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Prince - Nothing Compares 2 U - Guitar Lesson

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Key F major
Prince - Nothing Compares 2 U guitar lesson video
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Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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Prince Pop F major
Capo Advisor 0 F major · Original key

About Nothing Compares 2 U

Written by Prince in 1985 for his side project The Family, "Nothing Compares 2 U" is a slow, emotionally exposed ballad that rewards a guitarist who can play with real restraint. At 76 BPM in F major, the tempo is unhurried, which means every note and every gap between notes is fully audible. There is nowhere to hide sloppy phrasing. The challenge here is not speed or complexity but sustain, touch, and keeping your dynamics consistent through a long, slow chord progression in E Standard tuning. Strumming patterns need to feel breath-like rather than mechanical, so if your timing drifts on the slower passages, use the Practice Toolbar to loop those sections at reduced speed until the feel is completely internalized. For lead players, the Pop sensibility of the melody means note choice matters enormously. Less is genuinely more here, and learning to let chords ring fully without over-playing is the real lesson this song teaches.

  • At 76 BPM in F major and E Standard tuning, the slow tempo demands careful attention to sustain and dynamic control across every chord change.
  • The main challenge is not technical difficulty but phrasing: keeping strumming patterns fluid and breath-like rather than stiff or metronomic.
  • Looping the verse chord progression slowed down with the Practice Toolbar is the most effective way to build the light, consistent touch this song requires.

How to Play Nothing Compares 2 U

Tuning: E Standard · Key: F major · Tempo: 76 BPM

Loop each section and focus on clean, even timing rather than speed, with the metronome at 76 BPM.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Prince used Stratocasters for versatile lead and rhythm work, leveraging their smooth contours and tonal flexibility across funk, rock, and soul contexts. The instrument's natural sustain complemented his expressive vibrato technique and dynamic playing style.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

The Telecaster's bright, snappy single-coil tone defined Prince's clean funk rhythm work, especially through his signature Hohner Madcat model. This cutting edge made his rhythm stabs punchy and present, grounding his funkiest grooves with crystalline definition.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

Prince paired the Twin Reverb's headroom and natural sparkle with his Telecaster-style guitars for pristine clean funk tones that never muddied. The amp's legendary reverb provided subtle space without sacrificing the tight, immediate feel he demanded.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Prince wielded the Cry Baby as both a dynamic filter sweep and a static tonal colorizer, using it to add vocal-like expression to his lead passages. His technique of parking the wah at specific frequencies became a signature textural tool throughout his catalog.

Boss DS-1 Distortion
Pedal

Boss DS-1 Distortion

The DS-1's thick, controlled distortion pushed Prince's Mesa/Boogie amps into heavier territory while maintaining note definition, crucial for the raw crunch on tracks like 'Let's Go Crazy'. This pedal delivered sustain-heavy aggression without sacrificing clarity.

Boss BF-2 Flanger
Pedal

Boss BF-2 Flanger

Prince's BF-2 Flanger created the swirling psychedelic textures that added dimension to his cleaner passages and rhythm work. This effect demonstrated his willingness to layer sonic complexity while keeping his core tone grounded and immediate.

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