Level 42 - Something About You - Guitar Lesson

World Machine

1985 4:25

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About Something About You

Few pop songs from 1985 put the guitar in quite this position: supportive, rhythmic, and mostly staying out of the way of a very busy bass and horn arrangement. Playing "Something About You" well means locking into a tight funk-rock groove at 120 BPM in D major, with clean chord stabs and muted sixteenth-note strumming carrying most of the weight. The E Standard tuning keeps things straightforward, but the discipline required to sit precisely in the pocket and not overplay is the real challenge here. Sloppy muting will expose itself immediately against the track's crisp, dry production. Focus on getting your right-hand damping completely clean before worrying about anything else. If the rhythmic stabs are slipping, use the Practice Toolbar to loop a short section slowed down until your fretting hand and picking hand are completely in sync. Level 42 built their sound at the crossroads of jazz, pop, and Funk Rock, and this track is one of the clearest examples of how that demands real rhythmic control from every player in the band, including the guitarist.

• The guitar part relies heavily on muted sixteenth-note chord stabs, so right-hand damping technique is the main thing to get right before playing up to speed.
• At 120 BPM in D major and E Standard tuning, the tempo is moderate but the rhythmic precision required against the tight bass groove leaves little room for sloppiness.
• Because the guitar sits low in the mix, practising with the original track is highly recommended so you can hear how your stabs and mutes need to interlock with the rhythm section.