By the Sword - Slash

"By the Sword," performed by Slash featuring Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother, is a masterpiece that captures Slash’s gritty, bluesy, and unmistakably rock-inspired style. Our in-depth guitar lesson at LickLibrary on "By the Sword" breaks down every note, allowing you to dive deep into the techniques that make this song so powerful. Through this lesson, you'll not only master each riff and solo but also understand how to harness these techniques in your own playing to achieve a soulful, powerful sound similar to Slash’s. Danny Gill breaks down this classic track in this exclusive Lick Library video tutorial.

About Slash and Andrew Stockdale

Slash, famously known as the lead guitarist for Guns N’ Roses, is recognised worldwide for his unique blend of blues and hard rock. His playing is characterised by expressive string bending, intricate phrasing, and a natural feel for rhythm and groove. Andrew Stockdale, the lead vocalist and guitarist for Wolfmother, brings his signature wailing vocals and heavy, psychedelic style to the track, blending seamlessly with Slash’s distinct guitar voice. Together, their collaboration on "By the Sword" creates an epic sound that resonates with rock and blues fans alike.

This lesson captures Slash’s emotive playing, with each technique chosen to give guitarists the chance to connect with and replicate his powerful approach. Here’s what you can expect to learn.

Techniques Covered in "By the Sword" Guitar Lesson

String Bending

Slash’s expressive string bending is evident in every riff and solo of "By the Sword." String bending adds a vocal-like quality to guitar notes, allowing you to “speak” through the guitar. In this lesson, we’ll focus on how to bend notes accurately, hitting both whole and half-step bends with precision. Learning this will improve your pitch accuracy and emotional expression in your playing.

Vibrato

Slash’s vibrato is distinct, giving each sustained note a soulful, singing quality. This technique involves subtly oscillating the pitch of a note to create a richer, fuller sound. Mastering vibrato will make your notes more expressive, allowing you to add nuance and personality to your playing, similar to the way Slash does in his solos.

Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs

Throughout "By the Sword," Slash uses fluid hammer-ons and pull-offs to create smooth, legato phrases. These techniques allow for fast, connected notes, which are essential for creating seamless runs and phrases. By mastering these, you'll enhance your speed and fluidity, allowing you to play faster passages with less picking motion.

Slides

Slash frequently uses slides to move between notes, adding a sense of fluidity and connection to his playing. This technique is key for creating a smooth, seamless sound and helps to convey emotion. Learning slides will help you transition between notes more effectively, enhancing the overall feel and flow of your solos.

Power Chords

The powerful riff in "By the Sword" is driven by classic rock-style power chords, which give the song its driving rhythm. Power chords are foundational to rock and metal music, allowing you to produce a thick, powerful sound. Mastering power chords is essential for any rock guitarist and will provide a solid rhythmic base for your playing.

Palm Muting

In this song, palm muting is used to create dynamic contrast, making certain sections more intense and others more subdued. By partially muting the strings with the palm of your picking hand, you can add rhythm, texture, and control to your playing. Learning palm muting will help you vary your sound and emphasise specific sections of your playing, adding more control and dynamics to your rhythm work.

Alternate Picking

Slash uses alternate picking for clean, articulate note runs throughout the solos in "By the Sword." This technique involves alternating your picking hand’s up and down motions to achieve consistent, fast note articulation. Mastering alternate picking is essential for developing speed, precision, and endurance in your playing, particularly in complex solos.

Double Stop Bends

A standout in Slash’s style, double-stop bends create a rich, bluesy sound by bending two notes simultaneously. This technique adds thickness and harmonic interest to solos. By mastering double-stop bends, you’ll learn to play thicker, more resonant notes, enhancing your soloing capabilities with the ability to add unique harmonic textures.

Octave Melodies

Octave melodies add a unique texture to Slash's soloing style, creating depth and allowing key melodies to stand out. This technique involves playing the same note in two different octaves simultaneously, adding a fuller, more pronounced sound. Learning octave melodies will help you emphasise certain phrases in a song, giving your playing a layered quality.

Bluesy Bends

Slash’s blues-inspired playing style incorporates “bluesy bends,” adding emotion and feel to his licks. These bends, often slightly less than a half-step, give the notes a raw, expressive quality. Learning bluesy bends will help you develop your expressiveness, adding a signature feel to your phrases and solos that convey deeper emotion.

Conclusion

The "By the Sword" guitar lesson at LickLibrary not only teaches you how to play each note of this classic song but also helps you understand the techniques that define Slash's style. Each of these techniques—string bending, vibrato, alternate picking, and more—will enhance your overall skill, giving you the tools to add depth, emotion, and precision to your own playing. By mastering these techniques, you’ll develop a more versatile and expressive style that’s inspired by one of rock’s most iconic guitarists.

Guitar Techniques in this Lesson

• String Bending
• Vibrato
• Hammer-Ons
• Pull-Offs
• Slides
• Power Chords
• Palm Muting
• Alternate Picking
• Double Stop Bends
• Octave Melodies
• Bluesy Bends

This comprehensive lesson will equip you with the skills and insights needed to capture the essence of Slash’s playing on "By the Sword." Dive into these techniques and elevate your guitar skills with LickLibrary.