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Van Halen - Poundcake - Guitar Lesson

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Key E minor
Van Halen - Poundcake 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 minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Poundcake

Few rock songs announce themselves the way "Poundcake" does: before a single chord rings out, Eddie Van Halen runs a power drill across his guitar strings to create that grinding, industrial intro. It is one of the most recognizable openings in Hard Rock, and it sets the tone for a song that demands serious right-hand commitment throughout. Van Halen recorded this in Eb Standard tuning, so drop everything a half step before you start. The main riff sits in E minor at 120 BPM, which feels comfortable until you try to lock in Eddie's percussive picking attack and rhythmic phrasing at full tempo. The lead work requires clean two-hand tapping technique as well as precise string muting to keep the low end tight. Use the Practice Toolbar to isolate and slow down the intro riff and any of the faster tapped passages, building accuracy before you push the tempo back up.

  • The song opens with Eddie Van Halen using a power drill against his guitar strings, a technique worth studying as a lesson in unconventional percussive texture.
  • The track is in Eb Standard tuning, so tune every string down a half step before attempting to play along with the recording.
  • At 120 BPM in E minor, the riff feels approachable, but replicating Eddie's tight palm muting and percussive picking attack is the real challenge.

How to Play Poundcake

Tuning: Eb Standard · Key: E 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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