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Slash - Anastasia Pt.1 - Acoustic Intro - Guitar Lesson

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Slash - Anastasia Pt.1 - Acoustic Intro guitar lesson video
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Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
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Master7
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Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
Apocalyptic Love (Deluxe) [feat. Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators] album cover
Apocalyptic Love (Deluxe) [feat. Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators]
2012 6:07
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Slash Blues Rock 2012

About Anastasia Pt.1 - Acoustic Intro

The acoustic intro to "Anastasia" is one of the more demanding fingerpicked passages in Slash's catalog, and it rewards careful, patient work well before you ever plug in. The picking hand has to stay clean and deliberate across a progression that shifts position more than it first appears, so locking in the fretting-hand shapes before worrying about speed is the right approach. In E Standard tuning the open strings ring naturally against fretted notes, which sounds great but also exposes any sloppy muting. That balance between letting notes ring and cutting them cleanly is where most players get tripped up. The tempo is moderate enough that momentum can tempt you into rushing the ornaments, so use the Practice Toolbar to loop the trickier position changes slowed down until each note speaks clearly. This is genuinely worth learning as a stand-alone piece: the Blues Rock phrasing and the way melodic ideas weave through the chord movement give it a complete, composed feeling that goes far beyond a mere warm-up.

  • The intro is played fingerpicked in E Standard tuning, so open strings ring freely and any fretting-hand sloppiness is immediately audible.
  • The main challenge is coordinating position shifts cleanly while keeping ornamental notes from blurring into the chord tones beneath them.
  • Practising each phrase in isolation with the Practice Toolbar slowed down will reveal the exact pick-hand fingering that keeps the melody on top.

How to Play Anastasia Pt.1 - Acoustic Intro

Tuning: E Standard

Use the section loop to isolate a passage and drop the speed to build each section up to tempo.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Slash's signature weapon, the Les Paul Standard delivers the thick, singing sustain and midrange punch essential to his tone. Its mahogany body and maple top, combined with a chunky neck, create the weight and resonance that powers his iconic lead voice.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Custom's thicker body and binding offer slightly enhanced sustain and midrange focus compared to the Standard. While less iconic than his '59 replica, it maintains the tonal character Slash needs for consistent crunch and singing solos.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

Though Slash favors the JCM25/50 Jubilee, the JCM800 shares similar tonal DNA with a brighter, tighter clipping circuit. It produces the compressed overdrive character fundamental to his thick roar, though slightly less warm than his primary setup.

Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro
Pickup

Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro

These signature humbuckers preserve Slash's touch sensitivity by avoiding hot output, letting his aggressive picking snarl and soft passages clean up naturally. The alnico II magnets deliver warmth and smooth attack that complements the Marshall's saturation without adding harshness.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Slash's signature wah pedal adds expressive funk and soaring lead accents to his pedalboard without coloring his core tone. It's an essential tool for his rhythmic funky passages and dramatic solo bends, deployed as seasoning over his cranked Marshall foundation.

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
Pedal

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay

This subtle slapback delay enhances Slash's solos with spatial depth and dimension without drowning his tone. Its conservative settings maintain his core Marshall character while adding the slight doubling effect that thickens his signature lead passages.

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