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Poison - Something To Believe In - Guitar Lesson

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Key C major
Poison - Something To Believe In 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.
Flesh & Blood album cover
Flesh & Blood
1990 5:28
Listen on Spotify
Poison Hard Rock 1990 C major
Capo Advisor 0 C major · Original key

About Something To Believe In

Few power ballads from the Hard Rock era lean as heavily on clean-tone fingerpicking as this one does. Poison built "Something To Believe In" around a gentle, arpeggiated guitar part in C major that asks for a relaxed right-hand technique and careful dynamic control. At 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, the tempo is comfortable, but keeping your picking hand consistent through the verse patterns is where most players slip up. The song also moves between clean and fuller sections, so knowing when to let notes ring and when to tighten up your muting is central to getting the feel right. If the arpeggio pattern is tripping you up, use the Practice Toolbar to loop just that section slowed down until the fingering becomes automatic. Once the picking pattern is under your fingers, focus on the transitions into the chorus, where the strumming opens up and demands a confident rhythm-guitar approach.

  • The song is built on a fingerpicked arpeggio pattern in C major, making clean right-hand technique and consistent finger placement the main challenge.
  • E Standard tuning is used throughout, so no retuning is needed, but tone control between the clean verse and fuller chorus sections is important.
  • At 120 BPM, the tempo is moderate and manageable, though keeping the picking pattern even at a steady pulse requires slow, deliberate practice first.

How to Play Something To Believe In

The song moves through: Intro, Beginning acoustic verse, Pre-chorus, Chorus, Solo rhythm, Fill 1 & 2, Fill 3, Solo, Outro solo tips, Fill 4.

Tuning: E Standard · Key: C major · Tempo: 120 BPM

The arrangement runs through 10 distinct sections, and the solo is the steepest jump, so isolate it on its own.

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

C.C. DeVille used the Les Paul Standard in Poison's later years, leveraging its thick body and warm humbucker tones for a heavier, more classic rock foundation. The instrument provided a fatter sustain than his superstrats while maintaining the cutting presence needed to slice through the band's dense arrangements.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Les Paul Custom appeared in DeVille's setup during Poison's evolution, offering premium hardware and premium pickups that reinforced his bridge humbucker-driven lead tone with enhanced articulation and sustain. Its weight and construction allowed him to achieve singing, sustained solos while keeping the glam metal edge intact.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

DeVille's signature tone came directly from the JCM800's moderate-high gain voicing, which delivered that saturated yet articulate crunch essential to Poison's Sunset Strip sound. The amp's presence peak kept his leads cutting through the mix without needing excessive gain, letting the guitar's midrange shine through the drums.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

DeVille wielded the Cry Baby Wah as his primary expressive effect, adding vocal-like sweep and movement to lead passages and rhythm accents throughout Poison's glam metal anthems. The pedal's responsive taper complemented his flashy, over-the-top playing style and became a signature element of his soloing voice.

DigiTech Whammy
Pedal

DigiTech Whammy

While not a primary tool in DeVille's original chain, the DigiTech Whammy offered harmonic shifting effects that could enhance his signature whammy bar dive bombs and pitch-bend moments during solos. The pedal's tracking algorithms could layer synth-like tones beneath his squalling leads for added drama.

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