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Bad Company - Feel Like Makin' Love - Guitar Lesson

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Key D major
Bad Company - Feel Like Makin' Love guitar lesson video
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Classic Rock

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Classic Rock Love Songs album cover
Classic Rock Love Songs
2021 5:15
Listen on Spotify
Bad Company Hard Rock 2021 D major
Capo Advisor 0 D major · Original key

About Feel Like Makin' Love

Few songs in the Hard Rock catalog balance tenderness and grit as naturally as this one. Bad Company built "Feel Like Makin' Love" around a clean, climbing guitar figure in D major that sits at the heart of the arrangement. The riff is deceptively simple: steady quarter-note movement with careful string choice, but getting the phrasing to breathe at 120 BPM is what separates a mechanical runthrough from something that actually feels right. The song shifts between a restrained, almost fingerpicky verse feel and a fuller, driven chorus, so your right-hand dynamics need to change gear without drawing attention to themselves. E Standard tuning means nothing exotic to set up, but the D major tonality rewards working out some of the melodic fills in the upper register. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the verse-to-chorus transition slowed down until the volume swell feels controlled rather than rushed.

  • The song is built around a clean melodic guitar riff in D major that relies more on phrasing and touch than technical speed.
  • At 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, the main figure is approachable for intermediate players but demands careful dynamic control between verse and chorus.
  • Practise the transition from the quiet, clean verse picking into the fuller chorus tone by looping it slowed down until the shift feels natural.

How to Play Feel Like Makin' Love

Tuning: E Standard · Key: D major · Tempo: 120 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 120 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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