Practice Studio

Journey - Who's Crying Now - Guitar Lesson

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

Not in tune?

Select a Loop

Start of your loop
End of your loop

Speed Control

Speed
100%

Tools

BPM
Key E minor
PLAY WITH BACKING TRACK
·
–50¢ 0 +50¢
· Tap to start

Your browser will ask for microphone permission.

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.

Journey Rock E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Who's Crying Now


At 120 BPM in E minor, "Who's Crying Now" sits in that mid-tempo pocket where feel matters more than speed. The song's guitar work centers on clean, melodic chord voicings and a restrained lead tone that rewards players who focus on dynamics rather than flash. Neal Schon's playing here leans on smooth, singable phrasing, so getting the bends and vibrato to sit right is the real challenge, not the raw technique. E Standard tuning means no retuning required, but the minor key mood asks for a controlled, slightly dark touch on your attack. If the lead melody phrases are slipping by too fast, use the Practice Toolbar to loop them slowed down until the phrasing feels natural under your fingers. Journey built much of their sound around that balance of polished Rock rhythm playing and lyrical lead work, and this track is a solid place to work on both in one sitting.

  • The lead guitar melody prioritizes smooth, vocal-style bending and vibrato over speed, making clean intonation the main thing to practise.
  • Played in E Standard tuning at 120 BPM, the song sits in a comfortable mid-tempo range that lets you focus on tone and phrasing.
  • Rhythm guitar relies on clear, ringing chord voicings in E minor, so proper left-hand muting to avoid unwanted string noise is worth attention.

How to Play Who's Crying Now

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E 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.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Neal Schon's go-to instrument for Journey's classic era, the Les Paul Standard delivers the warm sustain and thick midrange his melodic lead style demands. The mahogany body and stock PAF-style humbuckers preserve his picking dynamics while providing the singing tone that defined hits like 'Faithfully.'

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Schon favored the Les Paul Custom for its enhanced sustain and slightly different voice compared to the Standard, offering richer harmonic saturation for his soulful solos. The thicker body provides the dense, creamy lead tones essential to Journey's power ballads.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The JCM800's tight, responsive breakup is fundamental to Schon's tone, delivering rich harmonic saturation when driven moderately without excessive fizz. This amp's midrange presence and smooth top-end rolloff allow his guitar's volume control and picking nuances to shape his legendary sustain.

DigiTech Whammy
Pedal

DigiTech Whammy

While not a core part of Schon's minimal pedalboard, the Whammy provides expressive pitch shifting for dramatic solo moments, complementing his restrained effects philosophy. He uses it sparingly to add texture and dynamic range rather than relying on it as a primary effect.

Play with Backing Track

Play with Backing Track

Solo (Backing Track)

Solo (Backing Track)