How Keith Richards' Open G Tuning and Stutter Rhythm Shaped Mike Campbell's Signature Sound

Mike Campbell never hid the debt he owes Keith Richards. When you hear the opening riff of “Refugee” or the chugging drive of “American Girl,” you’re hearing a direct line back to Richards’ open G tuning and that restless, half-skipped rhythm he pioneered with the Stones. Campbell didn’t just copy it — he internalized the approach and made it his own, turning the Heartbreakers into a band that could swing as hard as it rocked.

Campbell started playing in open G tuning after studying Richards’ early-70s work. He noticed how Richards’ left hand