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Europe - Ninja - Guitar Solo Tab

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Europe - Ninja guitar tab video
Steph Le Gratteux
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
AI tone preset

AI-selected preset based on genre and era — adjust the knobs to taste.

Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
The Final Countdown (Expanded Edition) album cover
The Final Countdown (Expanded Edition)
1986 3:46
Listen on Spotify
Europe Hard Rock 1986

About Ninja

Tucked away on the expanded edition of The Final Countdown, "Ninja" is one of the more interesting deep cuts Europe recorded during their 1986 peak. The track sits in E Standard tuning at a steady 120 BPM, which gives it a mid-paced, deliberate feel that rewards clean, controlled picking over sheer speed. Much of the guitar work in this Hard Rock style revolves around tight, palm-muted riff passages and the kind of precise string-to-string movement that can sound sloppy if your fretting hand is not fully committed. The moderate tempo is deceptive: because the groove is so locked in, any hesitation in the pick attack stands out immediately. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the main riff at a reduced speed and focus on getting each note to speak cleanly before you bring the tempo back up. Once the riff is solid, the phrasing of any lead sections will fall into place much more naturally.

  • The song sits in E Standard tuning at 120 BPM, a mid-paced feel that demands consistent palm-muting control throughout the main riff.
  • Precise pick attack is the key challenge here: the steady groove leaves very little room to hide sloppy string transitions.
  • Looping the riff slowed down with the Practice Toolbar is especially useful for locking in the fretting-hand pressure before playing at full speed.

How to Play Ninja

Tuning: E Standard · Tempo: 120 BPM

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

John Norum's Stratocasters blend single-coil clarity in the neck and middle with a bridge humbucker for aggressive leads, giving Europe's sound versatility between glassy rhythm tones and saturated solo work. This hybrid approach lets him switch textures without changing instruments, crucial for his dynamic playing style.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Norum's late '50s-style Les Paul Standards with PAF humbuckers deliver the warm, articulate foundation for Europe's classic hard rock tone, responding beautifully to his volume knob technique for clean rhythm passages before cranking for full saturation.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Gibson Les Paul Custom, particularly his '68 goldtop, anchored Europe's early recordings with thick mahogany body resonance and vintage humbucker character that cuts through high-volume Marshall saturation while maintaining pick definition.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

Norum's JCM800 head driven at high volume creates Europe's signature natural power-tube breakup without relying on gain stacking, letting his touch and dynamics shape the tone rather than pedal settings.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

The Cry Baby wah is Norum's most essential effect, featured prominently across Europe's solos for vocal-like expressive sweeps that showcase his legato technique and add character to lead passages.

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