Music Lesson: Exploring One String Techniques

Introduction to the Bridge

In the bridge or middle eight of this song, I do something that I love doing, and I do it quite a lot. That is, I revert to only using one string. I love playing on one string. It's basically using the guitar as a bass, really.

My Passion for Bass Lines

• I love playing bass.
• I adore melodic bass lines.
• Super punchy distorted bass lines are one of my favorites.

One of my favorite songs, "Push that Knot Away," has the best punchy bass line.

Playing Technique

This is something I do all the time, and it's all about your left hand playing with one string.

Damping Strings

It takes some getting used to because you have to dampen everything that you're not playing. This can be quite difficult, especially when you're playing a string that's in the middle of the guitar. You'll need to start using your thumb as well.

Middle Eight on Single String

Here's what I do for the middle eight on the single string:

• You've got that nice melody line.
• The thumb is doing quite a lot of work. Some people do use their thumb a lot when they're playing.
• I use it for an F chord because I'm not great at doing bar chords.

Thumb Technique

The thumb comes into play to dampen the bottom strings so they don't ring out when you're playing that melody on single strings.

• I'm actually only playing the A string.
• Nothing's coming out of that low E because my thumb is muting it.
• You're not pressing down; you need to rest your thumb so nothing comes out, just getting percussive sound.

This takes a bit of practice.

Moving Through Strings

I'm also using the thumb to stop and then, if you can see, that sounds really cool.

• When I move to the D string, my thumb is covering the two bottom strings.
• I'm hitting the whole array of strings on the guitar, but only hearing the D string.

Not only are you getting the D string, but also a really nice chunk of percussion out of the pick hitting the other strings.

Open String Technique

• The only open string is here; everything else is muted.
• You're just getting one string.

The really nice thing about using single string stuff live is that it allows you to really bring it all in.

The Excitement of Stripping Back

It's very exciting on a song when it strips back because then it gives you the opportunity to slam back in, which is great.

The Unique Guitar

I have a guitar that I used for a song called "Umanak Song." It's a really nice, quite cheap Gretsch guitar. They released a few guitars that had paintings of cows being abducted by aliens; not quite sure what was going on that day in the Gretsch office!

• Very inexpensive, small-bodied, and lightweight guitars.
• I took all but two strings off, just left the A string and the D string and tuned them both to B.

This created a sound similar to some weird African instrument because it was two strings on the same note, causing some frequency friction.

Playing Umanak Song

"Umanak Song" was played on this two-string guitar, which is just one note. What I love about the middle eight of this song is it really plugs into that dance music vibe that I mentioned earlier.

Vocal Techniques

Let me sing a bit for you:

"Gotcha hips swinging your snake
Gotcha snip hips swinging
your snake hips swinging
Gotcha hips swinging
snake hips swinging again."

I wanted to take it even further and emulate a dance track sample in the way that I was singing. This became really fun playing live, as the sound guy would play with effects.

Repetitive Phrasing

So, I would do this:

"Hip swinging snake.
You gotta take a really big breath before you do it, though."
"Hips swinging snake
hips swing and again and again and again."

If you're doing that on a big PA with some great reverb, it sounds wicked!

Building to the Chorus

Towards the end of the bridge, instead of ramping up on the guitar, I ramp it up with the vocals:

"Hips swinging, snake hips swinging.
Gotcha hip swinging, snake hip swinging."

Keep repeating:

"Gotcha hip swing it, snake hips swing it again and again."

And then it opens up to prepare for that chorus.

Conclusion

So, choose your weapon, choose your way. See, this is saying nothing... just coming up and opening out for that chorus.