maggots for brains: Why do I Actually Like this 2026 Song?
Classic rockers, bear with me...
1,8 / 5,0 | 
maggots for brains: Why do I Actually Like this 2026 Song? · Source: Alamy Stock Photo / Justin Ng
maggots for brains is one of Olivia Rodrigo’s latest hits. Usually, I’d hate this kind of music. But as a guitarist, there’s actually a lot to like.
Guitar Parts of maggots for brains:
Why I Shouldn’t Like maggots for brains
Being the young 24-year-old that I am, you’d think that artists such as Olivia Rodrigo would be right up my street. However, this isn’t the case. I play SGs and Super Strats, I drive a 1969 Triumph Herald, and I listen to The Beatles and Whitesnake. Why would this song appeal to me?
As a guitar tutor, I get requests from students all the time. Especially from younger players; they want to learn bland from the likes of Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter or whatever is on their TikTok feed. Occasionally, something good slips through the net, and maggots for brains has done exactly that.
Here, I’ll be trying to persuade you, fellow classic rockers, why this song is actually okay from a guitarist’s perspective. It may not be to everyone’s taste, but there are some great lessons to be learnt from it from a playing perspective.
Cool Chorus
Overall, maggots for brains has a very 1980s feel about it. Think The Cure and New Order, that kind of thing. The intro has a really nice guitar part to it that repeats throughout the verses. Therefore, as a guitarist, you get a lot of playing time out of it.
Why does maggots for brains feel like it is from the 1980s? Well, the lead guitar is dripping in chorus. Who’s chours and what chours? I honestly have no idea. Although I can say that the digital chorus on the Boss Katana works really well to capture the feel of the track.
Moreover, when I’ve been playing through this song, I’ve been using my Stratocaster, with single coils, and have used position 2 on the pickup selector. The blend of the neck and middle pickups gives you a really nice tone.
Basic Chord Progression
What I dislike most about the majority of modern songs is the harmonic hollowness. Sure, so many great bands built timeless hits on four-chord songs, but they at least were played on Les Pauls and Marshalls.
Despite this, the basic chord progression makes maggots for brains a great song to play as a beginner guitarist. Other than a little pre-chorus break on D and A, the whole song works around: A, F#m, D and then back to A.
This combination is repetitive and memorable. Furthermore, the F#m gives players a chance to practice their barre chords.
Guitar Solo
Another appealing quality in this modern pop song is that it actually features a guitar solo. Who knew that they were allowed in the charts? Olivia Rodrigo has been subject to some ridicule online after live clips surfaced of her playing this solo. But is that fair? Let’s take a closer look.
The guitar solo for maggots to brains isn’t exactly Comfortably Numb, but it fits the song really well. As aforementioned, it has the feel of a song by The Cure, and their solos were often single-string melodies. It is great to see that the singer is playing their own solo, and not relying on a session musician.
The downfall here is Rodrigo’s technique. Some alternate picking wouldn’t go amiss to tidy up the solo. This is especially helpful and important as the whole solo is in quavers, otherwise known as eighth notes.
Relevant Gear
So, is anyone convinced? If you’re starting to like this song, why not consider trying to sound a bit more like it? Even if you don’t, this gear will be great for sounding more new wave.
Videos
Further Information
*This post contains affiliate links and/or widgets. When you buy a product via our affiliate partner, we receive a small commission that helps support what we do. Don’t worry, you pay the same price. Thanks for your support!
This might also interest you
