Soundgarden bassist Ben Shepherd has revealed that he learned to play the guitar before he even owned one. Speaking with Classic Rock magazine Shepherd says that the only tool he used to initially learn the instrument was a guitar neck handed down by his stepdad.
"My stepdad said, 'Okay, if you can learn every chord in this book I'll get you a guitar.' So I did; I sat down with a neck - no strings, nothing, just a neck - and I learned every chord possible out of that book. And I got a guitar."
He adds that his band mates have continued to learn things from each another over the years, including the origins of their own music:
"It took me until we reunited to find that Kim Thayil wrote 'Superunknown' with Chris Cornell," Shepherd says. "I thought that was just a Chris riff. I never paid any attention; I was just like, blaring guitars, 'Alright, let's play!'"
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Entertainment News
June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.