Runaway Train

Description

Now let's take a look at the both guitars heard in the first and second verses of "Runaway Train". We have one guitar playing our open chords, and another playing some cool rhythm licks. Here are some key points to help you through verses 1 and 2.

1. The verse is 16 bars long, and plays the following chords for two bars a piece; C - Cmaj7/B - Ami - G. This progression is repeated twice.

2. While guitar #1 simply strums open chords, the recording features several licks during this section played by guitar #2.

3. During verse #1, guitar #2 plays in the lower register during the first half and then moves up to the higher register during the second half. In verse #2 however, the ideas are reversed and the higher register is played first with the lower register parts to follow.

4. There is only one variation in what guitar #2 plays during the second verse. When you approach the Ami chord the first time around, you play the lower Ami in second inversion on the G, B, and E strings (C-E-A), also playing the 9 (B) in the rhythm.