Chug

A heavily palm-muted low-string stroke with almost no pitch, used as a rhythmic unit in rock and metal.

Chugging turns the guitar into a percussion instrument: the pick strikes a low string while the side of the palm rests on the saddles, so the note speaks as a short, dry thud rather than a tone. Because the pitch barely registers, chugs can be repeated indefinitely without becoming boring, and they are the mortar between the melodic parts of most metal riffs. Moving the muting hand slightly forward or back changes the amount of pitch that survives, which is the main expressive control.

Example: A riff that alternates between a chugged low E and two fretted notes is mostly made of chugs.

Chug

See also