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The Black Crowes - Hard to Handle - Guitar Tab

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100%

Tools

BPM
Key E major
The Black Crowes - Hard to Handle guitar tab video
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
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The Black Crowes Blues Rock E major
Capo Advisor 0 E major · Original key

About Hard to Handle

Few covers announce a band's arrival quite like The Black Crowes did with this one in 1990. Playing it in E major on a standard-tuned guitar puts you right in the sweet spot of open, resonant chord shapes, and the song sits at a comfortable 120 BPM, fast enough to feel urgent but slow enough to get every detail clean. The real work is in the rhythm guitar: that rolling, almost funky blues-rock groove demands loose right-hand strumming with consistent ghost notes and percussive muting keeping the pocket tight. Getting the feel right matters more than getting every note right, and that distinction takes real time to internalize. The signature riff itself is not technically demanding, but locking it into that greasy, behind-the-beat swagger is harder than it looks. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the verse riff slowed down and focus on where your pick lands relative to the snare before you bring it back up to tempo.

  • The song is in E major on standard tuning, so open-position chord voicings and first-position blues licks fit naturally throughout.
  • The main riff relies heavily on rhythmic feel and right-hand muting technique rather than fast or complex fretting.
  • At 120 BPM the groove is danceable but unforgiving, so practicing with a metronome at 80 to 90 BPM first will help you lock in the pocket.

How to Play Hard to Handle

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

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E major · 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.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Marc Ford's weapon of choice during his Black Crowes tenure, adding snappy brightness and articulation to lead lines that cut through Rich Robinson's warm rhythm foundation. The Tele's natural twang complements the band's blues-rock swagger.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Rich Robinson's primary voice, with late-'50s and early-'60s spec PAF humbuckers delivering warm, thick midrange and dynamic responsiveness. His ability to shift from clean shimmer to crunchy overdrive via pick attack and volume knob control defines The Black Crowes' signature tone.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

A heavier Les Paul variant offering deeper, more aggressive midrange character than the Standard, giving the band tonal variety for harder-hitting passages. Its thicker body adds sustain and compression for drive-heavy moments.

Gibson ES-335
Guitar

Gibson ES-335

Rich Robinson's semi-hollow secret weapon, providing a slightly more transparent, resonant character than solid Les Pauls while maintaining PAF humbucker warmth. Perfect for cleaner passages where note definition and natural feedback control matter.

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)
Amp

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)

The 1959 Super Lead is The Black Crowes' tone foundation, delivering natural tube breakup and power tube compression that responds to pick dynamics without high-gain distortion. Pushed hard for that organic, touch-sensitive overdrive essential to their blues-rock groove.

Marshall JTM45
Amp

Marshall JTM45

Rich Robinson's lighter-duty vintage Marshall option, offering similar tube-driven breakup character to the 1959 at lower wattages. Perfect for capturing that sweet spot where power tubes compress and every pick articulation cuts through.

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