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Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It - Guitar Lesson

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Key E major
Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It 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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Twisted Sister Hard Rock E major
Capo Advisor 0 E major · Original key

About We're Not Gonna Take It

Few riffs in Hard Rock are as instantly recognisable as the one that opens this track. Twisted Sister built "We're Not Gonna Take It" around a driving, palm-muted power-chord riff in E major that sits perfectly in E Standard tuning, making it a great entry point for players getting comfortable with barre chords and muted rhythm work. At 120 BPM the tempo is firm but not brutal, so you have enough room to focus on keeping your palm mute consistent while locking in with the kick drum. The real challenge is maintaining that tight, punchy attack through the full song without letting the muting get sloppy as your picking hand tires. The chord transitions are straightforward, but the energy has to stay up. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the main riff slowed down until the palm mute feels natural, then gradually bring the speed back up to 120 BPM before running it at full tempo.

  • The song is built almost entirely on palm-muted power chords in E Standard tuning, making it a solid exercise in right-hand muting control.
  • At 120 BPM the tempo is moderate, but sustaining a tight palm mute throughout the whole track will challenge your picking-hand stamina.
  • The main riff centres on E major power chords with simple but punchy transitions, ideal for players drilling rhythm-guitar consistency.

How to Play We're Not Gonna Take It

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E major · Tempo: 120 BPM

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 Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Jay Jay French's weapon of choice for Twisted Sister's crushing rhythm work, the Les Paul's thick body and stock PAF humbuckers deliver the warm, sustained lower-register tones that define the band's heavy sound. Its weight and resonance paired perfectly with cranked Marshall tube saturation.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

While not explicitly mentioned in Twisted Sister's primary setup, the Custom's increased weight and tonal characteristics would enhance the thick, sustained rhythm work Jay Jay French demands. The stock humbuckers provide the warm, balanced response essential to the band's direct amp-to-guitar approach.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

Twisted Sister's core tone comes from pushing the JCM800's master volume to 7-8 for natural power-tube breakup, creating the band's signature warm saturation without channel switching or extra effects. The moderate presence peak at 5-6 maintains midrange clarity critical to heavy rhythm riffing.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Eddie Ojeda's occasional lead texturing tool, the Cry Baby adds expressiveness to solos while maintaining Twisted Sister's minimalist effects philosophy. Straight into the cranked Marshall head, it cuts through without compromising the direct, tube-driven saturation that defines their heavy metal sound.

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