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Van Halen - 316 - Guitar Lesson

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Key A minor
Van Halen - 316 guitar lesson video
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Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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Van Halen Hard Rock A minor
Capo Advisor 0 A minor · Original key

About 316

Few pieces in the Hard Rock catalogue expose a guitarist's fingerpicking technique quite like "316." Rather than the whammy-bar acrobatics and shred runs that defined much of Eddie Van Halen's reputation, this short instrumental asks for clean, arpeggiated fingerstyle playing in A minor, with a delicate touch that leaves nowhere to hide. The Eb Standard tuning drops every string a half-step, giving the open strings a slightly looser, warmer resonance that suits the reflective mood of the piece. At 120 BPM the tempo is moderate, but maintaining an even, singing tone across each picked note is harder than the speed suggests. Pay close attention to letting notes ring into one another cleanly rather than muting them prematurely. If the arpeggiated pattern keeps tripping you up, pull it into the Practice Toolbar, slow it down, and loop it until your picking hand moves without thinking. Van Halen released this as a rare, intimate moment of acoustic-style guitar that rewards patience over technique alone.

  • The piece is played fingerstyle rather than with a pick, making right-hand finger independence the main technical challenge.
  • Eb Standard tuning is used throughout, so tune every string down a half-step before you start.
  • Keeping arpeggiated notes ringing cleanly without accidental muting is the key practice focus for this piece.

How to Play 316

Tuning: Eb Standard · Key: A minor · Tempo: 120 BPM

It is played in Eb standard, a half step down, so tune down before you start or every position and bend will sit a half step sharp against the recording.

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 120 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Gibson ES-335
Guitar

Gibson ES-335

Eddie Van Halen pulled a Gibson PAF humbucker from a ES-335 to load his original Frankenstrat, giving him a low-output pickup that maintained clarity during lightning-fast tapping and legato runs despite heavy gain.

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)
Amp

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)

Eddie's 1968 Marshall Plexi Super Lead, run through a variac at 90 volts, created his legendary 'brown sound' by pushing power tubes into sweet, spongy saturation at gig volumes, defining his harmonic sustain and responsiveness.

Soldano SLO-100
Amp

Soldano SLO-100

Eddie adopted the Soldano SLO-100 as a tonal alternative to Marshalls, delivering the high-headroom, articulate gain he needed for his finger-tapping technique while maintaining clarity in complex legato passages.

Peavey 5150
Amp

Peavey 5150

Eddie co-designed the Peavey 5150 to capture his signature tone in a modern platform, offering three channels from clean sparkle to crushing high-gain with EL34 power tubes for dynamic responsiveness across his entire playing vocabulary.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Eddie employed the Dunlop Cry Baby wah strategically on select solos, using it to add vocal-like expression and sweep to his lead lines without relying heavily on effect-driven tones.

MXR Phase 90
Pedal

MXR Phase 90

Eddie's MXR Phase 90 script-logo version created his signature swirling, vocal sweep on 'Eruption' and 'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love,' becoming one of rock's most identifiable effect tones through minimal, tasteful use.

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