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Temple of the Dog - Say Hello 2 Heaven - Guitar Lesson

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Key A minor
Temple of the Dog - Say Hello 2 Heaven 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.
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Temple of the Dog Grunge A minor
Capo Advisor 0 A minor · Original key

About Say Hello 2 Heaven

At 72 BPM in A minor, "Say Hello 2 Heaven" sits in a slow, grief-heavy pocket that rewards patience over flash. The song opens with a clean, brooding guitar figure that sets the emotional weight before the track builds into heavier, distorted territory, so you will need to manage your dynamics carefully across the arrangement. Staying in E Standard tuning keeps things approachable, but the real challenge is feel: playing behind the beat and letting notes breathe rather than rushing through the slower passages. The verse picking pattern deserves close attention, since even a small slip in timing undercuts the mood entirely. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop those quieter sections slowed down until the phrasing feels natural rather than mechanical. Temple of the Dog was a one-off project born out of mourning, and that emotional context lives in every restrained bend and held chord. As a piece of Grunge balladry, it is a strong study in how tone and touch carry more weight than complexity.

  • The song sits at 72 BPM in A minor, so controlling dynamics and sustain matters far more than speed or technical difficulty.
  • Clean and distorted tones both appear in the arrangement, making pickup selection and your amp's gain staging worth thinking through before you start.
  • The slow tempo exposes any timing inconsistencies in your picking hand, so use the Practice Toolbar to loop tricky phrases slowed down and build accuracy first.

How to Play Say Hello 2 Heaven

Tuning: E Standard · Key: A minor · Tempo: 72 BPM

Loop each section and focus on clean, even timing rather than speed, with the metronome at 72 BPM.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Stone Gossard wielded the Telecaster for its bright, percussive single-coil attack that cut through Chris Cornell's vocals on Temple of the Dog. The snappy rhythm tone provided the perfect contrast to Mike McCready's thick Les Paul leads, defining the album's dynamic guitar interplay.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Mike McCready's primary instrument, the Les Paul Standard delivered warm PAF-style humbuckers ideal for expressive bends and singing sustain. Its thick midrange became the sonic backbone of Temple of the Dog's lead guitar sound when pushed through cranked Marshall amplifiers.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

A Les Paul variant McCready favored for its enhanced sustain and tonal warmth, the Custom's humbuckers provided the same vocal midrange that made his leads soar above Cornell's powerful vocals. The instrument's thicker construction reinforced the band's rich, sustain-driven overdrive tone.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

McCready's primary amplifier, the JCM800 delivered natural tube saturation when cranked, creating thick, singing overdrive without relying on gain pedals. This head was essential to achieving Temple of the Dog's warm, expressive lead guitar tone that defined the album.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

Stone Gossard used the Twin Reverb as a clean platform pushed just to breakup, letting his picking dynamics control the grit. The amp's sparkling cleans provided textural contrast to McCready's darker Marshall tones, creating the album's wide tonal spectrum.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

McCready deployed the Cry Baby wah sparingly for expressive lead accents on Temple of the Dog, using it as a tasteful ornament rather than a dominant effect. The wah enhanced his vocal-like phrasing without overshadowing the album's straightforward, amp-driven approach.

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