Won't Get Fooled Again - Licks That Make Sense from The Who

Guitar lesson on the Pete Townshend power chord epic from Who's Next. USA Strat with Duncan SSL-5 bridge pickup into Fender Champion 20 with Celestion TF 0818

[@grantmurrell3296]

Fantastic demo and walk through.You not only allow us to hear it well and see it well yet you explained why it works so well.Thank you!

[@Hoodrio]

Thanks so much for the generous feedback! Please check out some of my other lessons for more of the same.

[@NoahLavineASP]

"If you want to play rock and roll, this" perfect haha

[@MichaelGonzalez-tx7xt]

Killer strat

[@golf4ubacknine768]

Always love your Who lessons and insight 👍🎸

[@007sixstring]

Thank you very much for taking the time to show us how to play this amazing song. Cheers!

[@bishopbrathwaitee1734]

Great lesson! Thanks for posting.....appreciate the break down and structure, really helps!

[@edwardweidner9078]

Absolutely awesome instruction. Thank you!

[@peteweeden556]

Excellent - love this song! Thanks for the lesson!

[@guitarman3968]

Wow. You rock, man. THANKS for sharing!

[@melodymaker135]

The coolest thing about that grand finale/fanfare bit you're explaining around 17:00 is what Entwistle does under it! Pete goes (as best as I can write it) I --- I I --- I I --- VII-IV! (With I I meaning "one one," not "two.") Meanwhile Entwistle (as he often does) declines to play the normal root notes except here and there. He plays I -- V --- V V IV -- IV IV! Thus hitting some roots and some fifths, in a way that is a simple powerful melody unto itself. That's why it's just as exciting as the best AC-DC barroom classics, and also way more interesting and harder to get tired of. If John played exactly with Pete, it would "just" be an exciting rocker. The weird great interplay takes it to the next level. Of course John does more of this in the verses, playing his own flowing melodies in A that neither confirm nor contradict the "hidden" chord progression of A ----- G - D. And Pete's prominent electric part also neither confirms nor denies said hidden progression, which is sorta buried on the synth and the acoustic. Which makes it really satisfying when they reach the end of each half of the verse (".....Will be gone"), and all the instruments leave the Zone of Ambiguity and crash into the huge unequivocal E ---- C - GG!! Sorry so wordy, but I've loved the song for a long time and I've kept digging deeper into its grand mysteries 😃... I should probably start my own channel rather than spewing verbosity all over Hoodrio's excellent lessons...

[@spiketaterman5181]

sorry, my ass!@ I loved reading your commentary...

[@melodymaker135]

Well, thanks guys! Said channel is in the works. It’ll probably be called “From the Mad Coccoon.” Aiming to present unpretentious music theory for self-taught guitarists and bassists, plus nonplaying intelligent listeners.

[@drynnster]

Really good. Already knew some of this but a great video, thanks for posting. V helpful.

[@lorenzociliberto9564]

This is very helpful. Thank you.

[@clemguitar63]

Great stuff.....CLASSIC!

[@batpatrol49]

Thank you. This is immediate fun. And, it's easy to bounce back and forth with "I'm Free" and the chords E, G, A, F#, A, B.

[@spiketaterman5181]

Nice! I never realized that initial bend right before that kick-ass A chord! A lot of Keith Richards style in there too, with the two note phrases for fills... Good job~!

[@fredconkling6448]

Very informative! Thanks 🙏

[@daveyon1915]

man this is great and cool riffs too

[@user-py2rz8xo2z]

Thanks. It helped me alot

[@jengleexemailcomau]

best breakdown of this song on the internet. well done hoodrio.

[@Hoodrio]

Thanks for the kind feedback!

[@jim.joseph]

Thanks!

[@fredhamilton1701]

Great tutorial! I'm pretty sure one reason it sounds "pretty [transcendently] messy" around 12:40 is I think they're mixing in 2 or more takes, including bits where 2 leads overlap. But it is perfection!

[@sixbsteve]

I hear 2 guitar solos too.

[@lee-e1767]

Great video, your guitar sounds really good

[@Hoodrio]

Thanks, Lee - much appreciated!

[@martinbirch632]

Hoodrio .......you are the man for sorting Pete Townshend & Neil Young just brilliant ...if you are still in this mode ...would you consider doing Amazing Journey and Its Hard and Powderfinger by Neil ??

[@brandonstickney590]

Great. Can you please post this with no talking? No offense, but a very fine listen. I kept turning it UP!

[@RobertMJohnson]

dude. Won't Get Fooled Again lesson without a LES PAUL????

[@Hoodrio]

Pete played it on a 1959 Gretsch 6120

[@mikekiss648]

Townsend has been playing it on a Strat for more years than he played it on a LP by about 3 decades

[@RobertMJohnson]

@@mikekiss648 original recording: not a strat. live performances throughout the 70s: Les Paul or telecaster with an HH setup, unlike the strat. the strat live just doesn't do it; thus, the les paul and the strat. if one or the other could do what the other guitar does, the other would be out of business.

[@harrykadaras9459]

@Hoodrio also a Fender Bassman, and don't forget the "special sauce" - a Whirlwind Cable (my buddy calls it a 'Windmill Cable'). Great job btw...I've been playing this song since the 70s...I agree the B, A E power chords after and the "Hypnotized never lie" is a brilliant power chord run - one of the best in any rock song....

[@mstrammd]

Joe Walsh gave Pete the 1959 Gretsch 6120 along with a Fender Bandmaster 3 x 10” combo and an Edwards volume pedal. That’s the sound you hear on every track on Who’s Next. Pete said it is the best guitar he’s ever owned and the loudest.