Sympathy For the Devil
by Steph Lexner
In the history of rock music, no guitarist represents the essence of "sex, drugs and rock n' roll" more than Keith Richards. Having endured riots, heroin addiction, sex scandal, blood transfusions and even a punch in the face from Chuck Berry, Richards endures after more than 37 years-more than the last three-quarters of the entire history of rock n' roll.
With his trademark Telecaster, Keith has taken his deep blues influences (Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf) and developed a style uniquely his own. He has long since removed the low E string from his guitar and favors an open G tuning (tuned from low to high G-D-G-B-D). This approach allows him to barre chords straight across the neck and add color tones (specifically the 4th, 6th and 9th) as desired. The chord shape presented here has been the backbone to some of The Rolling Stones' greatest hits such as "Start Me Up" and "Brown Sugar."
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