How To Play Thunderstruck

[MrPparrish]

he says himself that it started out as a "one handed thing that sort of turned in a two handed thing" or something to that effect, there a utube video of him talking about it...its called angus young guitar lesson. him talking about thunderstruck is in part 2

[TheSilverBullet524]

well you could tell that he was picking just from the sound. But that doesn't make it easier. In fact, that makes it quite difficult. Listen to Angus: he's missing notes and rhythm because of the picking. Hammer-ons and pull-offs are much easier and give cleaner sound and rhythm.

[firedudeonice]

HE"S NOT PICKING .... HE'S DOUBLE PICKING

Irony?

[guidowigger]

is he having a seizure?

[Jointpopierius]

even malcom knows it LOL

[dstSABLEYE]

in the studio version it is hammers and pulls

[gmobb142]

how i play it i play it like A string only for now whole note 4 whole note 7 back and forth than whole note 5 than whole note 8 it sounds hard but when you play it it is simple

[MusicGuitarBoy]

That was old in studio version he picked and pull off and hammer on but on this concert he didnt but usually on all concert he did watch little new concerts... Let people cover it on they way...

[ACDCFan15Swe]

It started out as a one handed thing according to Angus himself but how he really did it on the recording and live is by picking. In the video he's doin the one hand thing to look cooler

[staightupgrizzly]

yeah..ive seen him play this song with hammer ons and pull offs..so thers really not a certain way angus plays this

[MrWalalaa]

this doesnt tell how to play the song

[ellisgurung]

put up the whole video ,,,

[VfxGodOfDK]

Well just to be fair to both Hammer-on/pull-off users and insane "pickers". In the original music video he actually uses the hammer-on/pull-off version himself and he does that sometimes (Short but still) at different live concerts, but live he's mainly using the picking version :)

[DylansVideoWorld]

a lot of people play this doing h-ons and p-offs, because angus does that way in the music video

[RockerAustin]

that sounds really bad

[cadauctions31]

This is typical of most famous guitarist. They sometimes do it in different ways especially in concert. Like the intro to sweet child o mine, slash has done it a few ways, anyway something like this as long as the notes are correct it is one of those things that can be faked very well to sound right. That is why there are so many ways to do it, like stairway to heaven is played in so many different ways. You get the point.

[bjthwahg]

what concert is it? live in...?

[Maxu88]

@bjthwahg Toronto 2003

[growingbeast]

Let the people argue if they want to. but, hey it sounds good both ways so relax, take it easy :D btw /watch?v=zvoeeq-BH4w that's how the man himself does it the other way.

LET's make a point here and enjoy the fantastic song!

[gr3hughes]

Just curious how old weyes08 is cause I saw him doing hammer-ons and pull-offs in concert when the AC/DC were on the Original Thunder Struck Tour. If you ask me how I know he wasn't picking was because he was giving the crowd devil dogs and pumping his right hand in the air. He's 20 years older in the video you are posting. Watch the original video as well. Then let people be themselves. If you want to pick go ahead and let others do as they may.

[weyes08]

@gr3hughes

missing the point.

people argue about how he does it.

in the recording, he picks. there you go.

l

[TheOrigionalSmozer]

In the studio version he hammer ons and in the live version he picks, done, no arguement lol

[andreisidro]

@gr3hughes He sometimes starts without picking but then he continues the lick picking.

[Thenortyboy90]

sorry i wrong sorce

[Thenortyboy90]

he´s getting old thats why he plays like that. i think.

[orichalcum]

the way he moves his legs is just epic. Just changes everything.

[stickdude509]

the intro to this song was Angus'  riff for warming up for concerts then they turned into a kick a** song

[DAardMANnay]

when they actually recorded thats how he played :) in the video that they published he only used 1 hand and showed his right hand in the air ... looks awesome either way though still sounds cool

[55002000]

Angus Young as short hair?

[theidiotboyz]

i think acdc i awsome but his face looks like hes frikkin tired a retarded but still freakin awesome song

[jinxmike]

I saw ACDC at foxboro two weeks ago it ROCK THE HOUSE DOWN

lml,(^_^),lml

[redsoxfan61990]

I know!! I was there too...they were FRIGGEN AMAZING!!!!

[TheSylvanSwingers]

they put on an awesome show. i saw ac dc at giants stadium on july 31st and they were ROCKIN, SO DONT COME A KNOCKIN!!!!!!!

[Darthlisp]

# 1 rule in preforming rock... never were shorts in a concert!!!!!!!

[muzikscud23]

I really don't wanna make any offence comments and I mean no offence in what i'm about to say but it seems like he's making quite a few mistakes =/ is it cos he's tired or something?

[theoneandonlyhorst]

i think hes just over his peak...clapton once said, that he had his best time playing the guitar in his early fourties...

ac/dc is an awesome band that plays high voltage rock n roll. they cant be capable of that when they get older.

[muzikscud23]

Thanks for not exploding at me man, I agree with you

[J1mb093]

as much as i LOVE angus, yea it did seem like he was makin quite a few mistakes. but again, he looked extremely worn out and tired playing that song.

[th3cov3nant]

just STFU imo

[et5993]

he did it this way at the concert i went 2. but ive seen him hammer on pull off at concerts before, just not much.

[bubbleboy645]

ACDC KICKS ASSS NO DOUBT ABOUT IT ....angus stil can do it and prababbly still will be able to do it in a couple years more

[RyanCoosh]

It's hammer on and pull off on the recording. He always picks it live. Every noob knows that

[IJocks666]

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[No1PokerKing]

as a real guitarist, you have your own style and if someone likes to pick and hammer on,, LET HIM.. because angus plays it this way doesnt mean the others are doing it wrong. there just play it different, but not wrong.

