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The Who - Baba O'Riley - Guitar Lesson

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The Who - Baba O'Riley - Guitar Lesson

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The Who - Baba O'Riley guitar lesson video
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The Who Rock F major
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Baba O'Riley

"Baba O'Riley" is the opening track on The Who's fifth studio album, Who's Next (1971), written by guitarist and principal songwriter Pete Townshend. The song blends synthesizer-driven textures with powerful guitar work, making it a landmark in classic rock. For electric guitar players, it offers an excellent study in Townshend's aggressive rhythm style, open-chord energy, and the interplay between guitar and keys that defined The Who's sound.

  • Pete Townshend wrote the song, learning it gives direct insight into his iconic rhythm guitar approach and full-band arrangement thinking.
  • The track opens Who's Next (1971), considered one of the most influential rock albums ever recorded.
  • Despite its fame, 'Baba O'Riley' was not released as a single in the US, European listeners heard it paired with 'My Wife' in October 1971.
Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Townshend switched to Fender Stratocasters from the mid-1970s onward, using their stock single-coil pickups for clarity and chimey top-end that cut through massive stadium volumes when paired with his Hiwatt amps. The Strat's responsiveness to his dynamic, windmill attack made it ideal for The Who's power chord precision.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

While Townshend primarily used Les Paul Deluxes with mini-humbuckers, the Standard's full humbuckers would deliver a tighter, more compressed midrange that contrasts with his preferred P-90 aggression. A Standard represents a warmer, less cutting variation of his classic mod-era tone.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Les Paul Custom shares the Deluxe's mini-humbucker character that Townshend favored for a focused midrange, though its premium construction would offer slightly more sustain than his typical gigging instruments. Townshend valued stock electronics and destructive live performance over luxury features.

Marshall JTM45
Amp

Marshall JTM45

Townshend famously pushed Marshall JTM45s to their limits in the late 1960s, driving them into aggressive overdrive that influenced Marshall's louder amp designs. His volume demands and hard-hit playing style directly contributed to Marshall developing more powerful heads to match his revolutionary stage presence.

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