AC/DC is more than just a great band: it’s an institution that’s been rocking the world ever since the mid ’70s. While they’re often dismissed by “cork-sniffing” (per our good pal YouTuber Glenn Fricker) guitar snobs as “a simplistic, three-chord song outfit,” in truth, they’re one of the hardest bands to copy convincingly because they groove as one with incredible tightness, musicality, and muscle! And they do so with endearing modesty and often self-effacing, tongue-in-cheek humor. In fact, aside from his wonderful soloing and riffage, one of my favorite Angus Young moments occurred when a journalist smugly asked him, “What does it feel like to have made the same album 12 times?” Angus’s reply was perfect: “You obviously can’t count, mate; we’ve made the same album 14 times!” A lesser man might have countered with the simple fact that AC/DC has sold more than 200 million albums worldwide, but Angus took the high road while shooting the guy down in flames!
The song “T.N.T.” was released in the band’s native Australia in 1975, on the album of the same name. It was unleashed on the rest of the world in 1976, on the band’s international debut LP, High Voltage. Clocking in a mere three minutes and 32 seconds, this song is as explosive as its name implies, and this crowd favorite has long been a staple of the AC/DC’s live set. It is also one of the first songs many rock guitar players learn when starting out on their six-string journey — myself included. Why? Because in addition to being incredibly catchy, you can play the first three minutes of it with three of the first open power chords we all learn: A5, E5, and G5!
Furthermore, if you’re smart and have a reasonable control of your picking hand, you can finger all three chords with just two fingers — your index and middle digits, to be exact. Don’t believe me? Then look at the suggested fingerings on the three chord windows below!
1 1
1 1
NOTE: The successful playing of the one-fingered G5 pivots around your successfully muting the A string with the fleshy underside of your middle digit while not accidentally hitting the B or high E strings with your pick!
There’s obviously more to mastering this song than the use of two digits, but it’s doable — it must be; I was able to do it, and if I can, so can you! Want to learn all how to play rhythm guitar in “T.N.T.” from start to finish? Just click on the above video link, and you’ll be on your way. Have fun!
Gear used in this video is an Epiphone Tony Iommi Signature “Monkey” SG guitar, a Wampler Plexi-Drive overdrive pedal, and the Clean channel of the Orange 50W Rockerverb MKIII Neo 2×12-inch combo which is a wonderful pedal platform.