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Scorpions - Blackout - Guitar Lesson

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Key A minor
Scorpions - Blackout guitar lesson video
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Classic Rock

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Presence5
Master7
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Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
Blackout album cover
Blackout
1982 3:48
Listen on Spotify
Scorpions Hard Rock 1982 A minor
Capo Advisor 0 A minor · Original key

About Blackout

Few Hard Rock openers hit as hard as the twin-guitar attack that kicks off "Blackout." Scorpions built the track around a driving, palm-muted riff in A minor that locks tightly with the kick drum at 120 BPM, so your right-hand timing needs to be precise and steady before you worry about anything else. The song is played in Eb Standard tuning, so drop every string a half step before you start or the riff will clash with the recording. Rudolph Schenker and Matthias Jabs trade rhythm and lead roles throughout, which means there are two distinct guitar parts worth learning separately. The lead lines demand clean bends and vibrato at a pace that can catch you out, and the Practice Toolbar is your best friend here: loop the solo sections slowed down until the pitch of each bend is sitting right. Once the individual parts feel solid, try layering them to hear how the twin-guitar texture actually works.

  • The song uses Eb Standard tuning, so all six strings must be tuned down a half step to match the original recording.
  • The main riff relies heavily on palm muting in A minor, making tight right-hand control the first technique to nail.
  • Two separate guitar parts run through the track, making it a practical study in twin-guitar rhythm and lead interplay.

How to Play Blackout

Tuning: Eb Standard · Key: A 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.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Matthias Jabs adopted Fender Stratocasters with humbuckers in later years, using their brighter character for cleaner ballad tones and more articulate lead work than his earlier Explorer guitars. The single-coil versatility lets him dial back aggression while maintaining the Scorpions' signature sustain.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

While less documented than their Custom models, the Les Paul Standard's thick body and stock humbuckers provide the warm, sustained tone the Scorpions need for layered lead harmonies and heavy power chord work in the studio.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Matthias Jabs relied heavily on Gibson Les Paul Customs in the studio for their superior sustain and thick tonal character on solos, using the guitar's humbuckers and weight to achieve the band's signature fat, compressed lead sound.

Gibson Flying V
Guitar

Gibson Flying V

Rudolf Schenker's iconic Gibson Flying V since the mid-70s delivers his aggressive, palm-muted rhythm tone through hot PAF-style humbuckers, becoming synonymous with the Scorpions' raw, pointed attack and distinctive visual identity.

Gibson Explorer
Guitar

Gibson Explorer

Matthias Jabs built his lead style around the Gibson Explorer's angular design and humbucker tone, using the guitar's focused midrange and sustain for expressive solos before transitioning to signature ESP and Fender models.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

Both Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs powered the Scorpions' classic 80s sound through Marshall JCM800 heads, with Schenker running moderate preamp gain for defined rhythm crunch and Jabs pushing higher gain for lead work and sustain.

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