Creator Area
Sign in Creator Area

Practice Studio

Kiss - 100,000 Years - Guitar Solo Tab

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

Not in tune?

Select a Loop

Start of your loop
End of your loop

Speed Control

Speed
100%

Tools

BPM
Key E minor
Kiss - 100,000 Years guitar tab video
Steph Le Gratteux
Steph Le Gratteux Top Contributor
YouTube: 63Ksubs 617views
Creator Page →
PLAY WITH BACKING TRACK
·
–50¢ 0 +50¢
· Tap to start

Your browser will ask for microphone permission.

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.
Double Platinum album cover
Double Platinum
1978 3:23
Listen on Spotify
Kiss Hard Rock 1978 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About 100,000 Years

Few tracks in the Hard Rock catalogue reward careful riff study quite like "100,000 Years." The song is built around a driving E minor groove that sits comfortably in E Standard tuning, so nothing exotic is required from your setup. At 120 BPM the tempo is firm but not punishing, giving you enough room to lock in the rhythm parts cleanly before pushing to full speed. The real work is in the right hand: keeping the low-E-centered chug consistent and tight across the song's long, repetitive sections demands stamina as much as precision. The lead playing from Kiss involves some blues-inflected phrases over that E minor foundation, and nailing the phrasing is trickier than the notes themselves suggest. Use the Practice Toolbar to isolate and slow down any lead passage that feels rushed, especially where the phrasing sits slightly behind the beat. Getting those nuances right is what separates a rough run-through from a convincing performance.

  • The song is in E minor with E Standard tuning, so no retuning is needed and the open low E string rings naturally throughout the riff.
  • At 120 BPM the rhythm parts demand sustained right-hand stamina, making consistent picking pressure and palm muting control the main physical challenge.
  • The lead phrases are blues-inflected and rely heavily on feel and phrasing, so looping them slowed down will reveal subtle timing details that are easy to miss at full speed.

How to Play 100,000 Years

The song moves through: Intro, Full speed, 60% speed.

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E minor · 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.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Ace Frehley's 1959 Les Paul Standard with stock PAF humbuckers delivers the warm, singing sustain that defines Kiss's lead tone when cranked through Marshall amplifiers. The moderate output and responsiveness of PAFs let his solos cut through without compression, creating that vocal-quality sustain signature to the classic era.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Les Paul Custom's thick mahogany body and humbucker configuration provide the foundational warmth and sustain essential to Kiss's rhythm and lead work throughout their career. Its slightly hotter output compared to standard models contributes to the band's characteristically thick, aggressive tone.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

Ace Frehley switched to the JCM800 in his later Kiss years, using its tighter, more defined gain structure to achieve singing leads and aggressive rhythm tones. The 100-watt model's preamp-driven breakup, pushed hard with master volume around 6-7, anchors Kiss's powerful, sustain-heavy sound.

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)
Amp

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)

The Marshall 1959 Super Lead Plexi was Ace Frehley's primary amplifier during Kiss's classic era, delivering natural tube breakup and responsive dynamics when cranked loud. This head's warm, organic gain is fundamental to the singing quality and sustain heard on iconic Kiss solos and rhythm work.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Ace Frehley uses the Cry Baby wah expressively throughout Kiss solos, most famously parked in a half-open position on 'Detroit Rock City' for a vocal-like tonal boost. The pedal's dynamic responsiveness pairs perfectly with his PAF-equipped Les Paul and cranked Marshall for expressive, singing lead work.

Recommended for You

Play with Backing Track

Play with Backing Track

Solo (Backing Track)

Solo (Backing Track)