[EnlightenedStudio]

we're all real guitarists.

this isnt telling people how to play it, its just telling people how he plays it because lots of people argue about how he plays it here.

[airsplat1295]

yeah woofwoofdogg is right the first few times he performed it on stage he hammered on pulled off but he eventually figured out how to double pick

[WOOFWOOFTHEDAWG]

he does it both ways, but my advice is to do it hamer on/ pull off style, notice the squeling as he picks....still good, but not as good...sorry angus, u know im ur mayne man

[BackingTracks]

But did you notice he only does it one hand on the music video.

[WOOFWOOFTHEDAWG]

just turn your pick to the side(so it looks 2 dimensional from your point of veiw)and u can get some pretty fast picking going on if you practice, BTW theres no technique ive herd uv called "circle picking"

[awesomestdude123]

yo idiots. i saw these guys live, 7th row (so close you can see his sweat dripping off and flying through the air). The point is thai saw him running and sprinting and standing on top of an arc in the middle of the stage (the took the rock n' roll train out after awhile), all the while with one hand in the air and going enthusiastically (sorry for spelling), and guess what? IT SOUNDED THE SAME!!! *GASP*. he does it both ways guys, god ever though of that?

[Araido1968]

He may seem and appear like hes really fast (well he is cause hes Angus..N'uff said) but he is actually "circle" picking.. picking in a small circle on and over each string..he gets 4 licks to an average 2 on standard up and down picking. Try it sometime you wont believe how "fast" you'll be too.

[Araido1968]

Sorry mates forgot to add that like lolleren said he is also doing some nasty P/offs too..

[lolleren123]

HE IS PICKING AND PULING OFF.!!!

[rton076]

r u sure he double picks wat if he just picks really fast?

[BackingTracks]

up stroke then down stroke of the string the whole time,

[random326]

Ty mate for good information 5/5

[wvdave2007]

dude if you look at other vids he does cat walk across the stage with the other hand in the air

[shugo541]

its the duck walk

but yeah he can do both coz he is GOD

[cikamatko]

yes, ok.. he's picking.. but look at other versions where he holds his other hand in the air and plays...

[vanhalenpwns]

ive seen him live and he taps he stums when the chourus comes in u just fastfowarded it to the chourus

[EnlightenedStudio]

Thats not the point. The point is that in the recording it was 100% picked.

[kenora101]

he will do it either way but like 20 years ago he mostly hammered on and pulled off because he wants to make it more interesting but in the studio he picked instead cuz no one was watchin him play so he will do it either way

[cowfreak99]

i do it with hammer ons and pull offs and it sounds good, i heard a rumour that he plays with hammer ons and pulloffs in studio but picked them live.

[weyes08]

No it was still picked in studio. he apparently taped the other strings so he wouldnt hit them

[dantenava5]

@cowfreak99 i heard its backwards lol !

[damu4291]

technically you just gotta play those notes

[yanmingyuyu]

u retard, it doesn't matter if u double pick, or use hammer ons n pull offs, if u can play than that's fine

[desmondchild43]

Angus use to play with just hammer ons instead of picking. But then he played it with alternate picking and it sounded better and it wouldnt make his high "e" string ring

[iwantwatermellon]

**his

[iwantwatermellon]

EVEN Malcolm knows it?!??

excuse me, but malcolm is awesome! So don't you say "even malcolm knows it". He started AC/DC thank you very much.

And yes people, Angus does double pick. He only did hammer-ons and pull-offs when he would raise hit picking hand to the crowd.

I love AC/DC!!

[weyes08]

I didnt mean it like EVEN malcom knows it (as if malcom is a total ACDC tard), I was just using a bit of humor when the camera switched to malcom pulling that strange face.

[PSXGAMER22]

@weyes08 its spelled Malcolm not Malcom, I should know its my name lol

[Sephiroth4ever13]

WOOT! i always double picked! never h-on or p-offed WOOTZ!

[jphammer13]

there is a thunderstruck video where angus does hammer ons and pull offs

[toastie64]

thats just the music video. Thats just for shows, the audio of the video was just recorded, edited, edited again, a third time, etc to get it perfect then he shows off in the vid

[sealmire]

right right. but you also have to be good enough to synchronize your picking. instead those who cant do this do hammer and pull :)

[sweetladylover]

I didn't see a bloody hammer anywhere...

I watched it 3 times and still no hammer to be seen!

[colorfulcandyfan]

angus is the friken god of rock

[MIDNIGHTRIDER775]

Correct, people always think its hammer ons and pull offs only, just because of the studio video. Everyone can hear he picks it, even on the studio record. However, I dont really care how someone plays this, just because Angus picks it doesnt mean you have to pick it too. I actually prefere the way it sounds like without picking it, or only pick the empty string and hammer the rest of the notes.

[GibsonSGsRock1]

Great video. Thanks for clearing it up for all of the people who just h-on and p-off=D

Cheers mate

--Matt

[mrdougan]

all the doubters can go smeg off, double picking is the way to go for "Thunderstruck"

nice post weyes

[mane234]

Wait was there sound

[weyes08]

You're such a damn noob.

[mane234]

Damn sound isn't working!!

[weyes08]

ja, tis why I posted this for you. Too many doubters

[Hardcore77Kid]

omg wut u smokin noob this is no good except to listen too

[weyes08]

You're a bit of a noob yourself.

And this video proves a point. Thunderstruck is played with double tapping.

Go back to listening to your crappy rap.

[Madusa616]

baha, eyes is right, rap is crap, all those guys hu think rhyming intune to shit music are tools. go be a poet.