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Extreme - Play With Me - Guitar Lesson

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BPM
Key A minor
Extreme - Play With Me 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.
Extreme album cover
Extreme
1989 3:31
Listen on Spotify
Extreme Hard Rock 1989 A minor
Capo Advisor 0 A minor · Original key

About Play With Me

Nuno Bettencourt's showcase piece on the 1989 debut album, "Play With Me" is one of the most technically demanding Hard Rock guitar workouts of its era. Running at 120 BPM in A minor on standard tuning, the track opens with a furious alternate-picked riff that immediately separates casual players from committed ones. The right-hand technique is where most guitarists hit a wall: the picking has to stay clean and even at full tempo, and any tension in your forearm will cause the notes to blur together. Work through the main riff in short sections and use the Practice Toolbar to loop it slowed down until each note speaks clearly before you push the speed back up. The lead playing from Extreme's Nuno Bettencourt mixes legato runs with sharp picked phrases, so you will need solid control of both techniques to get through this one convincingly.

  • The main riff relies on relentless alternate picking in A minor, and any inconsistency in right-hand mechanics will become obvious at full tempo.
  • Standard E tuning is used throughout, so no retuning is needed, but the fretboard positions stretch the fretting hand across wide intervals.
  • Looping the picked riff slowed down is essential practice, as the speed demands accuracy before muscle memory can handle full-tempo runs cleanly.

How to Play Play With Me

Tuning: E Standard · Key: A minor · 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.

Soldano SLO-100
Amp

Soldano SLO-100

Nuno's signature amp on Pornograffitti, the SLO-100 delivers warm, compressed high-gain saturation that responds dynamically to his pick attack and volume knob control. Its singing sustain and tight low-end define Extreme's heavy yet articulate rhythm and lead tones.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Nuno uses this wah for funk-inflected lead lines that add expressive character to Extreme's genre-blending sound without overpowering his core tube amp tone. The Cry Baby's responsive sweep complements his dynamic playing style and wide vibrato.

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
Pedal

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay

Nuno deploys the DD-3 for ambient, spacious lead passages that contrast with Extreme's heavy rhythm sections, adding texture without digital artifacts that would clash with his warm Soldano tone. It's a subtle effect that enhances his compositional range.

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