AC/DC - It's a Long Way to The Top - Guitar Tab

High Voltage

1976 5:02

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About It's a Long Way to The Top

Few tracks in Hard Rock put a rhythm guitarist through their paces quite like this one. The backbone of the song is a relentless, driving riff in A major built on power chords and open-string crunch, and the real demand is stamina: keeping that attack consistent at 92 BPM for the full length of the track is harder than it sounds. AC/DC recorded in Eb Standard tuning, so drop your whole guitar a half step before you start or the riff will feel and sound wrong against a recording. The chunky, palm-muted verse sections are worth isolating early, because sloppy muting turns the groove into a wall of mud. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop those muted passages slowed down until your pick hand is locking in cleanly before you bring the tempo back up. Once the rhythm is solid, pay attention to the transitions between the muted riff and the open, ringing chord hits, since that contrast is exactly what gives the song its punch.

• The song is played in Eb Standard tuning, meaning every string is tuned down one half step from standard E.
• The main riff relies heavily on palm muting and power chords in A major, making right-hand consistency the key challenge.
• At 92 BPM the tempo is moderate, but sustaining tight rhythm playing across the full track is a real endurance test.