Cake - The Distance - Guitar Lesson

Fashion Nugget

1996 3:01

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About The Distance

Written by guitarist Greg Brown, "The Distance" runs at a steady 120 BPM in E minor, and that metronomic pulse is really the first thing to lock in. The signature riff is deceptively simple, a tight, palm-muted single-note figure that has to sit perfectly in the pocket or the whole track feels sloppy. Getting the muting pressure just right is the real challenge: too much and it chokes, too little and it loses that clipped, punchy character. Cake built their sound around precise, angular guitar parts rather than heavy distortion, so a clean or lightly overdriven tone will actually expose any timing wobble more than a wall of gain would. The outro section pushes the riff relentlessly, and that repetition can cause your picking hand to tense up. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop that section slowed down until your right hand stays relaxed all the way through. This is a great track for working on right-hand consistency within Alternative Rock phrasing.

• The signature riff relies on precise palm muting on a single-note line, so dialing in your muting pressure before worrying about speed is essential.
• At 120 BPM in E Standard, the tempo is comfortable but unforgiving, making it a useful exercise for locking your picking hand to a click.
• The song uses a clean to lightly overdriven guitar tone, meaning any timing or muting inconsistency will be clearly audible in the mix.