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Alice in Chains - Them Bones - Guitar Tab

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Key E minor
Alice in Chains - Them Bones guitar tab video
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Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
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Master7
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Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
Dirt (Remastered) album cover
Dirt (Remastered)
1992 2:29
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Alice in Chains Grunge 1992 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Them Bones

Few songs announce themselves as aggressively as "Them Bones." The opening riff is built on a lurching, odd-meter feel that catches most players off guard, so take the time to lock in the rhythmic pattern before worrying about speed. The tuning and down-tuned heaviness that Alice in Chains made their own is central to the sound here, and getting that low-end grunt right means your guitar setup matters as much as your picking hand. The riff sits in E minor but is driven more by raw rhythmic displacement than by scale runs, so focus on your pick attack and muting as much as the note choices. Palm muting and aggressive downpicking are the real technical demands, and the transitions between the verse riff and the heavier chord hits need to feel locked and deliberate. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the opening riff slowed down until the odd pulse feels natural in your hands, then gradually bring it back up to tempo.

  • The main riff has an unsettled, off-kilter rhythmic feel that sits outside a straight 4/4 pulse, making tight palm muting and consistent downpicking essential.
  • The song is in E minor and relies heavily on low-register power chords, so accurate fretting-hand muting is critical to keeping the riff clean.
  • The abrupt dynamic shifts between the verse riff and the full-band chord hits are worth isolating and looping slowed down to nail the timing.

How to Play Them Bones

Key: E minor · Tempo: 162 BPM · Difficulty: Medium

Loop the hardest passage and creep the speed up from around 70 percent until it holds at 162 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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