Queen - Keep Yourself Alive - Guitar Tab

At The BBC

1973 3:48

Listen on Spotify

About Keep Yourself Alive

Written by Queen guitarist Brian May, "Keep Yourself Alive" announced the band's arrival in 1973 with a riff-driven energy that still challenges players today. The main riff sits in C major at 120 BPM, and its drive comes as much from tight rhythm playing as from the notes themselves. Getting the right chug and percussive attack under the riff is where most guitarists slip up, so use the Practice Toolbar to loop those opening bars slowed down until the picking hand feels locked in. May's layered guitar approach means the studio tone is dense, but the core part is playable with a single guitar if you focus on capturing the rhythmic feel rather than chasing the full studio wall of sound. The song also asks for clean chord changes at a pace that rewards slow, deliberate practice before you bring it up to tempo. Hard Rock picking stamina gets a real workout here across the full length of the track.

• The main riff is built around C major and relies heavily on right-hand attack and muting to give it the characteristic punchy feel.
• Brian May famously used a homemade guitar, the Red Special, which contributes to the thick, layered tone heard throughout the track.
• At 120 BPM the song sits at a moderate pace, but sustaining tight rhythm playing across the full track is the real stamina test.