Say It Ain't So

"Say It Ain't So" is a potent mix of mid-tempo rock techniques, with unique riffing sprinkled throughout.

This song is NOT in standard tuning. All the strings are tuned a half step flat. You don't need to change your tuning to play this one, but playing along with the song won't sound quite right if you're in standard!

The main riff introduces the 4 chords used throughout the song, using E and A Barre Shapes.

Play close attention to the timing here, listen to the song if you can't work it out.

After the intro, the rhythm guitar begins playing these 4 chords on the offbeat. These are the same 4 chords used in the main riff, but altered using Triad Inversions to keep them close together on the fretboard!

After the first verse, the main riff briefly kicks back in with this alteration to lead into the second verse.

The first time the chorus starts, the bends are omitted. They come in the second and third times we play the chorus.

These bends are a powerful technique where one note is played straight, and the second note bends up to match the first. Essentially, we're playing the target note out loud.

After the first chorus, the main riff comes back in with another alteration, essentially a short solo.

 The arpeggio in the 2nd bar here comes from our E shape Arpeggios, and the riffing in the 3rd and 4th bars are built from the 5th Form of the Minor Pentatonic, with one exception - the 8th fret of the G string, which is a D#, or a Major 9th interval.

The 9ths are always a strong choice for adding some colour into your solo.

After the second chorus, the song takes an abrupt left turn to the bridge. The 3rd fret of the low E is a tritone below the Root of the song (C#), providing a huge amount of tension that's released as the song explodes back into key for the solo. Awesome.

We get one repetition of the songs main set of 4 chords to re-establish the Key, and then the main solo begins.

There is an overlaid second guitar playing a riff near the end of the solo that is omitted here.

After the solo, we get one final repetition of the chorus, and the song fades out with the main riff.

And there you have it! A strong performance of this song puts you firmly at the intermediate level, in my opinion.