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Bad Company - Bad Company - Guitar Lesson

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BPM
Key A minor
Bad Company - Bad Company guitar lesson video
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
AI tone preset

AI-selected preset based on genre and era — adjust the knobs to taste.

Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
Bad Company album cover
Bad Company
2025 3:40
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Bad Company Hard Rock 2025 A minor
Capo Advisor 0 A minor · Original key

About Bad Company

Few hard-rock tracks from the classic era make as strong a case for restraint as this one. Bad Company built the song around a guitar part that breathes, leaving space between phrases rather than filling every bar. In A minor at a steady 108 BPM, the feel is deliberately unhurried, so rushing it is the main trap to avoid. E Standard tuning keeps things straightforward, but nailing the right dynamics, knowing when to dig in and when to ease off, is where the real work is. The Hard Rock genre rewards players who can project authority without overplaying, and this song is a perfect exercise in that balance. If the main riff or any transitional phrase keeps slipping, use the Practice Toolbar to loop it slowed down until the timing feels locked before bringing it back up to tempo.

  • The song sits at 108 BPM in A minor, a moderate tempo that exposes any rushing, so practicing with a metronome before full speed is worthwhile.
  • E Standard tuning is used throughout, meaning no retuning is needed, but tone and pick attack matter a lot for capturing the original feel.
  • The guitar part relies heavily on controlled dynamics and phrasing rather than technical complexity, making it a strong exercise in expressive playing.

How to Play Bad Company

Tuning: E Standard · Key: A minor · Tempo: 108 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 108 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Mick Ralphs used the Stratocaster selectively for cleaner, more articulate passages that contrasted with his Les Paul's warm sustain. Its bright, single-coil voice provided tonal variety without abandoning Bad Company's signature full-bodied character.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Ralphs' primary instrument, the late-1950s and early-1970s Les Paul Standard delivered the thick mahogany warmth and sustained midrange that defines Bad Company's signature tone. Its PAF humbuckers pushed Marshall power tubes into natural overdrive, creating that harmonically rich breakup.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The 'Black Beauty' Les Paul Custom was Ralphs' go-to during Bad Company's peak years, offering the same warm sustain as the Standard with added aesthetic presence. Its stock PAF humbuckers provided perfect output balance for dynamic playing and controlled volume-knob rollbacks.

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)
Amp

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)

Ralphs cranked Marshall JMP 100-watt Super Lead heads to push power tubes into warm, natural saturation without external gain pedals. The amp's punchy midrange paired with his Les Paul's thick low-end created Bad Company's full yet articulate tone.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Ralphs rarely relied on effects, but occasionally deployed the Dunlop Cry Baby wah for specific lead passages in studio tracks. Its dynamic responsiveness complemented his minimalist approach, adding expression without altering his core tone.

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