Learn a Classic Riff – Unchained
In this lesson we’ll be breaking down the classic intro riff for the Van Halen track Unchained.
The tone used in the video is from the Blackstar ID:CORE V3, and the patch can be downloaded here: https://architect.blackstaramps.com/community/view.php?id=6847&name=EDDIE%20UNCHAINED
The tone used in the video is not an extra replica of the studio tone, but it’s an Eddie Van Halen inspired tone. It uses the OD2 voice of the amp with the gain set to around 60%. The overall tone is a very fat, warm, mid heavy British rock tone, similar to the famous EVH “Brown Sound”.
There is also a flanger, plate reverb and slap back delay on to simulate the effects used on the original studio recording.
The studio version of the track was recorded in Drop D which was tuned down a half step to Db Ab Db Gb Bb Eb. This lesson was recorded in Drop D tuning that was not dropped the further half step.
The riff sounds a lot harder to learn than it is. The main theme of this riff is a small finger barre across the D, G and B strings. This chord shape gets moved through the entire riff which also using a low open D note as a pedal note between chord changes.
The first bar sees the chord placed on the 7th fret, which is then extended to the 8th fret on the B string by the third finger.
This shape moves down to the 3rd fret and then there is a pull off from the extended note on the B strings 4th fret back to the 3rd. You’ll notice this theme happening on the 5th fret in the second bar also. The same chord shape is just being moved around with the low D filling the spaces between.
The second half of the riff starts exactly the same way, but this time moves up to the 10th fret instead of down to the 3rd.
The final bar contains the trickiest move of the whole riff, shifting from the one finger barre on the 10th fret, to a C Major triad. When you first move up to the 10th fret in the third bar, you’ll naturally make that move with your index finger barring the 10th fret. After you do the pull off from the 11th, use the single Open D note as an opportunity to quickly shift the barre from your first to your third finger. This makes the change back to the C Maj triad much easier to pull off. Check out the video covering this riff on the Blackstar Youtube channel to see this in more detail.
Once you’ve learnt the two halves you can then put the whole riff together. It’s a fun riff that isn’t too tricky to master!