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Temple of the Dog - Hunger Strike - Guitar Lesson

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Key E minor
Temple of the Dog - Hunger Strike guitar lesson video
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Temple of the Dog Grunge E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Hunger Strike

Few Grunge songs rest so completely on a single open-chord groove, and that simplicity is exactly what makes "Hunger Strike" worth studying carefully. The bulk of the rhythm part sits in E minor and leans on full, resonant open chords strummed with a behind-the-beat looseness that is harder to nail than it looks. Rushing even slightly kills the heavy, brooding feel, so lock in with a metronome before adding any attitude to the strum. At 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, the tempo is comfortable, but the goal is weight, not speed. The intro and verse riff also rewards close attention to pick attack: a slightly softer touch on the upstrokes keeps the texture from getting too choppy. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the verse groove slowed down until the relaxed pocket feels natural under your hand. Temple of the Dog built this track around restraint, and capturing that restraint is the real challenge.

  • The song sits in E minor in E Standard tuning, making open-position chord shapes the natural and intended approach throughout.
  • The groove depends heavily on a relaxed, behind-the-beat strum feel rather than any technically complex technique, so timing control is the core skill to develop.
  • Looping the verse rhythm section with the Practice Toolbar at reduced speed helps you internalize the subtle dynamic contrast between verse and chorus strumming.

How to Play Hunger Strike

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E minor · Tempo: 120 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 120 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Stone Gossard wielded the Telecaster for its bright, percussive single-coil attack that cut through Chris Cornell's vocals on Temple of the Dog. The snappy rhythm tone provided the perfect contrast to Mike McCready's thick Les Paul leads, defining the album's dynamic guitar interplay.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Mike McCready's primary instrument, the Les Paul Standard delivered warm PAF-style humbuckers ideal for expressive bends and singing sustain. Its thick midrange became the sonic backbone of Temple of the Dog's lead guitar sound when pushed through cranked Marshall amplifiers.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

A Les Paul variant McCready favored for its enhanced sustain and tonal warmth, the Custom's humbuckers provided the same vocal midrange that made his leads soar above Cornell's powerful vocals. The instrument's thicker construction reinforced the band's rich, sustain-driven overdrive tone.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

McCready's primary amplifier, the JCM800 delivered natural tube saturation when cranked, creating thick, singing overdrive without relying on gain pedals. This head was essential to achieving Temple of the Dog's warm, expressive lead guitar tone that defined the album.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

Stone Gossard used the Twin Reverb as a clean platform pushed just to breakup, letting his picking dynamics control the grit. The amp's sparkling cleans provided textural contrast to McCready's darker Marshall tones, creating the album's wide tonal spectrum.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

McCready deployed the Cry Baby wah sparingly for expressive lead accents on Temple of the Dog, using it as a tasteful ornament rather than a dominant effect. The wah enhanced his vocal-like phrasing without overshadowing the album's straightforward, amp-driven approach.

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