Welcome back to Guitardoor.com, where we celebrate the true architects of rock, the players whose riffs and rhythms define a band’s sound. Today, we’re focusing on one of the most important, influential, and often-unsung heroes of the Seattle sound: the legendary co-founder and rhythm guitarist of Pearl Jam, the one and only Stone Gossard. As a chief songwriter who helped build the foundations of grunge with Green River and Mother Love Bone, Gossard is the undisputed master of the riff, a player whose unique, funk-infused, and incredibly percussive style created the very engine for Pearl Jam’s sound.
The Sound of the Ten Riff
The sound of Stone Gossard is the sound of a brilliant and powerful fusion. While the grunge scene was known for its dark, heavy, Sabbath-meets-punk ethos, Gossard brought something entirely different to the table: funk. He was a player who loved the heavy rock of Zeppelin and the raw energy of punk, but his playing was just as deeply informed by the 70s funk of James Brown and Parliament. In Pearl Jam, he is the perfect stylistic foil to his “lead twin,” Mike McCready. While McCready provides the soaring, fiery, blues-based solos of a classic lead hero, Gossard is the anchor, the master of the “stanky,” syncopated, and impossibly deep groove.
Anatomy of a Riff King
The genius of Stone Gossard’s playing is almost entirely in his right hand. It’s a masterclass in rhythm, feel, and that elusive “pocket.” He’s not a technical shredder; he is a songwriter who uses his guitar as a percussive, melodic engine. To listen to Gossard is to hear a player who understands that the silence between the notes is just as important as the notes themselves, creating a “stuttery,” off-kilter, and incredibly infectious feel that is all his own.
The Funk Foundation: Gossard’s signature is his “stanky,” syncopated riff-craft. He plays around the beat, not just on it, using ghost notes (muted string scratches) and heavy palm-muting to create a percussive, “chika-chika” feel.
The Riff Architect: His riffs are the very definition of “hook.” They are often simple, but they are rhythmically brilliant, full of character, and instantly memorable. He is a songwriter first and a guitarist second.
The Open-Tuning Explorer: A huge part of his sound, heavily influenced by his love for Keith Richards, is his extensive use of Open Tunings (like Open G). This allows him to create his signature ringing, droning, and layered chordal textures that are a key part of the Pearl Jam sound.
The Classic Tools: Gossard is a true purist. His sound is not about a massive board of effects; it’s about the pure, woody tone of classic guitars. He is a famous user of Gibson Les Pauls (for the heavy, powerful rhythms) and Fender Telecasters (often used for his open-tuning, twangier parts). These are typically plugged into classic tube amps like Marshalls and Fenders.
The Essential Grooves of Stone Gossard
Stone Gossard’s riffs are the songs. To understand his mastery of funk, rhythm, and rock, these three tracks are the perfect starting point.
Even Flow
This is the definitive Stone Gossard funk-rock riff—a “stuttery,” syncopated, and incredibly funky masterpiece. To approach playing it, the key is 100% in the right-hand rhythm. This is a masterclass in palm-muting and ghost notes. You must create that percussive “chugga-chugga-CHIK” by keeping your picking hand in constant motion, only letting the “important” notes of the riff ring out while the rest are muted, percussive scratches.
Alive
The timeless, anthemic riff that introduced Pearl Jam to the world, this is pure Gossard songwriting. Unlike the tight funk of “Even Flow,” this approach is all about letting the notes ring. The key is the fluid, melodic hammer-ons and pull-offs within the main riff. It shouldn’t be played with a tight, rigid attack, but with a loose, confident, classic-rock swagger that gives the riff its signature, soaring feel.
Animal
This track showcases Gossard’s raw, aggressive, punk-rock side, built on one of his most distinctive, off-kilter riffs. To approach this, the key is downstroke aggression. The main riff is in an unusual 5/4 time signature (or at least feels like it), which gives the song its lurching, frantic, and “animalistic” quality. The challenge is to lock into that uneven groove and play it with raw, driving power, not technical finesse.
In the end, Stone Gossard’s legacy is that of one of the most important and influential rhythm guitarists in modern rock. He is the engine, the groove-master, and the chief songwriter who provided the unshakable, funky, and timeless foundation for one of the greatest bands in rock and roll history. He proved that in a genre known for angst and power, the deepest, darkest, and heaviest sound could also be the funkiest.
Cover Photo Credit “Festimad 2007 Pearl Jam , Stone Gossard” by vazzz is licensed under CC BY 2.0
