Satisfaction Guitar Lesson (Rolling Stones)

There’s something that I noticed about some of the BIGGEST guitar riffs of all time. I am talking about the fist-pumping anthems you hear played at sports events and ones that seem to hit home with virtually everyone. In fact, when you think about it, it’s kind of a crazy idea. 

What am I talking about?

I am talking about a one-string riff. And despite its simplicity, a well-crafted one-string riff can create a catchy and memorable song. 

Today I want to explore this idea with you in this “Satisfaction” guitar lesson.

So make sure you’re tuned up and let’s get started!

Who wrote Satisfaction

The song "Satisfaction" was primarily written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones. Mick Jagger, the band's lead vocalist, contributed the lyrics, and Keith Richards, the guitarist, came up with the iconic one-string guitar riff that defines the song. 

The songwriting credit officially goes to "Jagger/Richards," which was the standard way the duo's collaborative efforts were credited throughout The Rolling Stones' career. 

The song was originally released as a single and not part of a studio album in 1965. It has since become one of the most famous and influential rock songs of all time.

Satisfaction Guitar Riff

The opening riff to “Satisfaction” is iconic, and as mentioned, it’s all played on one string. To start out play the 2nd fret on the 5th string twice. Then walk up 2, 4, 5. And then walk back down 5, 5, 4, 4. I also like to slide from the 5th fret down to the 4th fret. Then from there, restart the riff.

It’s incredibly simple, yet incredibly effective.

What key is Satisfaction in? 

“Satisfaction” is in the key of E major. But an important point to be aware of (as the guitarist) is that the riff starts on the note B. It walks up and then down but this riff is coming off an E major chord. So the key is E major but the riff starts on B. 

The reason that I mention this is because when I first started I heard the riff and thought that the main note in the riff was the tonic. But it’s not. It’s actually the 5th of the key. 

What fuzz was used on Satisfaction?

Another key factor to getting the sound you hear on the recording is using a fuzz pedal. 

The fuzz guitar tone on "Satisfaction" is one of the defining characteristics of the song. Kieth got this sound from the Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone pedal, which was a relatively new technology at the time.

The Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone pedal was one of the earliest commercially available fuzz pedals, and it was used to distort and modify the sound of the guitar. This pedal essentially clips the guitar signal, creating a highly distorted, fuzzy, and sustaining sound that was quite revolutionary for its time.

I Can't Get No Satisfaction Chords 

Aside from the riff, to play “Satisfaction” on guitar you only need to know 4 chords E, A, B, and D. All of these chords can be played as open chords except for the B. Here is how I would play each of these shapes. 

E major would use all 6 strings like this:

For A, I would play from the 5th string down like this:

B is the one bar chord, and can be played at the 2nd fret like this:

For D, I’ll play from the 4th string down like this:

That’s it for the chords.  

Let's next analyze them in the key of E major:

E (I): E is the tonic or the "I" chord in the key of E major. It serves as the home chord and establishes the key's tonal center. The E major chord has the notes E, G#, and B in it. 

A (IV): A is the subdominant or the "IV" chord in the key of E major. It is built on the 4th degree of the E major scale. The A major chord contains the notes A, C#, and E. The IV chord has a less stable sound compared to the I chord but still provides a sense of resolution when moving back to the I chord.

B (V): B is the dominant or the "V" chord in the key of E major. It is built on the 5th degree of the E major scale. By the way, this is the note the riff starts on. The B major chord consists of the notes B, D#, and F#. The V chord has a strong tension that often leads back to the I chord, creating a sense of resolution.

D (bVII): D is the "bVII" chord in the key of E major. It is built on the lowered 7th degree of the E major scale. The D major chord contains the notes D, F#, and A. The bVII chord is borrowed from the E mixolydian mode, and it has a bluesy and rock-like sound. It's a popular choice in many rock and blues progressions.

Harmonic Relationship:

In the key of E major, the chords E, A, and B are diatonic chords that naturally occur within the key. They form the foundation for many songs and chord progressions in E major. The only one that is not is the bVII (D) chord:

The I (E) chord establishes the tonal center and provides a sense of resolution.

The IV (A) chord adds harmonic interest and serves as a point of tension before returning to the I chord.

The V (B) chord has a strong pull back to the I chord, creating a sense of anticipation and excitement.

The bVII (D) chord adds a bluesy and rock flavor, often used to create a different texture and variation within the key.

Understanding the relationship between these chords allows musicians to create engaging and musically rich progressions within the key of E major.

Verse

The Verse chords progression for “Satisfaction” is 12 bars long. Let’s break it down 4 bars at a time. The first 4 bars start with 2 bars of E, and then 2 bars of A.

E (2 bars)

A (2 bars)

Then that repeats again.

E (2 bars)

A (2 bars)

In the final 4 bars, before we go on to the Chorus, the chords start moving a little faster. This naturally starts to ramp up the progression and build the momentum to launch into the chorus section. Here we’ll play E, B, E, A, with each chord lasting 1 bar.

E (1 bar)

B (1 bar)

E(1 bar)

A (1 bar)

Altogether the Verse chord progression goes:  

E (2 bars)

A (2 bars)

E (2 bars)

A (2 bars)

E (1 bar)

B (1 bar)

E(1 bar)

A (1 bar)

Chorus

During the Chorus, there are two guitar parts. One part simply plays the main riff we learned above. The second part strums the chords E, A, D, A. It’s a 2 bar phrase that is repeated over and over for the Chorus.

E, A (1 bar)

D, A (1 bar)

Here I like to use a strumming pattern that matches the rhythm used in the main riff. Here is how I would strum it:

2 bar Rhythm  

The count here and strumming directions would go:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

D   D    DUDU

Conclusion:

There ya have it! “Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones. It’s a timeless testament to the power of a simple guitar riff. The song has become an iconic symbol of rock and roll history.  Be sure to practice the riff and the chords. Then when you’re ready try to play it along with the recording. Have fun! And for another great rock guitar lesson check out “You Really Got Me” next!