Creator Area
Sign in Creator Area

The Police - Roxanne - Guitar Lesson

Practice Studio

The Police - Roxanne - 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 G minor
The Police - Roxanne guitar lesson video
Guitar 365
Guitar 365 Top Contributor
YouTube: 1.6Msubs 303Kviews
Creator Page →
·
–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.
Listen on Spotify
The Police Rock G minor
Capo Advisor 0 G minor · Original key

Roxanne

"Roxanne" is a song by the British rock band The Police, written by Sting and released as a single on 7 April 1978, ahead of their debut album Outlandos d'Amour. The song tells the story of a man in love with a prostitute, delivered over a distinctive reggae-influenced rock groove. For electric guitarists, it offers an excellent study in Andy Summers' sparse, chordal playing style, combining reggae-tinged rhythms with a raw punk energy that defined The Police's early sound.

  • "Roxanne" was The Police's first single released on A&M Records, marking a pivotal moment in the band's career.
  • Andy Summers' guitar work on the track blends reggae offbeat strumming with rock edge, a technique worth studying closely.
  • When re-released in April 1979, "Roxanne" peaked at No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart, expanding the band's mainstream reach.
Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Andy Summers used the Strat on select Police tracks for its smooth, singing sustain and contoured body comfort during intricate fingerpicking passages. Its versatile pickup switching complemented his hybrid Tele's spiky attack, offering warmer mid-range tones for atmospheric arrangements.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Summers' modified 1961 Tele Custom with Gibson humbucker in the neck and Fender single-coil bridge became his signature weapon, delivering both cutting reggae arpeggios and warm, sustained chords that defined The Police's distinctive sonic character.

Gibson ES-335
Guitar

Gibson ES-335

The ES-335's warm, woody tone and semi-hollow body resonance gave Summers jazzier options in the studio, adding sophisticated harmonic depth to Police tracks that required softer, more organic textures beyond the Tele's angular attack.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

Summers pushed the JCM800 just past breakup for crunch rather than full distortion, pairing it in stereo with his clean Roland to create The Police's signature wide, layered guitar image with grit and clarity coexisting.

MXR Phase 90
Pedal

MXR Phase 90

This swirling phaser added jet-like, psychedelic textures to Summers' clean tones, occasionally used to enhance the shimmering, otherworldly quality of Police arrangements without overwhelming their reggae-influenced rhythmic precision.

MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay
Pedal

MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay

The MXR Carbon Copy's warm analog delay provided rhythmic slapback and lush atmospheric repeats essential to Summers' compositional approach, where effects functioned as fundamental song elements rather than decorative flourishes.

Recommended for You