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Alice In Chains - Nutshell - Guitar Tab

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Key E minor
Alice In Chains - Nutshell guitar tab video
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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 Rock E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Nutshell

Few acoustic songs ask for as much emotional control as "Nutshell." Recorded in Drop D and sitting at a slow 60 BPM, the track lives and dies on how evenly you sustain each chord and let it breathe. The low D string is used to anchor the open drooped root notes that give the progression its heavy, mournful weight, even though the arrangement is entirely acoustic. Getting the right-hand dynamics right is the real challenge: the picking needs to stay soft and consistent, never rushing the pulse despite how sparse the arrangement is. Alice In Chains recorded this as part of their MTV Unplugged era, and it sits comfortably within the wider Grunge catalog while feeling unlike almost anything else in it. If the chord transitions in the verse feel uneven, set the Practice Toolbar to loop that section slowed down until your fretting hand can move cleanly without breaking the fingerpicking pattern.

  • Tuned to Drop D, the song uses open low-D string voicings to add resonance and depth to an otherwise fingerpicked acoustic arrangement.
  • At 60 BPM the tempo is deceptively slow, making steady, even fingerpicking dynamics harder to control than they first appear.
  • The main challenge is sustaining smooth chord transitions while keeping the picking hand relaxed and consistent throughout each verse and chorus.

How to Play Nutshell

Tuning: Drop D · Key: E minor · Tempo: 88 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 88 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 88 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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