Learn the riff to No One Knows by Queens Of The Stone Age

Queens Of The Stone Age
(Image credit: Queens Of The Stone Age / YouTube)

We've heard about how the drums were recorded on Queens Of The Stone Age's classic No One Knows, but it's time to give the guitar players something to get stuck into. But be prepared: this Josh Homme riff needs a steady fret hand with a strong fourth finger.

To capture the energy and drive of this riff you'll need to pick hard and use a combination of palm and fret-hand muting to bring each stab to an abrupt stop. To mute with the fret hand, you'll need to relax your fretting fingers enough to stop the strings ringing. For pick hand palm muting, simply rest the side of your hand on the strings beside the bridge after each stab. Check out the riff lesson video below

The main riff is based on a C minor barre chord at the 8th position, while your fourth finger adds a melody line. You need a strong first finger to barre across the strings, and coordination in your fourth finger to add the melody notes. Practise slowly until it starts to feel more natural.

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