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Ratt - Round and Round - Guitar Tab

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Key E minor
Ratt - Round and Round guitar tab video
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Classic Rock

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

About Round and Round

Few Hard Rock tracks from 1984 hook you as fast as "Round and Round," and the opening riff is exactly why guitarists keep coming back to it. Played in E minor in standard tuning at 120 BPM, the song sits in a comfortable mid-tempo pocket that feels deceptively easy until you try to nail the tight, palm-muted gallop and the smooth lead phrasing that run throughout. The main riff relies on a mix of power chords and single-note runs, so clean left-hand muting is the real priority: any slop between the picked notes and the muted beats will stick out immediately. The solo sections demand a light vibrato touch and accurate string bending, both of which reward slowing things down, so use the Practice Toolbar to loop those passages at reduced speed before pushing back up to tempo. Ratt built the whole track on that interplay between rhythmic crunch and melodic lead work, and getting both sides clean is the actual challenge here.

  • The song is in E minor in standard tuning, so no retuning is needed, but the riff's palm-muted gallop requires very consistent right-hand technique to sit correctly in the groove.
  • The lead guitar sections feature string bends and vibrato central to the song's tone, making accurate intonation on bends a key practice focus.
  • At 120 BPM the rhythm part is approachable for intermediate players, but locking the palm-muted downstrokes tightly to the beat takes deliberate slow practice.

How to Play Round and Round

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

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E minor · Tempo: 120 BPM · Difficulty: Medium

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

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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