The raw energy of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” is instantly recognizable, driven by one of the most iconic guitar riffs of the 21st century. If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to play this stadium anthem on guitar, you’ve come to the right place. This lesson breaks down the song step-by-step, focusing on the key elements that make this track so powerful and fun to play. Forget complicated techniques; “Seven Nation Army” is surprisingly accessible to guitarists of all levels, especially beginners ready to dive into the world of rock riffs.
This guide will not only teach you the famous riff but also explore the song’s structure, chord progressions, and even touch upon the guitar solo. By the end of this lesson, you’ll have a solid understanding of how to play “Seven Nation Army” on your guitar, ready to impress your friends or just rock out in your room. Let’s plug in and get started!
Decoding the Riff: Example 1
The magic of “Seven Nation Army” lies in its deceptively simple yet incredibly catchy main riff. This riff, originally played on a bass guitar detuned to sound lower, translates perfectly to guitar and forms the backbone of the entire song. The key to nailing this riff is understanding its rhythm, particularly the use of triplets.
Let’s look at the first part of the riff, often referred to as “Example 1”:
The first two notes, both Es, played at the 2nd fret of the D string, are straightforward. The first E is a dotted quarter note, held for one and a half beats, while the second is an eighth note, lasting half a beat. You can also play these notes on other parts of the guitar neck, like the 7th fret of the A string or the 12th fret of the low E string, if you find those positions more comfortable. The goal here is to keep the notes easily accessible for smooth transitions.
Now comes the slightly trickier part: the last three notes. At first glance, they appear to be quarter notes, which would create a five-beat measure in a 4/4 time signature. However, notice the bracket above these notes with a number “3” inside. This indicates a quarter note triplet. A triplet means that these three notes are evenly spaced out over the space of two beats.
Understanding triplets can be challenging initially, but we can simplify the counting to make it easier to grasp. Imagine we’re in 2/4 time instead of 4/4. This effectively halves the note values: half notes become quarter notes, quarter notes become eighth notes, and eighth notes become sixteenth notes. In this 2/4 time feel, a triplet over two beats transforms into a triplet over a single beat.
This adjustment makes counting much more manageable and helps internalize the rhythm. When counting sixteenth notes, we often use “One, ee, and, ah, two, ee, and, ah…”. Triplets are counted as “one and ah two and ah…”. By combining these, we can count our 2/4 measure as “One, ee, and, ah, two and ah.”
The crucial thing is to ensure the triplet notes are genuinely triplets, meaning they are evenly spaced within the beat, not rushed or turned into sixteenth notes with a rest. A helpful practice technique is to tap your foot to a steady beat and practice saying a four-syllable word evenly across the beat, like “Alligator.” Once comfortable, switch to a three-syllable word like “Elephant,” ensuring those three syllables are also evenly spaced within a single beat. This rhythmic vocalization will translate to your picking hand.
Once you’re confident with the counting and rhythm in this simplified 2/4 context, you can transition back to the original 4/4 timing. You’ll notice when counting in 4/4, you’ll naturally extend the triplet across beats three and four. Counting aloud, especially initially, is incredibly beneficial for solidifying this rhythm.
Practice this riff snippet repeatedly until it becomes ingrained in your muscle memory. This rhythmic figure is the heart and soul of “Seven Nation Army,” so mastering it is essential for playing the song convincingly.
[Download MP3 of Riff Example 1 – if audio files are available, otherwise remove]
Powering Through the Chords: Example 2
With the main riff rhythm under your fingers, the rest of “Seven Nation Army” becomes much more accessible. The next key section, which we’ll call “Example 2,” introduces power chords and provides a contrasting dynamic to the riff. This section is built around two measures of power chords: G5 and A5, played with straight eighth notes.
Power chords are fundamental to rock music and are relatively easy to play, making them perfect for beginner guitarists. They consist of just the root and fifth notes of a chord, creating a powerful and open sound.
