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Alice In Chains - Down In A Hole - Guitar Tab

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Key D minor
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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.
Alice In Chains Grunge D minor
Capo Advisor 0 D minor · Original key

About Down In A Hole

Drop D tuning is central to what makes "Down In A Hole" feel so heavy and mournful. That low open D string gives the chord voicings a dark, resonant weight that simply would not land the same way in standard tuning, so make sure you are tuned correctly before you start. The song sits in D minor at a measured 120 BPM, which means the tempo itself is not the challenge. The real work is in the feel: the slow, deliberate strumming and the way chords need to ring with control rather than aggression. Alice In Chains were masters of wringing emotion out of restrained playing, and this song demands that same patience from you. The clean-to-slightly-overdriven tone is another thing worth dialing in carefully. If the chord transitions feel slippery at first, use the Practice Toolbar to loop the trickier passages slowed down until the fingering becomes automatic. Grunge at its most introspective lives right here.

  • Drop D tuning is essential here, giving the open D string a heavy, low resonance that defines the song's dark chord voicings.
  • At 120 BPM the tempo is manageable, but the challenge is controlling sustain and dynamics rather than speed.
  • Chord transitions in D minor require clean fretting with minimal buzz, making this a good song to practise deliberate left-hand placement.

How to Play Down In A Hole

Tuning: Drop D · Key: D minor · Tempo: 68 BPM

The drop D tuning lets you fret the low power chords with a single finger, which is central to the heavier riffing here. At 68 bpm the slow tempo leaves every note exposed, so timing, vibrato, and dynamics matter more than raw speed.

Loop each section and focus on clean, even timing rather than speed, with the metronome at 68 BPM.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Jerry Cantrell's Les Paul Standard delivers the open, dynamic PAF-style humbucker tone that defines Alice In Chains' heavier material. The moderate output and natural resonance allow his riffs to cut through with clarity while maintaining the compressed crunch his amps provide.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Cantrell favors the Les Paul Custom for its sustain and tonal warmth, using stock Gibson humbuckers that push his Bogner and Friedman preamps into that signature scooped-mid aggression. The Custom's weight and construction give his drop-tuned riffs the body and presence essential to Alice In Chains' sound.

ESP Eclipse
Guitar

ESP Eclipse

The ESP Eclipse became Cantrell's live and studio workhorse during the reunion era, offering reliability and consistent output for his articulate, tight distortion tone. Its modern craftsmanship paired with quality humbuckers delivers the clarity needed for Alice In Chains' intricate riff work.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The Marshall JCM800 provides the raw, compressed crunch that influenced Alice In Chains' early heaviness, offering tight low-end aggression when pushed by Cantrell's high-output pickups. Its natural breakup characteristics contribute to the band's signature sludgy yet articulate distortion.

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier
Amp

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

The Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier's thick, scooped midrange and tight bass response align perfectly with Cantrell's need for articulate, aggressive distortion that doesn't lose definition in drop-tuned passages. Its headroom allows his dynamics to shine through heavy compression.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Cantrell's Cry Baby is his primary tone-shaping tool, famously parked in positions for the haunting filter effect on 'Man in the Box' and used expressively throughout Alice In Chains' catalog. The wah adds emotional color and presence to his otherwise direct, amp-focused signal chain.

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