Riff Of The Month: U2: Vertigo

Vertigo

This month we are looking at a cracking riff from U2’s ever inventive axe wielder, The Edge. Vertigo was released in 2004 as part of a huge media campaign to promote the Apple iPod, winning three Grammys for best rock song, best rock performance and best video. Much of the song was originally used in a track entitled NativeSon before producer Steve Lillywhite helped to sculpt the TGR294.rotm.fig01.musx idea into the track that we know today.

The File main Date: guitar 15:50 line 11/05/2017is fairly easy to play, Page but, 1 like of so1 many good riffs, the devil is in the detail. The Edge is a sonic Notes: experimentalist and will likely have spent many hours finding just the right guitar and effects combination to get the riff to ‘speak’. In the main, you’ll be playing simple powerchords, as delivered by The Edge with an aggressive pick attack and solid driving feel to add to the magic. Cheat sheet… Appears at: 0:02-0:22 Tempo: 140bpm Key/scale: E Mixolydian Main techniques: Strumming, fret-hand muting

what youwilllearn Creative percussive mute ideas Downpicked powerchord riffing Fast double-time strums

U2: 18 Singles (Guitar Tab with chord symbols, 144pp, £18.95 ref. AM989087) This matching folio includes authentic sheet music for all the songs from the best-selling compilation album of the same name, from One to BeautifulDay and Vertigo. The...