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Guitar Songs, Tabs & Lessons

Eddie Money

2 guitar songs · Tabs, Lessons & Tone Guide Rock

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Artist Overview

Eddie Money burst out of the late 1970s San Francisco rock scene and became one of the most reliable hitmakers of the arena rock era. Born Edward Joseph Mahoney in Brooklyn, Money traded a potential career in the NYPD for a shot at rock and roll, and his gamble paid off with a string of radio staples that still sound great blasting through a cranked amp. His music sits at the crossroads of Classic Rock, power pop, and New Wave, with guitar work that is deceptively tasteful and always serves the song. For guitarists, Eddie Money's catalog is a goldmine of well-crafted rhythm parts, catchy riff writing, and solo work that prizes melody over shredding. The guitar chairs in Eddie Money's band were filled by several strong players over the years, most notably Jimmy Lyon, who was the primary guitarist through the band's biggest commercial period. Lyon's playing defined the Eddie Money sound: bright, punchy chord work, memorable hooks that double or complement the vocal melody, and leads that are lyrical and concise rather than flashy. His approach leaned on clean-to-crunch tones, with tasteful use of effects and a knack for making relatively simple parts sound huge in a live setting. Later lineups featured other capable players, but Lyon's contributions on the classic records are the essential listening for anyone wanting to nail the Money sound. What makes Eddie Money essential for guitarists is the emphasis on song craft and rhythm guitar. Tracks like "Two Tickets to Paradise" and "Take Me Home Tonight" are built on iconic riffs and chord progressions that teach you how to lock in with a band, drive a song forward, and make every note count. The difficulty level is beginner to intermediate. You won't find sweep arpeggios or complex time signatures here, but you will learn how to play tight rhythm guitar, how to use dynamics to build energy, and how to craft solos that listeners actually remember. If you are working on your open chord transitions, power chord stamina, or learning how to add tasteful embellishments without overplaying, Eddie Money's songs are perfect practice material.

What Makes Eddie Money Essential for Guitar Players

  • The main riff in 'Two Tickets to Paradise' is built on a driving open-position A-D-E chord progression with a galloping eighth-note strum pattern. It is a fantastic exercise in right-hand consistency and keeping your rhythm tight against the drums.
  • Jimmy Lyon's lead work favors pentatonic-based lines with smooth string bends and controlled vibrato. His solos are great for intermediate players learning how to phrase melodically rather than just running scales.
  • 'Take Me Home Tonight' features layered guitar parts that blend clean arpeggiated chords with a harder-edged rhythm tone underneath. Learning to separate these layers is a great lesson in arrangement and how guitars fill space in a mix.
  • Palm-muting plays a key role in many Eddie Money tracks, especially during verse sections where the guitar needs to stay rhythmically tight without overpowering the vocals. Practice muting lightly on the bridge to get that percussive, chunky tone.
  • Many of the band's songs use classic I-IV-V progressions in guitar-friendly keys like A, D, and E. This makes them perfect for beginners learning how rock songs are constructed and for practicing smooth chord changes at tempo.

Did You Know?

Jimmy Lyon played with Eddie Money for decades and was considered the sonic architect of the band's guitar sound. His ability to craft hooks that were as memorable as the vocal melodies made him indispensable to the group's success.

The guitar riff on 'Two Tickets to Paradise' was inspired by classic 1950s rock and roll, channeling the simplicity of Chuck Berry-style rhythm playing through a late-'70s rock production lens.

'Take Me Home Tonight' was produced with a notably polished, mid-1980s tone that relied heavily on chorus effects and compressed clean tones, a departure from the grittier sound of the earlier records.

Eddie Money himself was a competent rhythm guitarist and occasionally played guitar on stage, though the heavy lifting was always handled by his lead players. He understood guitar tone well enough to be very particular about how the instrument sat in his recordings.

The band's early albums were recorded at studios in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the guitar tones on those records have a warm, slightly gritty quality that reflects the West Coast rock production style of the era.

Jimmy Lyon often used Fender-style guitars for cleaner passages and switched to humbuckers for the heavier rhythm and lead sections, giving the band a versatile tonal palette across their discography.

