How to Play "HIGHWAY TO HECK" on Guitar | School of Rock Back to School Miniseries Ep. 3

Welcome back to the School of Rock Back to School Miniseries. This is the third and final installment of a series that covers 3 beginner-level rock songs that appear in a pivotal scene in the movie The School of Rock. In lesson 3, we will be covering “Highway to Heck” by AC/DC. “Highway to Heck” the last song that “Mr. Schneebly” teaches Zack in that classic scene from the film. It is also the song that beginners will struggle with learning the most out of any of the 3 songs in this miniseries, so make sure you check out the previous 2 lessons first. Once you've got "Iron Man" and "Smoke on the Water," locked down, you’ll be warmed up to play this riff. This depiction of “Highway to Heck” is not necessarily how AC/DC plays it, but it’s how Zack plays it in the movie and it’s how this Zak is going to teach you.

Let’s get rockin!

The 3 Chords

First, we are going to establish the 3 chords that are used in this rock riff. First is an open A power chord (A5). I’ll show you 2 different ways to play this chord. First, you can play the open A string and barre the 2nd fret of the D and G strings with your index finger.

You could also play the open A string, play the 2nd fret of the D string with your index finger, and play the 2nd fret of the G string with your middle finger.

Next, we have a D chord. To play this chord, you’re going to want to play the open D string, put your index finger on the 2nd fret of the G string, your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the B string, and your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the high e string.

The third chord is a G chord. Place your middle finger on the 3rd fret of the low E string and your index finger on the 2nd fret of the A string. Play the open D and G strings and place your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the B string.

Now you've got all the chords in this riff under your belt. Let's put them all together now!

How to Play the "Highway to Heck" Riff

First, we are going to use 3 eighth notes to strum that A power chord. Due to the timing of this riff, we are going to start on an up stroke. To get the feel for this, you can “ghost” strum 5 eighth notes before actually strumming the first chord.

After the 3 eighth note A power chords, we are going to pause for 2.5 beats and play the D chord for 2 eighth notes starting with an upstroke.

From here, we will immediately follow up with the G chord for another eighth note to complete this second measure. This sequence is identical in the third measure.

Of note, you can give yourself an easier time switching between the D and the G chords by keeping your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the B string. I’ve got a video that goes into more detail on how to master switching between chords, so feel free to check that out.

Measure 4 starts with an eighth note rest followed by the same D-D-G eighth note sequence. Again, this sequence starts on an upstroke. Pause for another eighth note rest, play the D chord for another eighth note using an upstroke, and follow that with another eighth note rest. Finish the riff by playing the open A power chord for 2 eighth notes, starting with an upstroke. Now you’ve got it!

"Now raise your goblet of rock. It's a toast to those who rock."

Conclusion

Now you’ll have an iconic riff to show friends and family. And if you've been with this miniseries from the start, you'll have three rockin' riffs to play with. Make sure you get the hang of the rhythm and that the notes you’re playing are accurate to how I showed you them. You may need to work more on the rhythm and the chords separately before bringing them together in the riff. Once you’ve got the riff down, you’ll be on your way to playing like Zack Attack! Have fun with this riff and let me know if you have any questions.

Check out the full lesson video HERE: How to Play "HIGHWAY TO HECK" on Guitar | School of Rock Back to School Miniseries Ep. 3