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Dave Matthews Band - Ants Marching - Guitar Lesson

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Dave Matthews Band - Ants Marching - Guitar Lesson

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Dave Matthews Band - Ants Marching guitar lesson video
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Under the Table and Dreaming (Expanded Edition) album cover
Under the Table and Dreaming (Expanded Edition)
1994 4:31
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Dave Matthews Band Alternative Rock 1994 D major
Capo Advisor 0 D major · Original key

Ants Marching

"Ants Marching" is a rock song by Dave Matthews Band, released in September 1995 as the second single from their debut studio album Under the Table and Dreaming (1994). Written by Dave Matthews before its first performance in 1991, it reached #18 on both the Billboard Alternative and Mainstream Rock charts. For electric guitar players, the song offers an interesting study in melodic interplay, rhythmic groove, and the band's signature blend of rock and jazz-influenced phrasing.

  • Dave Matthews wrote the music and lyrics before the song's first live performance in 1991, years before its studio release.
  • An earlier live recording appeared on the band's 1993 album Remember Two Things, running slightly longer at 6:08.
  • The song charted at #18 on both the Billboard Alternative and Mainstream Rock charts, making it a crossover success.
Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Matthews uses the Telecaster for occasional electric parts in DMB songs, relying on its bright single-coil tone and clean articulation rather than distortion. The guitar's cutting clarity works perfectly within the band's minimalist electric approach, where warmth and transparency matter more than impact.

Gibson ES-335
Guitar

Gibson ES-335

The ES-335's warm, woody humbucker tone provides a gentler alternative when Matthews ventures into electric territory on songs like 'What Would You Say.' Its semi-hollow body naturally complements DMB's focus on clean, reverb-tinged textures without ever overshadowing the acoustic guitar's dominance.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

The Twin Reverb's lush spring reverb and clean headroom are perfect for Matthews' rare electric moments, delivering warmth and shimmer that enhance rather than distort the signal. This amp embodies DMB's philosophy that tone comes from touch and wood, not from gain or processing.

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