What's Between the Lines
"Dirty Little Thing" Velvet Revolver

As the first-year anniversary of Velvet Revolver's Contraband approaches, it's been suprsingly smooth sailing for the group. The undeniable chemistry between reunited Guns N' Roses alumni Slash (guitar), Duff McKagan (bass), and Matt Sorum (drums) became the groundwork to which former Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland and relative newcomer Dave Kushner (guitarist) added their own unique touches - and the result is anything but a nostalgia act. Well received by GN'R and STP fans alike, and bringing in legions of new fans, the album, along with several tours around the globe, made the band's efforts serve not just as another block in the playlist but as a multifaceted revival of the hard-rock scene.

INTRO/VERSE

After McKagan launches "Dirty Little Thing" with a fuzzed-out pulse of eighth notes, Sorum's machine gun-like snare fills cues that start of some meaty riffs. Kushner kicks in with a syncopated figure, slamming down major chords at precise moments between open E notes. To keep your pick hand in constant motion, try the picking pattern suggested in Fig 1. This also has a tonal effect; the chords found on the upbeats get a little extra bite, since the higher strings are struck first as your pick moves toward the ceiling. Slash hops into the mix with a stripped-down power-chord variation of the figure. Kushner keeps things interesting throughout by switching between these two chord types and, during the third verse, a single-note riff using the same interval pattern. The half-time verse section features a lead line from Slash that will test your accuracy with unison bends, as it requires the bent 3rd-string pitch to match the 2nd-string pitch.

PRE-CHORUS/CHORUS

The interplay between guitarists continues in the pre-chorus, as Kushner pits embellishments like hammer-ons and eighth-note rests against Slash's power-chord rhythm playing. Since these figures essentially occupy the same range, making either of them too flashy could break up the groove and get in the way of Weiland's vocals. Both guitarists wisely hang back and let the parts jell until the chorus, where Slash moves up the neck to churn out some palm-muted Es before grabbing a biting #4 double stop (C-F#) over Kushner's inverted C5/G power chord. Two bars laters, Slash takes a similar approach over the D5/A chord, adding the 9th (open E) on top. It's possible to combine these voicings for one guitar, so you may want to try the chord forms show in Fig 2 if you're ever called to duty without a second guitarist. Slash and Kushner team up with Sorum for the rhythmic accents in the eight and 16th bars (1st and 2nd endings) of the chorus; resist the urge to fret these chords right on beats 1 and 3. Instead, lightly touch the strings with your left hand to play the percussive (muted) strum, and then fret and strike the chords on the upbeat.

SOLO

Like much of Slash's lead playing, the 16-bar solo is a great example of fretboard knowledge blended with a loose, off-the-cuff feel and plenty of attitude. Starting out in the 2nd position, Slash adds chromatic notes to fill in a 3*3 box pattern of strings 5-3; this injects an even bluesier vibe into the F# minor pentatonic box shape. The fifth and sixth measures will test your vertical navigation skills with a motif that travels up the neck to 14th position, staying within the minor pentatonic scale and making the transition seamless through cleverly placed slides. At the ninth meausre, the rhythm section moves back to E minor, and Slash begins a slippery descent, making use of the E Dorian mode with an additional flatted 5th (E-F#-G-A-Bb-B-C#-D) before closing up with double stop-laden licks in the final four measures.