Billy Squier - The Stroke - Guitar Lesson

About The Stroke

Few riffs from the early 1980s hit as hard as the one that opens "The Stroke." Built around a driving, repetitive E-based figure in E Standard tuning, the riff sits right in the pocket at 120 BPM and relies almost entirely on right-hand attack and groove rather than technical complexity. Getting it to feel as locked-in and physical as it does on the record is the real challenge: the pick attack needs to be aggressive but controlled, and every note has to land squarely on the beat. Because the riff repeats so many times throughout the song, any sloppiness in your muting or timing compounds quickly. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the main riff slowed down until the motion is completely automatic in your fretting and picking hand before bringing it back up to tempo. Billy Squier wrote the song in E minor, which gives the whole thing a tense, coiled feel that rewards playing with conviction rather than finesse. Fans of Hard Rock will find this an excellent study in how a single, well-executed riff can carry an entire track.

• The main riff is rooted in E minor and played in E Standard tuning, making it immediately accessible for guitarists already in standard tuning.
• At 120 BPM the groove feels deceptively easy, but tight palm muting and consistent pick attack are essential to locking it in properly.
• Because the riff repeats throughout the song, looping it slowed down with the Practice Toolbar is the most efficient way to build reliable muscle memory.