Creator Area
Sign in Creator Area

The Smashing Pumpkins - Zero - Guitar Lesson

Practice Studio

The Smashing Pumpkins - Zero - 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 F# minor
The Smashing Pumpkins - Zero guitar lesson video
Guitar 365
Guitar 365 Top Contributor
YouTube: 1.6Msubs 24Kviews
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 Smashing Pumpkins Alternative Rock F# minor
Capo Advisor 0 F# minor · Original key

Zero

"Zero" is a song by The Smashing Pumpkins, released as the third single from their 1995 double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Written by Billy Corgan, it was the first track recorded for the album and is notable for its dense, layered guitar arrangement. For electric guitarists, it is a rewarding study in distorted rhythm guitar texture, featuring six rhythm guitar tracks blended with acoustic 12-string guitars to create its distinctive, wall-of-sound character.

  • "Zero" layers six rhythm electric guitars in the studio recording, making it a compelling example of multi-track guitar arrangement.
  • Two line-in 12-string acoustic guitars are woven into the mix alongside the electric tracks, blending acoustic and electric tones.
  • Despite its dense production, "Zero" was the very first song Billy Corgan recorded for Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Billy Corgan's primary weapon, particularly his late-'70s hardtail model with stock single-coils that create the Pumpkins' signature scooped, fizzy fuzz tone when slammed into a Big Muff. The single-coil bridge pickup delivers that aggressive high-end sizzle and cutting sustain central to their distorted sound.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

James Iha's go-to rhythm guitar, providing bright, cutting tones that complement Corgan's Strat-based layers and add definition to the band's wall-of-sound approach without sacrificing the clarity needed in their dense arrangements.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Corgan used Les Pauls with stock PAF-style humbuckers for warmer, thicker lead tones that contrast with his Strat's fizz, allowing him to shift between aggressive rhythm fuzz and fat, sustaining solos throughout the Pumpkins' catalog.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

A variation of Corgan's Les Paul arsenal, the Custom offered similar warm humbucker character for lead work while its thicker body resonance provided deeper low-end support for the band's heavier passages on later recordings.

Gibson ES-335
Guitar

Gibson ES-335

Corgan deployed this semi-hollow body for textured, slightly more organic tones that provided sonic variety beyond his Strat and Les Paul, particularly useful for cleaner, more nuanced passages that needed definition without harsh high-end artifacts.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The core of Corgan's distortion tone, cranked to the edge of breakup and pushed harder by his Big Muff pedal, the JCM800's natural tube compression and high-volume sustain became synonymous with the Pumpkins' crushing wall-of-sound aesthetic.

Recommended for You