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Scorpions - They Need A Million - Guitar Solo Tab

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Scorpions - They Need A Million guitar tab video
Steph Le Gratteux
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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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.
Fly to the Rainbow album cover
Fly to the Rainbow
1975 4:51
Listen on Spotify
Scorpions Hard Rock 1975

About They Need A Million

From the 1975 album "Fly to the Rainbow," "They Need A Million" sits in the heavier, more aggressive corner of early Scorpions material, and it rewards the guitarist who pays close attention to how the riffing locks in with the rhythm section. The Hard Rock feel here demands tight palm muting and a confident pick attack to keep the low-end chug from sounding muddy. The song moves through riff-based sections where the left-hand muting and right-hand dynamics do most of the expressive work, so clean fretting and controlled release are what separate a sloppy run-through from a convincing one. If any of the transitional riff figures are giving you trouble, isolate that passage using the Practice Toolbar and run it slowed down until the picking pattern becomes automatic. Focus especially on how the rhythm guitar holds the momentum through chord changes, since that driving quality is the core of the track's energy.

  • The rhythm guitar work relies heavily on palm muting and firm downpicking to achieve the low, driving chug that defines the track's backbone.
  • Practising the main riff at reduced speed using looping it slowed down will help you lock in the picking-hand muting before adding tempo.
  • The song's riff-based structure makes it a solid early study in early 1970s hard-rock rhythm guitar technique and right-hand dynamics.

How to Play They Need A Million

The song moves through: Intro and solo 1 full speed, Solo 1 60 %, Solo 2 full speed, Solo 2 60 %.

Once the main sections feel solid, isolate the solo, which is usually the steepest jump.

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

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Matthias Jabs adopted Fender Stratocasters with humbuckers in later years, using their brighter character for cleaner ballad tones and more articulate lead work than his earlier Explorer guitars. The single-coil versatility lets him dial back aggression while maintaining the Scorpions' signature sustain.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

While less documented than their Custom models, the Les Paul Standard's thick body and stock humbuckers provide the warm, sustained tone the Scorpions need for layered lead harmonies and heavy power chord work in the studio.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Matthias Jabs relied heavily on Gibson Les Paul Customs in the studio for their superior sustain and thick tonal character on solos, using the guitar's humbuckers and weight to achieve the band's signature fat, compressed lead sound.

Gibson Flying V
Guitar

Gibson Flying V

Rudolf Schenker's iconic Gibson Flying V since the mid-70s delivers his aggressive, palm-muted rhythm tone through hot PAF-style humbuckers, becoming synonymous with the Scorpions' raw, pointed attack and distinctive visual identity.

Gibson Explorer
Guitar

Gibson Explorer

Matthias Jabs built his lead style around the Gibson Explorer's angular design and humbucker tone, using the guitar's focused midrange and sustain for expressive solos before transitioning to signature ESP and Fender models.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

Both Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs powered the Scorpions' classic 80s sound through Marshall JCM800 heads, with Schenker running moderate preamp gain for defined rhythm crunch and Jabs pushing higher gain for lead work and sustain.

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