Learn to play Pretty Noose by Soundgarden on guitar

Soundgarden
(Image credit: Brian Rasic/Getty Images)

There's plenty of one-fingered chords to enjoy in this one, to make up for the hassle of retuning! We're looking at a classic Soundgarden tune and taking in both Chris Cornell and Kim Thayil's guitar parts. 

Get the tone

Use bridge humbuckers for both parts here and for the guitar tone go for some light overdrive as the rhythm parts are actually quite clean sounding. 

For Kim's intro you'll additionally need a wah pedal used as a filter for the tone.

Tuning 

Kim Thayil of Soundgarden performs live

(Image credit: Future)

Tuning low to high is CGCGGE, so that means:

Low E down to C
A up to G
D down to C
G stays the same
B down to G
Top E stays the same

Technique tips and lesson

Kim's intro is pretty straight forward but he uses little embellishments like bends and grace note hammer-ons and try to aim to play with a pretty laid back feel. From there it's single finger chord city! 

You only really need to hit the low four strings really but fret as much of it as you can in case you over-strum. Watch out for the quintuplet grouping of notes in the verse to chorus transition - it is Soundgarden after all! 

Try using the phrase 'Hip-po-pot-ah-mus; over two beats to get that rather odd musical phrase into your head. Have fun! 

Learn 4 Soundgarden guitar chords

Matt Webster
Contributor

Matt spends his spare time teaching guitar lessons and creating gear demos on his YouTube channel Let's Play All, which covers all manner of styles, but he does have a special place in his heart for '90s grunge and alt rock.