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Van Halen - Light Up The Sky - Guitar Lesson

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Key E major
Van Halen - Light Up The Sky 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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Van Halen Hard Rock E major
Capo Advisor 0 E major · Original key

About Light Up The Sky

"Light Up the Sky" is one of the harder-driving tracks in Van Halen's early catalog, and it rewards players who can stay controlled at a brisk tempo while keeping their pick attack consistent. The riff work sits in E major and leans on open-position power chords mixed with single-note runs that feel deceptively straightforward until you try to lock them in with the rhythm section. Eddie's right-hand muting is a big part of what gives the riff its punch, so pay close attention to where the palm sits on the strings. Getting the transitions between the chunky chordal sections and the lead fills clean is the real challenge here. Pick out the trickiest changeover, set the Practice Toolbar to loop it slowed down, and build speed only after the movement feels automatic. E major means you have the open low E available as a natural anchor, so use it.

  • The song sits in E major, letting you exploit open-string resonance on the low E for extra weight in the rhythm part.
  • Tight palm muting on the riff transitions is the core technique to nail before attempting this at full performance tempo.
  • Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the riff-to-fill changeovers slowed down until the pick-hand muting stays consistent throughout.

How to Play Light Up The Sky

Key: E major · Tempo: 160 BPM

Loop the hardest passage and creep the speed up from around 70 percent until it holds at 160 BPM.

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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