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The Cranberries - Zombie - Guitar Tab

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

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Speed Control

Speed
100%

Tools

BPM
Key E minor
The Cranberries - Zombie 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.
Gold album cover
Gold
2008 5:08
Listen on Spotify
The Cranberries Alternative Rock 2008 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Zombie

Few songs in Alternative Rock are as immediately recognisable from a single guitar chord as "Zombie" by The Cranberries. The song sits in E minor at 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, which keeps everything accessible while still demanding precision and feel. The core of the song is a four-chord progression driven by a clean, arpeggiated guitar figure that requires your picking hand to stay relaxed and even across the strings. That deceptively simple repeating pattern is where most players go wrong, rushing or tensing up as the dynamics build toward the chorus. When the heavier distorted guitar layers enter, the challenge shifts to controlling your attack so the chords ring cleanly without muddying the low end. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop that arpeggiated verse figure slowed down until your right-hand motion becomes automatic. Getting the quiet-to-loud dynamic contrast right is ultimately what separates a flat run-through from a convincing performance of this song.

  • The verse riff is built on a clean arpeggiated four-chord pattern in E minor, so right-hand consistency and evenness across strings is the main technical focus.
  • At 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, the song is approachable for intermediate players, but nailing the dynamic shift from clean verse to heavy chorus takes deliberate practice.
  • The distorted chorus chords need a controlled pick attack to keep the low E string from overpowering the overall mix, especially at higher gain settings.

How to Play Zombie

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.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Noel Hogan used the Les Paul Standard's thick humbuckers and sustain to drive the heavy, distorted riffs on tracks like 'Zombie' and 'Salvation'. The guitar's midrange warmth provided the snarl and aggression that defined The Cranberries' heavier material from 'No Need to Argue' onward.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Les Paul Custom's enhanced output and tonal thickness gave Hogan the high-gain clarity needed for aggressive passages while maintaining note definition. Its PAF-style humbuckers delivered the warmth and body essential to The Cranberries' distorted sections.

Fender Jazzmaster
Guitar

Fender Jazzmaster

Hogan's Fender Jazzmaster provided the short-scale offset design that produced the distinctive shimmer and jangly brightness central to The Cranberries' early albums. Its single-coil pickups delivered the glassy, chiming clean tones that defined arpeggiated passages across their catalog.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The Marshall JCM800 pushed into natural overdrive gave Hogan the snarl and aggression heard on 'Zombie' and other heavy tracks, providing the perfect match for his Les Paul's thick output. Its responsive gain structure preserved dynamics while delivering the band's signature distorted tone.

Vox AC30
Amp

Vox AC30

The AC30's top-end sparkle and edge-of-breakup character defined The Cranberries' early albums, giving Hogan's arpeggiated clean parts their classic chiming British shimmer. This amp became synonymous with the band's delicate, jangly rhythm guitar sound.

Boss DS-1 Distortion
Pedal

Boss DS-1 Distortion

Hogan used the Boss DS-1 as a straightforward tool to push his amp into heavier territory without stacking effects, keeping his signal chain clean and dynamic. The pedal's transparent distortion complemented both the Fender's brightness and the Les Paul's warmth, driving tracks like 'Zombie'.

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