Learn to play "South Park Theme Song" by Primus with Ler LaLonde

Ler LaLonde of Primus teaches you exactly how to play the iconic South Park Theme song riff.

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If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to play the South Park Theme, Primus guitarist Ler LaLonde breaks down the unmistakable riff that helped define one of the most recognizable TV intros of all time. This is exactly how to play it, taught by the guitarist who actually wrote it.

In this clip from Riff Lords, Ler LaLonde walks us through the quirky and technically challenging riff behind the South Park Theme—and it’s not for the faint-hearted guitarist! Known for its unusual chord shapes and layered notes, the part combines open-string voicings with precise fretting to create its instantly recognizable, off-kilter sound. When you nail it, it’s one of the most fun riffs to play.

Ler explains how the riff is built around complex finger positioning, where you have to keep multiple strings ringing while fretting different notes across the neck. Not only that, you have to mute some strings carefully to keep everything clean and controlled. He also breaks down the movement between chord shapes and how to approach the transitions that give the riff its unique feel.

You’ll also learn how the original version of the song evolved for television, including why the riff was sped up and shifted up an octave using a capo at the 12th fret to fit the shorter format of the show’s intro.

Ler shares the story of writing the theme after seeing the original South Park animation, recalling how he focused on making the part as perfect as possible to match the show’s energy and uniqueness.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to play the South Park Theme, this is the ultimate guitar lesson as you can follow along with Ler LaLonde, the guitarist who actually wrote the riff.

For more information about Ler and Primus, be sure to check out their website http://www.primusville.com/.

Listen to Primus on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/64mPnRMMeudAet0E62ypkx

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