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Van Halen - Hear About It Later - Guitar Lesson

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Key E major
Van Halen - Hear About It Later guitar lesson video
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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.
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Van Halen Hard Rock E major
Capo Advisor 0 E major · Original key

About Hear About It Later

"Hear About It Later" opens Fair Warning with a muscular, syncopated riff in E major that immediately shows why Van Halen was so hard to imitate. Eddie's rhythm playing here is less about flash and more about groove, locking in with a tight, slightly behind-the-beat feel that can trip up guitarists who rush it. The chord stabs are percussive and palm-muted in stretches, so keeping your pick-hand relaxed while staying precise is the real challenge. When the lead sections arrive, the phrasing is wide-open, mixing legato runs with hard-picked single notes, and the transitions between rhythm and lead happen fast. If the syncopated rhythm figure is giving you trouble, use the Practice Toolbar to loop it slowed down until the subdivision feels natural rather than forced. Getting the dynamics right, knowing when to dig in and when to back off, is what makes this track convincing.

  • The central riff is built around E major and relies heavily on syncopated palm-muted chord stabs that reward careful attention to right-hand rhythmic accuracy.
  • Lead passages blend legato hammer-ons and pull-offs with picked single notes, so practicing the transitions between picking styles is worthwhile.
  • The rhythm part demands a relaxed but controlled pick hand, since tension causes the groove to rush and the syncopation loses its feel.

How to Play Hear About It Later

The song moves through: Intro, Main riff, Variation, Continuation, Next, Distortion, Verse, Pre-chorus, Chorus, Short verse, Bridge, Solo, and more.

Key: E major · Tempo: 120 BPM

The arrangement runs through 12 distinct sections, and the solo is the steepest jump, so isolate it on its own.

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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