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Van Halen - Dance The Night Away - Guitar Lesson

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Van Halen - Dance The Night Away - Guitar Lesson

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Van Halen - Dance The Night Away guitar lesson video
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Van Halen Hard Rock F major
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Dance The Night Away

"Dance The Night Away" is a hard rock track by Van Halen, featured as the second song on their 1979 album Van Halen II. Notably, it stands out as the one track likely written entirely during the album's recording sessions, rather than drawn from the band's earlier club and demo material. For electric guitarists, it offers a strong example of Eddie Van Halen's melodic riff writing and his ability to blend rhythm and lead playing within a tight, radio-friendly rock structure.

  • Unlike most Van Halen II tracks, this song was written fresh in the studio rather than developed from older club-era material.
  • The track runs just under 3 minutes and 10 seconds, making it a concise study in economical hard rock guitar arrangement.
  • Van Halen II was released in 1979, placing this song in Eddie Van Halen's early peak period of influential electric guitar work.
Gibson ES-335
Guitar

Gibson ES-335

Eddie Van Halen pulled a Gibson PAF humbucker from a ES-335 to load his original Frankenstrat, giving him a low-output pickup that maintained clarity during lightning-fast tapping and legato runs despite heavy gain.

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)
Amp

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)

Eddie's 1968 Marshall Plexi Super Lead, run through a variac at 90 volts, created his legendary 'brown sound' by pushing power tubes into sweet, spongy saturation at gig volumes, defining his harmonic sustain and responsiveness.

Soldano SLO-100
Amp

Soldano SLO-100

Eddie adopted the Soldano SLO-100 as a tonal alternative to Marshalls, delivering the high-headroom, articulate gain he needed for his finger-tapping technique while maintaining clarity in complex legato passages.

Peavey 5150
Amp

Peavey 5150

Eddie co-designed the Peavey 5150 to capture his signature tone in a modern platform, offering three channels from clean sparkle to crushing high-gain with EL34 power tubes for dynamic responsiveness across his entire playing vocabulary.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Eddie employed the Dunlop Cry Baby wah strategically on select solos, using it to add vocal-like expression and sweep to his lead lines without relying heavily on effect-driven tones.

MXR Phase 90
Pedal

MXR Phase 90

Eddie's MXR Phase 90 script-logo version created his signature swirling, vocal sweep on 'Eruption' and 'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love,' becoming one of rock's most identifiable effect tones through minimal, tasteful use.

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