Skid Row was one of the last hair metal bands to hit the mainstream before grunge took over in the early ’90s. They were also arguably the last of such bands to have any originality. Their self-titled release used standard metal riffs and simple lyrics, but they broke away from the pop-metal that was going on with thrashy guitars and variances of ’80s metal formats. Their personal differences broke them apart in 1996, and Sebastian Bach went to work on acting, with little success.
The first three measures really don’t show much difference. The first measure has a hammer-on in it. A hammer-on is when you go from a lower note to a higher note, striking only the first note. Notice that at the top of the measures, chords are shown. The first three measures show the C#m chord and the B chord. All notes should be left ringing.
How To Play It
Part 1
To play that first measure, barre your 1st finger on the fourth fret on all strings. Place your 2nd finger on the “B” string on the fifth fret, and your 3rd finger on the sixth fret on the “G” string. Play in this order: 1st finger, 2nd finger, and then 3rd finger. After you have done that, take your 2nd and 3rd finger off of the string, and play as shown the barred fourth frets. To finish out the measure, use your 3rd finger to hammer-on to the sixth fret on the “low E” string.
The beginning of the second measure is identical to the beginning of the first measure. To complete the second measure, move your 1st finger to the second fret on the “A” string, and barre all other strings with your 3rd finger on the fourth fret. That is a B chord.
Part 2
The third measure is the same as the first, without the hammer-on.
The fourth measure is where the riff really changes. Begin this measure by placing your 1st finger on the second fret on the “D” string, and your 2nd or 3rd finger on the fourth fret on the “G” string. End the measure by moving up one set of strings with both fingers and playing that. That is it for the riff!