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Van Halen - Little Guitars - Guitar Lesson

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Key A minor
Van Halen - Little Guitars 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 A minor
Capo Advisor 0 A minor · Original key

About Little Guitars

"Little Guitars" is one of the more quietly demanding pieces in the Van Halen catalog. The song opens with a solo acoustic fingerpicking intro that sits well outside the band's usual hard rock territory, asking for clean right-hand fingerstyle technique and a steady, measured touch. That intro is genuinely tricky to nail at tempo because every note rings exposed with no distortion to hide behind. Once the full band enters, the feel shifts to a driving rhythm part in A minor that rewards attention to pick attack and dynamics rather than outright speed. The lead work throughout calls for a good sense of phrasing and vibrato control rather than sheer technical gymnastics. If the fingerpicking intro is giving you trouble, set up a short loop around those opening bars in the Practice Toolbar and work through it slowed down until the finger placement becomes automatic. Getting the contrast between the gentle intro and the heavier body of the song is really what makes this one worth learning.

  • The acoustic fingerpicking intro is the steepest hurdle, demanding clean right-hand fingerstyle technique with every note fully exposed.
  • The song sits in A minor, so knowing your A natural minor and A harmonic minor scales will help you navigate the lead lines.
  • Practise the intro and the heavier rhythm sections separately at first, since the technique shift between them is significant.

How to Play Little Guitars

Key: A minor · Tempo: 148 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 148 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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