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Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar On Me - Guitar Tab

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Key E minor
Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar On Me guitar tab video
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Classic Rock

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Hysteria album cover
Hysteria
1987 4:27
Listen on Spotify
Def Leppard Hard Rock 1987 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Pour Some Sugar On Me

Few riffs in Hard Rock are as immediately recognizable as the opening two-bar figure in this track. It sits in E minor and moves with a confident, mid-tempo swagger at 120 BPM, which means every note needs to land cleanly rather than relying on speed to hide sloppiness. The tuning is E Standard, so no retuning is required, but the right-hand feel matters a lot: that chunky, slightly behind-the-beat palm-muted drive is the core of the rhythm parts, and getting it to groove rather than just chug takes some focused repetition. Power chords dominate the verse and chorus, but the transitions between them involve some quick position shifts that can trip you up at tempo. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop those transitions slowed down until the shifts feel automatic. Def Leppard layered the production heavily on the original, so on guitar you are essentially distilling a dense studio arrangement into one or two parts, which is a useful exercise in itself.

  • The signature opening riff is built on power chords in E minor in E Standard tuning, making it an accessible entry point for intermediate rhythm guitarists.
  • Palm muting is central to the verse rhythm: controlling the weight of the mute as the riff moves is the main technique to focus on.
  • At 120 BPM the song sits at a moderate tempo, but the position shifts between power chords need to be drilled slowly before you push up to full speed.

How to Play Pour Some Sugar On Me

The song moves through: Intro, Verse 1, Pre-chorus 1, Chorus 1, Interlude, Verse 2, Pre-chorus 2, Chorus 2, Bridge, Pre-chorus 3, Chorus 3.

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E minor · Tempo: 120 BPM · Difficulty: Medium

The arrangement runs through 11 distinct sections, so it helps to learn it in blocks rather than front to back.

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 most iconic electric guitar ever made. Its three single-coil pickups, contoured body and versatile tone make it the go-to for blues, rock, funk and everything in between. Players from Hendrix to Gilmour to Clapton built their sound on it.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

The original solid-body electric guitar. Its snappy bridge pickup and no-nonsense construction deliver a sharp, cutting tone perfect for country, rock and blues. Favored by Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen and countless session players.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

The definitive rock guitar. Its mahogany body, maple top and PAF-style humbuckers deliver warm, thick sustain with natural compression. From Slash to Jimmy Page, the Les Paul Standard is the backbone of hard rock tone.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The 'Black Beauty' - Gibson's premium Les Paul with bound neck, multi-ply binding and upgraded hardware. Its ebony fingerboard and heavier construction give it a darker, more refined tone compared to the Standard.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The definitive rock amp of the 1980s. The JCM800's single-channel, all-tube design produces a natural, harmonically rich overdrive at high volumes. Every hard rock and metal guitar sound from that era ran through one of these.

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)
Amp

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)

The amp that invented Rock. The original Marshall 100-watt Plexi's cranked power tubes deliver a dynamic, touch-sensitive breakup that no modern amp has fully replicated. Hendrix, Clapton and Page all recorded through one.

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