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Ozzy Osbourne - Mama I'm Coming Home - Guitar Lesson

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Key E minor
Ozzy Osbourne - Mama I'm Coming Home guitar lesson video
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
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Ozzy Osbourne Hard Rock E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Mama I'm Coming Home

Few power ballads from 1991 sit as comfortably under the fingers as "Mama I'm Coming Home," yet there is real craft to getting it right. The song is built around clean, arpeggiated chord work and a warm melodic lead tone, so your picking hand control and note sustain matter far more than speed. One thing to sort out immediately: the whole track sits in Eb Standard tuning, which drops every string a half-step. If you play it in standard tuning the chords still work, but you will be a semitone sharp against the recording. At 120 BPM the feel is steady and unhurried, which actually makes it harder to hide sloppy transitions. The chorus-to-verse chord moves and the lead fills between vocal lines are where most players slip up, so set the Practice Toolbar to loop those sections slowed down until the movements feel automatic. Ozzy Osbourne made this a staple of his catalog, and it remains a worthwhile piece of Hard Rock guitar to have under your belt.

  • The entire song is played in Eb Standard tuning, so tune every string down a half-step before playing along with the recording.
  • Much of the guitar work relies on clean arpeggiated chords and melodic fills, making right-hand pick control and consistency a central challenge.
  • At 120 BPM the tempo is moderate, but smooth chord transitions and sustained lead notes require careful, deliberate practice to nail cleanly.

How to Play Mama I'm Coming Home

Tuning: Eb Standard · Key: E minor · Tempo: 120 BPM

It is played in Eb standard, a half step down, so tune down before you start or every position and bend will sit a half step sharp against the recording.

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

Slash's Les Paul Standard on 'Ordinary Man' delivers Ozzy's signature thick, warm sustain through its mahogany body and set neck. The guitar's natural resonance cuts through a cranked Marshall while maintaining the heavy, blues-rooted tone that defines modern Ozzy records.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Randy Rhoads and Zakk Wylde both relied on the Les Paul Custom's thick mahogany construction and PAF-style humbuckers for sustained, focused leads that pierce through Marshall saturation. The Custom's weight and warmth became sonic anchors for Ozzy's most iconic guitar tones across decades.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

Zakk Wylde dimed the JCM800 2203 for maximum crunch and tight low-end response, making it the backbone of modern Ozzy heaviness. The amp's aggressive gain structure and natural breakup at volume deliver the roaring, sustained tone perfect for pinch harmonics and heavy riffing.

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)
Amp

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)

Randy Rhoads' modified 1959 Super Lead Plexi delivered natural tube saturation with a tight, focused midrange that allowed his fast runs and solos to cut through with clarity. The Plexi's simple, responsive design meant tone came directly from his fingers and Les Paul into the amp.

EMG 81
Pickup

EMG 81

Zakk Wylde's bridge position EMG 81 provides high output and compressed sustain essential for heavy riffing and pinch harmonics that define modern Ozzy songs. The active humbucker's tight low-end response couples perfectly with a dimed Marshall JCM800 for maximum aggression.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Randy Rhoads and Zakk Wylde both used the Cry Baby wah to add expressive texture to leads without cluttering their core Marshall-driven tone. The wah's responsive sweep enhanced their solos while remaining secondary to the raw tube amp saturation that defines Ozzy's sound.

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