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The Romantics - What I Like About You - Guitar Lesson

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Key E major
The Romantics - What I Like About You 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.
The Romantics album cover
The Romantics
1980 2:55
Listen on Spotify
The Romantics Pop Rock 1980 E major
Capo Advisor 0 E major · Original key

About What I Like About You

Few power-chord tracks from 1980 are as immediately fun to play as this one, and the energy comes almost entirely from the right hand. Running at 120 BPM in E major on a standard-tuned guitar, the whole song sits in a register that feels natural and punchy on the low strings. The signature part is a driving, eighth-note strummed riff built around open E-position chords, and keeping that strumming tight and consistent for the full length of the song is the real challenge. Your picking-hand stamina and muting control matter more here than any left-hand gymnastics. The brief punchy stops and rhythmic hits in the verse also need to land cleanly together, so isolating those moments with the Practice Toolbar and looping them slowed down will help you lock in the precise cut-offs. The Romantics played this brand of Pop Rock with a raw, almost garage-band directness, and matching that loose-but-locked feel is the real lesson.

  • The song runs at 120 BPM in E major on a standard-tuned guitar, making it very accessible for intermediate players focused on rhythm work.
  • The core challenge is sustaining tight, consistent eighth-note strumming through the full track without losing control of your pick-hand muting.
  • Rhythmic stops and chord hits in the verse require precise right-hand cut-offs, so looping those sections slowed down is a worthwhile focused drill.

How to Play What I Like About You

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.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

The Romantics' bright, punchy debut sound relies on a Stratocaster's single-coil bridge pickup to deliver the cutting treble and snap needed for tracks like 'What I Like About You.' Its dynamic response lets Palmar and Skill shift from clean to aggressive tones with picking intensity alone.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

A Telecaster's bridge single-coil gives The Romantics that jangly-yet-biting tone essential to their early new wave-punk fusion. The guitar's natural brightness cuts through the mix and responds perfectly to their aggressive strumming style.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

The Twin Reverb's warm breakup and built-in spring reverb capture The Romantics' signature sound of clean-to-crunchy tones that tighten up when pushed hard. Its American-voiced character defines their debut-era crunch without high-gain saturation.

Boss CE-2 Chorus
Pedal

Boss CE-2 Chorus

The Boss CE-2 Chorus adds the shimmery, widened texture crucial to The Romantics' 'In Heat' era tracks like 'Talking in Your Sleep,' while remaining transparent enough to preserve the raw energy of their playing.

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