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Guitar Songs, Tabs & Lessons

Tokyo Ghoul

1 guitar song · Tabs, Lessons & Tone Guide Alternative Rock

Choose a Tokyo Ghoul Song to Play

About This Collection

Tokyo Ghoul is not a traditional band but rather the wildly popular anime series that spawned some of the most iconic and technically demanding theme songs in the anime guitar world. The standout track "Unravel" was performed by TK from Ling Tosite Sigure, the Japanese math-rock and post-hardcore trio known for their intricate, high-register guitar work and emotionally charged compositions. The song served as the opening theme for the first season of Tokyo Ghoul (2014) and has become one of the most covered and requested guitar pieces on the internet, rivaling even mainstream rock classics in terms of sheer cover volume on YouTube. For guitarists, "Unravel" is a masterclass in several techniques simultaneously. TK's guitar style blends aggressive alternate picking, tapping sequences, fast arpeggiated passages, and an almost classical sense of melodic phrasing. The song's intro alone features a clean, delay-soaked arpeggio pattern that demands precision and smooth fingering across multiple strings. As the track builds, the distorted sections require tight palm-muting, rapid chord transitions, and an ability to shift dynamics from delicate clean passages to full-bore distorted climaxes. TK plays with a distinctive high-pitched vocal style that mirrors his guitar lines, and learning to replicate those guitar melodies teaches you a lot about economy of motion and clean articulation at speed. TK (full name Toru Kitajima) is the guitarist, vocalist, and primary songwriter of Ling Tosite Sigure. His approach draws from math-rock's angular rhythms, post-rock's atmospheric layering, and shoegaze's textural density. He frequently uses complex time signatures and syncopated rhythmic patterns that challenge your internal clock. In terms of difficulty, "Unravel" sits comfortably in the intermediate-to-advanced range. The clean intro is achievable for dedicated intermediates, but nailing the full arrangement at tempo with all its dynamic shifts, tapping sections, and rapid-fire picking runs requires genuine technical chops. If you are a guitarist looking to push your alternate picking speed, clean-tone precision, and dynamic control, the Tokyo Ghoul catalog (and TK's broader work) is an incredibly rewarding challenge.

What Makes Tokyo Ghoul Essential for Guitar Players

  • The iconic clean intro of "Unravel" uses arpeggiated chord shapes with a dotted delay effect, requiring precise timing so your picked notes lock perfectly with the delay repeats. Practicing this section will sharpen your rhythmic accuracy and right-hand dynamics significantly.
  • TK employs rapid alternate picking during the heavier sections of "Unravel," often on single strings with chromatic or scalar runs that demand strict pick-hand discipline. Focus on keeping your wrist loose and your pick angle consistent to avoid fatigue at tempo.
  • Tapping passages appear throughout TK's work, including melodic tap-and-pull sequences that blend seamlessly with fretted notes. These require you to develop even volume between tapped and picked notes, a skill that translates directly to modern progressive and math-rock playing.
  • Dynamic contrast is central to the Tokyo Ghoul sound. You need to shift from whisper-quiet clean arpeggios to aggressive, palm-muted distorted riffs within a few beats. Mastering your guitar's volume knob and your picking attack intensity is essential for authentic performance.
  • TK frequently uses unusual chord voicings with open strings ringing against fretted notes high on the neck, creating a shimmering, harp-like effect. Learning these voicings expands your chord vocabulary well beyond standard barre and power chord shapes.

Did You Know?

"Unravel" has been covered on guitar millions of times on YouTube, making it arguably the single most popular anime guitar cover song ever. Its technical demands have turned it into an unofficial benchmark for intermediate-to-advanced players.

TK from Ling Tosite Sigure records many of his guitar parts with extensive layering, sometimes stacking six or more guitar tracks to create the dense, shimmering wall of sound heard in the final mix of "Unravel."

The song's clean intro relies heavily on a dotted-eighth delay effect to fill out the sound. Without this specific delay setting, the part sounds noticeably sparse, proving how integral effects processing is to achieving the correct tone.

TK is known for playing with extremely light-gauge strings (often .009s or lighter), which contributes to his ability to execute rapid bends, tapping, and high-register melodic lines with minimal effort.

Ling Tosite Sigure's math-rock roots mean that TK often writes in odd time signatures. While "Unravel" is primarily in 4/4, certain transitional sections feature syncopated rhythmic groupings that trip up guitarists who rely on feel alone without counting.

TK has cited Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood and numerous post-rock artists as influences, which explains the atmospheric, effects-heavy approach to guitar tone that permeates the Tokyo Ghoul soundtrack.

The full band version of "Unravel" features a guitar solo that uses a combination of legato runs and wide interval tapping, a technique more commonly associated with progressive metal players than post-hardcore musicians.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

Tokyo Ghoul Original Soundtrack 2014

This is where "Unravel" lives, and it is the essential starting point for any guitarist drawn to the Tokyo Ghoul sound. Beyond the main theme, the soundtrack features atmospheric and tension-building guitar textures that teach you about clean-tone dynamics, reverb-heavy ambient playing, and how to use effects tastefully. Learning "Unravel" in full will develop your alternate picking, tapping, arpeggio precision, and dynamic control in one demanding package.

Spotify Apple Music
i'mperfect (Ling Tosite Sigure) 2013

Released just before Tokyo Ghoul brought TK to a massive global audience, this Ling Tosite Sigure album showcases the full range of TK's guitar abilities in a band context. Tracks feature angular math-rock riffs, complex time signatures, and the same blend of clean and heavy dynamics that define "Unravel." If you want to understand where TK's style comes from and push your rhythmic and technical abilities further, this album is the deep dive.

Spotify Apple Music

How to Practice Tokyo Ghoul on GuitarZone

Every Tokyo Ghoul 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 Unravel - Guitar Cover