BOOM! THWACK! TING!

Your essential percussive guitar guide…

Whether you take inspiration from greats like Michael Hedges and Preston Reed, or if you prefer the current crop of artists like Jon Gomm, Marcin Patrzalek and Alexandr Misko, there’s one common element to percussive guitar: creating pitch-approximate strikes akin to a kick drum, a snare and hi-hats. In reality, this is only a rough starting point. You could think of the mid-pitch strikes as snares, toms, congas, even bongos – it’s not an exact science! And where to strike the guitar to get these sounds varies from player to player, song to song. Here’s what you need to know to get started.

1 Kick drum Strike using the fleshy part where your hand meets your wrist to produce a low thud like a bass drum. We’re targeting the guitar body above the strings near the soundhole.

2 Snare drum You need a cutting sound without too much bass for a snare drum vibe. Jon Gomm and Newton Faulkner will often flick the pickguard area with a middle finger.

3 Hi-hat For the full drum kit effect you’ll need to include a sound in the treble range. Pat the strings down against the frets with your fretting hand for a hi-hat vibe.