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Mr. Big - To Be With You - Guitar Tab

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

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SECTIONS

Select a Loop

Start of your loop
End of your loop

Speed Control

Speed
100%

Tools

BPM
Key E major
Mr. Big - To Be With You guitar tab video
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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.
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Mr. Big Hard Rock E major
Capo Advisor 0 E major · Original key

About To Be With You

Acoustic guitar is the whole backbone of "To Be With You," which makes it a refreshing change of pace from the heavier side of Mr. Big's catalogue. The song sits in E major at a steady 120 BPM, and the strumming pattern is deceptively simple on the surface. Getting it to feel genuinely relaxed and in the pocket takes more control than beginners expect, so try setting the Practice Toolbar to a slower tempo while you lock in the rhythm before bringing it back up to speed. The signature acoustic arpeggios in the intro reward clean left-hand fretting: any buzzing or muted note will stick out immediately against the bare arrangement. Chord transitions need to be smooth and unhurried, matching the easy, mid-tempo feel of the song. If you play in a Hard Rock context, this track is also worth knowing as a set dynamic, proving that a well-played acoustic part can carry a room just as effectively as a loud electric one.

  • The intro features a fingerpicked or arpeggiated acoustic guitar figure in E major that demands clean fretting and precise string separation.
  • At 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, the strumming feel needs to stay relaxed and behind-the-beat rather than mechanically on the grid.
  • The minimal arrangement leaves every chord transition fully exposed, so smooth, buzz-free chord changes are the main technique to practise here.

How to Play To Be With You

The song moves through: Intro, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Solo, Outro.

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E major · Tempo: 120 BPM

The arrangement runs through 6 distinct sections, and the solo is the steepest jump, so isolate it on its own.

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

Paul Gilbert uses the Les Paul for its thick, warm midrange character, providing a tonal counterpoint to his bright Ibanez shredders. The guitar's body mass and traditional humbuckers deliver sustain and harmonic depth for his bluesy lead work alongside Mr. Big's harder material.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Custom variant appeals to Gilbert for its premium craftsmanship and enhanced tonal resonance, offering the same midrange richness as the Standard but with refined sustain. It serves as a go-to for studio recordings where tonal warmth and presence matter as much as his signature picking aggression.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

This amp's punchy British midrange and natural tube breakup define Mr. Big's classic tone. Gilbert runs it at moderate gain to preserve pick attack and note clarity during lightning-fast runs, letting his aggressive technique provide percussion rather than amp saturation.

DiMarzio Super Distortion
Pickup

DiMarzio Super Distortion

The Super Distortion's hot output and harmonic richness made it essential for Mr. Big's bridge pickup tone, delivering sustain on lead lines while remaining responsive to volume knob dynamics. Its midrange presence cuts through dense arrangements without sacrificing articulation.

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9
Pedal

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9

Gilbert uses the TS9 as a midrange boost into his already-cooking amp rather than primary distortion, tightening the signal and pushing the front end. This approach preserves picking clarity during shred passages while enhancing sustain on slower, bluesy lead moments.

Boss DS-1 Distortion
Pedal

Boss DS-1 Distortion

The DS-1 serves as Gilbert's go-to distortion pedal for adding aggression without compromising note definition. Its relatively moderate saturation complements his philosophy of letting technique and tube amp punch drive the tone rather than pedal-based heaviness.

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