ring out for four bars. This happens four times before we move onto the pre-chorus. If you're still feeling full of energy, you're more than welcome to play the first verse riff instead!

Pre-chorus

The pre-chorus is another section made up of a repeated two-bar pattern. In fact, it's using the same chords as the riff change - B5, A5 and E5 - just played in a slightly different rhythm.

Remember to down-strum all of the chords to get the right energy. It's equally as important to mute the chords to avoid them from ringing out. To do this, use a combination of a palm-mute and using your fingers of your fretting hand to mute across all of the strings. This will completely deaden the sound and allow the chords to have much more of an impact when you repeat the pattern!

Chorus

This might not be a surprise at this point, but the chorus is yet another section comprised of a repeated two-bar pattern! We're also using the same handful of chords with one slight change - we're hammering-on to the E5 chord.

The way to do this is to play the open A- and D- strings, and then hammer-on to the 2nd fret's of both strings. What we're essentially doing is quickly changing from a D5 chord to the E5 chord. Make sure that you're not hammering-on too quickly, as you'll lose the correct rhythm and it will feel rushed.

The chorus finishes off with another instance of a B powerchord ringing out for four bars. This takes us on to our second break section before the solo makes its thunderous appearance!

Break 2

Have you already guessed? Yup, another repeated two-bar pattern! But this time, it's only repeated twice. The bar starts by picking the 4th to the 2nd fret on the D-string before striking a B powerchord that rings out until the end of the second bar.

There's a big and fun pick-slide at the end of the second repeat that takes us into the first solo, but, we have two more rhythm parts to look at before dissecting the solos! But… to perform the pick-slide technique, tilt your pick so the sharp side of it is flat against the strings. Then drag it along the strings for as long as you want it to ring out.

Bridge

This track truly is a masterclass on writing two-bar patterns, as lo and behold, we have ourselves another! This one follows the vocal line - I don't even know how to try to write it out - but you know which one I mean.

The first bar of the pattern starts with a B and A powerchord followed by the 9th fret of the D-string into a double-stop on the 7th frets of the G- and B-strings before finishing back on the 9th fret of the D-string.

The second bar continues to follow the melody using double-stops from box 1 of the B minor pentatonic scale. There is, however, a note that doesn't quite belong within the scale! When we play the double-stops on the 9th frets of the G- and B-strings, we're actually passing through the Dorian mode (min + #6), giving it that extra bit of flavour! With that said, give that 9th fret double-stop a bit of a bend to really mimic the vocal line. Here's a diagram that highlights all the notes needed to play the 'vocal' part of this phrase:

I lied earlier… this is the last time I'll remind you to watch the video to get the exact rhythm and note placement….

There's one final riff we need to learn in the outro. And do I even have to say the words 'two-bar pattern' again? We once again start the phrase with a B powerchord, which is followed by the 2nd then 4th fret of the low E-string before finishing with an E powerchord.

Solo 1

Another disclaimer before we start - this write-up isn't going to go into the detail of each phrase and lick of either of the solos. Instead, we'll take a look at the scales, techniques, and phrasing needed to play in style of Angus Young over this track. And as a very final reminder - please make sure that you refer to the video.

The scales

Both solos stay pretty safely in the B minor pentatonic scale, just moved around the board to create different dynamics between phrases. Normally, I'd provide a fretboard diagram with the shapes combined, however, Angus Young's phrasing is pretty boxed-based, so we'll keep them separate.

The techniques

Young's playing is all about raw emotion and energy, and he expresses himself by really playing the guitar as a guitar. What I mean by this is that he takes advantage of techniques most unique to the instrument - bends, legato, vibrato and double-stops.

Bends: Young typically uses big bends to mark the beginning or end of a phrase. Be sure that you're giving each bend a 'voice', and you're not always approaching them in the same way - make some fast, and some slow. He also uses quarter-bends effectively within the minor pentatonic scale to inject some blues-rock goodness! Another important feature of his style of bending is that he typically uses big full-tone bends, or even a tone and half! Try to add vibrato onto these bends as well for extra energy!

Legato: While Young doesn't over-use hammer-ons and pull-offs, they're absolutely essential in emulating his style. Try and mix in legato with picking in your phrases.

Vibrato: A wide, wild vibrato is one of the key stylistic features of classic rock - again, it's all about energy. With that said, try not to over-use vibrato. Instead, strategically place it on notes that ring out to really make the most of them.

Double-stops: Young frequently uses double-stops in his soloing as they inherently sound 'bigger' than single notes. Try to use double-stops found within the pentatonic scale shapes and use them to accent certain beats or parts of your phrasing.

Phrasing

As mentioned above, Angus Young likes to play within box shapes, which alone lends itself to a particular style of phrasing. A key part of mimicking his phrasing is to ensure that you're adding space between each phrase. Very rarely does one of his phrases last more than a bar at a time with a very, and they're more than typically dotted with little pauses that act as 'breathes' in the conversation of his solo.

Be sure to make the most of each scale box to really emphasise points of drama and tension. Try to avoid starting super high and ending low - as it feels like you're trying to lower the energy. Instead, mentally map out the dynamic contour you want to follow, and use the scale boxes appropriately to match the energy.

Solo 2

The second solo follows all the concepts from the first solo - from the phrasing to the techniques used. The main difference lies in the scale shapes used. To really highlight the high-octane ending, Young focuses on the shapes higher up the fretboard - let's take a look:

Be sure to end as high up the fretboard as you can to really copy the contour of the recorded solo. To finish everything off, play the verse riff twice before ending everything with a big B powerchord.