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Rory Gallagher - Shadow Play - Guitar Solo Tab

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Key E minor
Rory Gallagher - Shadow Play guitar tab video
Steph Le Gratteux
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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.
Photo Finish (Remastered 2017) album cover
Photo Finish (Remastered 2017)
1978 4:47
Listen on Spotify
Rory Gallagher Blues Rock 1978 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Shadow Play

Few guitarists wrung as much raw atmosphere out of E minor as Rory Gallagher, and "Shadow Play" from the 1978 album Photo Finish is a solid example of why. Sitting in E Standard tuning, the song leans hard into the Blues Rock feel that defined Gallagher's playing: gritty, behind-the-beat phrasing, string bends that need real conviction, and a sense of space between notes that beginners often rush through. The challenge here is not speed but control, keeping the dynamics honest and letting the minor tonality breathe rather than filling every gap. Pay close attention to how phrases resolve around the open E and B strings, since that open-string resonance is a big part of the texture. If the bends or any syncopated rhythm figures are giving you trouble, use the Practice Toolbar to loop those passages slowed down until the muscle memory is solid before bringing them back up to tempo.

  • The song is in E minor with E Standard tuning, so open-string drones and first-position blues shapes sit naturally under the fingers.
  • Gallagher's signature behind-the-beat phrasing is central here: practise each phrase with a metronome to avoid rushing the bends and releases.
  • Dynamic control matters as much as technique in this track, so focus on pick attack variation to capture the shifts between restrained and driven passages.

How to Play Shadow Play

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E minor

Use the section loop to isolate a passage and drop the speed to build each section up to tempo.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Rory's worn 1961 Strat with stock alnico V pickups delivered that cutting, nasal snarl essential to his blues-rock attack. The low-output single-coils preserved his dynamic pick work and responded beautifully to volume-knob rolloffs and cranked tube amp saturation.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Gallagher deployed this 1966 Tele on select recordings to add brighter, more direct bite to his tone palette. Its sharper attack complemented his fingerstyle precision and worked particularly well for punchy, articulate rhythm work.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

This amp's natural headroom and reverb tank gave Gallagher spacious, clean tones when not pushed hard, but cranked it delivered the tube breakup he needed without master volume softening. The twin-reverb became his go-to for studio sessions requiring both clarity and controllable overdrive.

Vox AC30
Amp

Vox AC30

The AC30's legendary natural breakup and midrange bark defined Rory's signature tone when pushed to stage volume. Its top boost control shaped his treble-cut character, transforming his single-coils into that iconic snarl without pedal intervention.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Gallagher used wah sparingly but strategically to add expressive vocal quality to his lead phrases. The pedal's narrow frequency sweep complemented his bridge-pickup snarl, never muddying his tightly wound tone.

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9
Pedal

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9

This mid-focused booster pushed his cranked tube amps into heavier overdrive while preserving note clarity and his natural pick dynamics. The TS9 was seasoning on Rory's pedalboard, intensifying existing tone rather than creating it.

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