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Whitesnake - Still Of The Night Pt.2 - Octave Riff, Pre-Chorus & Chorus - Guitar Lesson

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Whitesnake - Still Of The Night Pt.2 - Octave Riff, Pre-Chorus & Chorus guitar lesson video
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Classic Rock

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Whitesnake Hard Rock A minor
Capo Advisor 0 A minor · Original key

About Still Of The Night Pt.2 - Octave Riff, Pre-Chorus & Chorus

The octave riff at the heart of this section is the moment most guitarists want to nail first, and it earns that attention. Playing octaves cleanly at 80 BPM in A minor demands tight muting between the two fretted strings, otherwise the intervening string bleeds and muddies the whole groove. In E Standard tuning you get plenty of low-end weight, so let the open bottom strings breathe where the arrangement calls for it, but keep your picking hand disciplined everywhere else. The pre-chorus builds tension through a climbing figure that asks you to shift positions smoothly without losing the beat, which is harder than it sounds at a moderate tempo where every hesitation is audible. The chorus then opens up, and landing those chord stabs with conviction while keeping time is its own challenge. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the octave riff slowed down until the muting is automatic, then do the same for the position shift into the pre-chorus. Whitesnake were working squarely in the Hard Rock tradition here, and the part rewards careful, methodical repetition far more than running it at full speed too early.

  • The octave riff is played in A minor in E Standard tuning, so right-hand muting between the octave pair is essential to keep each note articulate.
  • At 80 BPM the tempo is moderate, meaning rhythmic hesitations in the position shift before the pre-chorus are clearly exposed, making slow practice critical.
  • Looping the chorus chord stabs with the Practice Toolbar helps you lock in the picking attack and timing needed to make them punch without rushing.

How to Play Still Of The Night Pt.2 - Octave Riff, Pre-Chorus & Chorus

Tuning: E Standard · Key: A minor · Tempo: 80 BPM

Loop each section and focus on clean, even timing rather than speed, with the metronome at 80 BPM.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

While John Sykes favored the Les Paul Custom, the Standard delivers the same thick humbucker warmth essential to Whitesnake's classic rock tone. Its slightly lighter weight and traditional specs make it an accessible alternative for achieving that powerful, sustained lead sound through cranked tube amps.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

John Sykes' black 1978 Les Paul Custom with gold hardware is the definitive Whitesnake guitar, its stock Gibson humbuckers producing the warm midrange growl and controlled compression needed for 'Still of the Night' solos. This guitar's thick, harmonically rich character became inseparable from the band's signature hard rock voice.

Ibanez JEM
Guitar

Ibanez JEM

Steve Vai brought the Ibanez JEM 777 and its Floyd Rose tremolo to Whitesnake, enabling expressive solo techniques and pitch-bending flexibility that complemented the band's shredding era. The JEM's bright, articulate character contrasted with traditional Les Paul tones while maintaining cutting power through Marshall stacks.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The Marshall JCM800 is the sonic foundation of Whitesnake, delivering the thick, tube-driven natural saturation and harmonically rich distortion that defines songs like 'Still of the Night.' Sykes pushed these heads hard in the preamp, maintaining high presence and treble to retain clarity and pick attack in solos.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

John Sykes used the Dunlop Cry Baby Wah sparingly but effectively for solo accents and expressive passages, adding dynamic color without cluttering Whitesnake's amp-driven aesthetic. This pedal's responsive sweep complemented his Les Paul's warm tone while enhancing the emotional impact of key lead moments.

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