There are multiple ways to play these power chords. In the original recording, you can hear at least two guitar parts, one playing two-string power chords and another using two-string power chords for G5 and then switching to an open A chord. In these examples, we’ll use three-string power chords for a fuller sound, ideal for playing the song with a single guitar.
Experiment with different variations of these power chords to find what sounds best to you and fits your playing style.
[Download MP3 of Power Chord Example 2 – if audio files are available, otherwise remove]
Expanding with Fullness: Example 3
The next layer in “Seven Nation Army” involves expanding the initial riff section with fuller chords, using the single-note bass line as the root notes for these chords. Again, the original recording features multiple guitar parts, adding to the song’s sonic depth. One guitar part plays Root 5 position three-string power chords.
“Root 5” power chords simply mean the root note of the power chord is located on the 5th (A) string. You can clearly see in the example that all power chords have their root note on the A string.
Another guitar in the original recording adds full major chords on the D, G, and B strings, often played with a slide. For simplicity, we’ll focus on playing without a slide for this lesson, keeping it accessible for all levels.
Hopefully, the use of the open position A chord in Example 2 now makes more sense. Your hand is already in a shape that can easily slide up and down the neck. By barring across the second fret with one finger for the open A shape and avoiding the high E string when strumming, you can efficiently navigate Example 3.
[Download MP3 of Full Chord Example 3 – if audio files are available, otherwise remove]
Song Structure: Putting It All Together
Once you are comfortable with Examples 1, 2, and 3 individually, the next step is to learn how they fit together within the song’s structure. “Seven Nation Army” has a relatively straightforward structure, making it easy to memorize:
- Intro: Example 1 (Main Riff)
- Verse 1: Example 1 & Example 2
- Verse 2: Example 1 & Example 2
- Interlude: Example 1
- Guitar Solo: Example 3 (repeated 4 times) & Example 2
- Verse 3: Example 3 & Example 2
- Outro: Example 1 (Main Riff)
The guitar solo, positioned between the second and third verses, is played on slide guitar in the original recording. However, it can be effectively played without a slide and still sound great. You might want to make minor adjustments to simplify it for non-slide playing, which we’ll touch upon next.
Unleashing the Solo: E Minor Pentatonic
The guitar solo in “Seven Nation Army” is based primarily on the E minor pentatonic scale, a staple scale for rock and blues guitarists. The solo utilizes positions within this scale, making it approachable even for those new to soloing.
The solo is played over four repetitions of “Example 3” and concludes by transitioning back to “Example 2.” Given the higher position on the neck during the solo, you might find it easier to play the G5 power chord in the same three-string manner as the slide guitar, barring your finger across the 12th fret (X X 12 12 12 X) and playing only the D, G, and B strings. For the A5, simply slide this shape up two frets (X X 14 14 14 X).
In the first half of the solo (the first eight measures), there are double stops on the 7th fret of the D and A strings. These notes are A and E, creating an A5 interval played against the E chord in the rhythm part. This creates a slight dissonance, a characteristic element of the original recording, likely arising from the slide guitar technique.
[Download MP3 of Guitar Solo Example 5 – if audio files are available, otherwise remove]
This solo transcription is not note-for-note perfect but captures the essence and spirit of the original solo, making it learnable and fun to play.
Conclusion: Rock On!
Learning “Seven Nation Army” on guitar is a rewarding experience. By breaking down the song into manageable sections and focusing on the key rhythmic and chordal elements, you can master this iconic track and add it to your repertoire. The key is consistent practice, especially with the main riff’s triplet rhythm. Once you internalize that, the rest of the song will fall into place.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different power chord voicings and explore the E minor pentatonic scale further to improvise your own solos in the style of “Seven Nation Army.” Keep practicing, and you’ll be rocking this riff like Jack White in no time!
Stay tuned for a future lesson where we’ll explore how to create a single acoustic guitar arrangement of “Seven Nation Army,” offering a new perspective on this powerful song. In the meantime, keep practicing and enjoy the process of learning!
