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Ratt - Lay It Down - Guitar Tab

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Key E minor
Ratt - Lay It Down guitar tab video
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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Ratt Hard Rock E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Lay It Down

At 120 BPM in Eb Standard, "Lay It Down" sits in a comfortable mid-tempo pocket that feels deceptively easy until you dig into the twin-guitar interplay that defines it. Ratt built this track around tight, palm-muted riffs in E minor that lock hard with the rhythm section, so your picking hand precision matters as much as your fretting. The song rewards players who can stay aggressive but controlled, keeping the chug clean rather than letting it blur. Getting the Eb tuning right is essential since the riffs are voiced to sit low and heavy. If the main riff feels slippery at full speed, use the Practice Toolbar to loop it slowed down until your pick attack is consistent on every note. The lead work leans into the Hard Rock vocabulary of bends and vibrato, so spending time on those phrases separately will pay off when you put the whole song together.

  • The song is played in Eb Standard tuning, so drop your whole guitar a half step before playing or the riffs will feel and sound noticeably off.
  • At 120 BPM the palm-muted rhythm riff is the core challenge, demanding consistent pick attack and clean muting throughout.
  • The lead sections use expressive string bends and vibrato typical of 1980s hard-rock phrasing, making them good focused practice material.

How to Play Lay It Down

Tuning: Eb Standard · Key: E minor · Tempo: 120 BPM

It is played in Eb standard, a half step down, so tune down before you start or every position and bend will sit a half step sharp against the recording.

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

While Robbin Crosby favored the Custom model, the Les Paul Standard's warm mahogany tone provided the thick midrange foundation Ratt needed for rhythm guitar parts. Its stock PAF-style humbuckers delivered the harmonic weight that sat perfectly behind DeMartini's brighter lead tone.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Robbin Crosby's primary rhythm instrument, the Les Paul Custom's thick mahogany body and warm PAF humbuckers gave his chunky riffs the midrange punch and harmonic richness that contrasted with Warren DeMartini's bright, cutting lead sound.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The Marshall JCM800 2203/2205 was the sonic foundation of Ratt's tone, delivering the natural power-tube saturation and cutting edge that made both DeMartini's leads and Crosby's rhythms slice through the mix without losing clarity.

Seymour Duncan JB
Pickup

Seymour Duncan JB

Warren DeMartini loaded his Charvels with the aggressive JB humbucker to achieve fast, articulate lead lines with enough output and clarity to stand out over rhythm guitar without turning muddy or losing definition on rapid legato passages.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

DeMartini occasionally deployed the Cry Baby wah for expressive lead flourishes on solos, adding dynamic vocal-like quality to his fast playing while keeping the amp-driven tone as the core of Ratt's signature sound.

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9
Pedal

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9

The Tube Screamer served as DeMartini's lead boost, pushing the Marshall's front end to cut through Crosby's rhythm parts while maintaining the natural tube saturation that defined Ratt's raw, powerful '80s hard rock tone.

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