Several Eddie Money songs feature dual-guitar arrangements where one guitar handles rhythmic chugging while the other plays melodic fills, making them excellent material for two-guitar bands learning to complement each other.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

Eddie Money 1977

The self-titled debut features 'Two Tickets to Paradise' and 'Baby Hold On,' both built on iconic riffs that are perfect for beginners learning rhythm guitar fundamentals. The guitar tones are raw and direct, and the arrangements teach you how to drive a song with simple, powerful parts.

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Can't Hold Back 1986

This album contains 'Take Me Home Tonight' and represents the band's polished 1980s sound. Guitarists will learn about layered production techniques, chorus-drenched clean tones, and how to play complementary rhythm parts that support a heavily produced mix. The lead work is melodic and accessible.

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No Control album cover
No Control 1982

Featuring 'Think I'm in Love' and 'Shakin',' this record strikes a balance between the rawer early sound and the slicker production to come. The guitar parts are energetic and riff-driven, making it great for intermediate players working on power chords, palm-muting, and adding subtle lead fills over verse sections.

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Tone & Gear

Guitar

Jimmy Lyon was known for using a mix of Fender Stratocasters and Gibson-style guitars depending on the tonal needs of each song. For cleaner, chimey passages he favored Strats, while heavier rhythm and lead sections called for humbucker-equipped guitars like Les Pauls or similar dual-humbucker models. This versatility is key to replicating the Eddie Money sound across different eras of their catalog.

Amp

The classic Eddie Money guitar tone leans on Marshall-style amplification for the crunchier material, typically a JCM800 or similar British-voiced head running at moderate gain for a punchy, articulate overdrive. For the cleaner, more polished 1980s tracks, Fender Twin Reverbs or similar American clean amps were used to get that bright, shimmering foundation that sits well under chorus and delay effects.

Pickups

The tonal split in the band's catalog reflects the pickup choices. Single-coil Strat pickups deliver the bright, snappy clean tones heard on many tracks, while PAF-style humbuckers (moderate output, around 7-8k ohms) provide the warmer, thicker crunch for rhythm parts and sustain for lead lines. The key is moderate output pickups that retain dynamic response and clarity.

Effects & Chain

Chorus is the signature effect in the Eddie Money guitar sound, especially on mid-to-late 1980s material. A Boss CE-2 or similar analog chorus adds that shimmery width to clean tones. A touch of analog delay (300-400ms, low repeats) fills out lead lines. For the earlier, grittier records, the signal chain is much simpler: guitar straight into a slightly overdriven amp with maybe a phase shifter for color. Overdrive pedals like the Ibanez Tube Screamer can help push the amp into that sweet spot for rhythm crunch.

Recommended Gear

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Eddie Money's go-to for clean, chimey passages, the Strat's single-coil pickups deliver the bright, snappy tones that define his polished 1980s tracks. The versatile instrument provides the shimmering foundation that sits perfectly under chorus and delay effects.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

This dual-humbucker workhorse gives Eddie Money's rhythm sections and lead lines the warm, thick crunch and sustain needed for heavier material. PAF-style pickups provide moderate output that retains clarity and dynamic response across his catalog.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Les Paul Custom's premium construction and humbucking pickups deliver the articulate overdrive and punchy tone Eddie Money uses for his grittier, earlier records. Its sustain and warmth are essential for both rhythm crunch and expressive lead work.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

This British amp is the backbone of Eddie Money's crunchier material, delivering a punchy, articulate overdrive at moderate gain that cuts through the mix. The JCM800's response is perfect for pushing a Tube Screamer into that sweet rhythm tone.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

The Twin Reverb provides the bright, clean foundation for Eddie Money's 1980s polish, offering the headroom and tonal clarity that works beautifully with chorus and delay effects. Its natural reverb enhances the shimmery width that defines his signature sound.

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9
Pedal

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9

This pedal helps push Eddie Money's Marshall amp into the perfect sweet spot for rhythm crunch while maintaining the clarity and dynamic response his tone demands. The TS9 adds just enough drive without sacrificing the articulate punch he's known for.

How to Practice Eddie Money on GuitarZone

Every Eddie Money song page on GuitarZone includes a built-in Practice Toolbar. No app to download, no account needed. Open any song, then use the toolbar to slow the video to 0.5× speed, set an A/B loop around the exact riff you're working on, and jump between song sections instantly.

The toolbar appears automatically on every guitar tab, lesson, and cover page. Pick a song below, hit play, and start practicing at your own pace.

Practice Take Me Home Tonight - Guitar LessonPractice Two Tickets To Paradise - Guitar Lesson