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The Black Keys - Lonely Boy - Guitar Tab

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

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SECTIONS

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Start of your loop
End of your loop

Speed Control

Speed
100%

Tools

BPM
Key E minor
The Black Keys - Lonely Boy guitar tab video
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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.
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The Black Keys Blues Rock E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Lonely Boy

"Lonely Boy" runs on a relentless, driving riff that sits right at the heart of what The Black Keys do best in Blues Rock: raw, repetitive groove that locks in and refuses to let go. In E minor at 120 BPM, the song keeps a steady pulse that sounds deceptively simple until you try to hold the same gritty energy for the full length of the track without losing momentum. The signature riff is built on a tight rhythmic chug, so right-hand consistency matters as much as fretting accuracy. Getting the tone right is a big part of nailing this one: you want a crunchy, slightly overdriven sound that cuts through without becoming muddy. If the riff feels slippery at first, use the Practice Toolbar to loop just that opening figure slowed down until the picking pattern becomes automatic. Once the right hand is locked in, the left hand falls into place quickly and the whole thing starts to feel like the groove it is.

  • The main riff sits in E minor and uses a crunchy, overdriven tone to get the raw, garage-blues feel the recording is known for.
  • At 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, the challenge is less about speed and more about keeping the rhythmic chug tight and consistent throughout.
  • Looping the opening riff slowed down in the Practice Toolbar is the most effective way to lock in the right-hand picking pattern before bringing it up to tempo.

How to Play Lonely Boy

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

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

Auerbach's custom Tele provides bright, cutting attack that contrasts with his warmer hollowbodies, ideal for piercing through Carney's thunderous drums with snappy definition and harmonic clarity.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

The Les Paul Standard's thick humbuckers deliver warm, compressed sustain that works alongside Auerbach's fuzz and overdrive pedals to create the weighty, saturated riffs defining The Black Keys' sound.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
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Gibson Les Paul Custom

This premium Les Paul variant offers increased tonal thickness and sustain compared to the Standard, amplifying the woody resonance Auerbach stacks with his dirt pedals for maximum blues-rock grit.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

Auerbach pushes this powerful 85-watt tube amp hard to achieve natural power-tube compression and breakup, providing the warm foundation that makes his fuzz and overdrive pedals sound thick and woolly rather than thin.

Fender Deluxe Reverb
Amp

Fender Deluxe Reverb

The Deluxe Reverb's compact size and lower wattage break up faster than the Twin, letting Auerbach achieve his signature saturated tone at more manageable volumes while maintaining that lush, natural tube sag.

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9
Pedal

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9

This mid-focused overdrive pedal tightens Auerbach's tone with a creamy crunch before hitting the Big Muff, controlling bass bloat and adding definition to his signature thick, gritty lead tones.

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