Ace Of Spades by Motorhead
Released in 1980 as the title track of Motörhead's fifth studio album, Ace of Spades became a lightning bolt of speed and swagger. Lemmy's gravelly vocal delivery rides a relentlessly punchy riff that defined an era of UK rock and helped fuse punk energy with metal aggression.\n\nThe song's write-and-record history is as lean as its riffs: crafted around a single, driving guitar scream and a blistering rhythm section, it was produced by Vic Maile and captured Motörhead's fearless live energy. Over the years it has become a cultural touchstone—used in sports arenas, film, and video games—it's widely cited as one of the greatest heavy riffs of all time and a blueprint for countless bands.
🎸 Want to know the techniques, practice tips, and lesson details? Scroll below the lesson!
What You'll Learn
In this lesson, you’ll learn the iconic opening riff built on power chords and palm-muted chugs, the tight verse groove, the crunchy chorus hit, and a brief, blazing solo phrase. You’ll focus on precise down-picking at high tempo, clean muting to keep the riff tight, and maintaining a steady 4/4 groove with a live-banded feel. We’ll call out tricky parts to watch for, such as staying locked to the beat as the tempo pushes forward and coordinating the right-hand attack with left-hand movement so the riffs snap with authority.
Intermediate — helpful skills include comfort with power chords, palm muting, and fast picking (around 140 BPM), plus a solid sense of rhythm and timing.
🎸 Techniques Used
Practice Tips
- 💡Start with a slow metronome, gradually increasing tempo while keeping the palm mute tight and the notes clean.
- 💡Use a medium-thickness pick (around 1.0–1.5 mm) for a chunky, precise attack and consistent muting.
- 💡Count the rhythm (1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &) to lock in the fast 16th-note feel and avoid rushing the riffs.
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