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10cc - I'm Not In Love - Guitar Lesson

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Key A major
10cc - I'm Not In Love guitar lesson video
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Classic Rock

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With Love From PolyGram 50th Anniversary album cover
With Love From PolyGram 50th Anniversary
2008 3:44
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10cc Pop Rock 2008 A major
Capo Advisor 0 A major · Original key

About I'm Not In Love

At 72 BPM in A major, this 10cc classic is deceptively gentle to sit with on guitar. The original recording is famously built on layers of multitracked vocals rather than a conventional guitar arrangement, so bringing it to the instrument means thinking carefully about how to fill that harmonic space. A fingerpicked or light arpeggiated approach in E Standard suits the mood far better than strumming, letting single notes breathe within each chord. The slow tempo can actually work against you: every hesitation in a chord change is exposed, so clean fretting and smooth voice leading matter more here than speed. Pop Rock ballads like this one reward players who focus on touch and dynamics over flash. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop any chord transition slowed down until the movement feels completely natural, then gradually build back up to tempo.

  • The slow 72 BPM tempo means chord transitions have nowhere to hide, so clean fretting and deliberate left-hand movement are the core technical demands.
  • A fingerpicked or arpeggiated approach in E Standard captures the song's soft, layered texture far better than open strumming.
  • Because the original relies on massed vocal overdubs rather than guitar, arranging it for guitar is itself a useful exercise in chord voicing and tone control.

How to Play I'm Not In Love

Tuning: E Standard · Key: A major · Tempo: 72 BPM

Loop each section and focus on clean, even timing rather than speed, with the metronome at 72 BPM.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Eric Stewart's Stratocaster delivered the glassy, bell-like clean tones that define 10cc's jangly arpeggios and bright textures. Single-coil pickups provided the clarity and responsiveness needed to cut through dense studio arrangements.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Graham Gouldman wielded the Telecaster's cutting midrange and note definition to anchor 10cc's rhythm parts in crowded mixes. Its bright, articulate character complemented the band's intricate songwriting and studio-focused production approach.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Stewart's Les Paul Standard provided warm, round sustain through stock PAF humbuckers, essential for the thicker rhythm parts and sustaining leads throughout 10cc's catalog. Its dynamic response to picking attack kept tones articulate even at moderate gain levels.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

This premium Les Paul variant would have offered similar warmth and sustain to Stewart's Standard, suitable for 10cc's demanding studio sessions requiring consistent, full-bodied tone on rhythm and lead passages.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

The Twin Reverb's natural breakup and shimmering reverb created 10cc's signature clean, spacious guitar textures in the studio. Its moderate gain structure allowed the band to maintain articulate, polished tones without heavy saturation.

MXR Phase 90
Pedal

MXR Phase 90

This classic phaser added swirling, modulated textures to select 10cc tracks, contributing to the band's sophisticated, effects-integrated production style that prioritized subtle studio enhancement over obvious processing.

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