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Van Halen - Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love - Guitar Tab

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Key A minor
Van Halen - Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love 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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Van Halen Hard Rock A minor
Capo Advisor 0 A minor · Original key

About Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love

Few riffs in Hard Rock are as immediately recognisable as the arpeggiated Am-F-C-G figure that opens this track. Van Halen recorded it in Eb Standard tuning, so drop your whole guitar a half step before you start or everything will clash against the original. At 120 BPM the riff sits at a very playable pace, but getting the picking hand motion clean and consistent is trickier than it looks, because the pattern shifts string groups in a way that catches beginners out. The chord voicings Eddie uses are fairly open, but the right-hand articulation, the mix of palm muting and let-ring, is what gives the part its character. Focus on that dynamic contrast between muted and open notes before worrying about speed. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop just the first four bars slowed down until the picking pattern is automatic, then gradually bring the tempo back up.

  • The signature riff is an arpeggiated Am-F-C-G chord progression played with a consistent alternate-picking or hybrid pattern that demands clean right-hand control.
  • The song is recorded in Eb Standard tuning, so tune every string down a half step to play along with the original recording.
  • The riff runs at 120 BPM, making it accessible for intermediate players, though nailing the palm-mute-to-let-ring dynamic is the real challenge.

How to Play Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love

The song moves through: Intro, Interlude, Verse, Chorus, Solo 1, Bridge, Solo 2, Outro.

Tuning: Eb Standard · Key: A minor · Tempo: 120 BPM · Difficulty: Medium

The intro and verse riff is the heart of this song: a repeating arpeggiated pattern in A minor played on a clean tone in Eb standard tuning, and getting the right-hand picking motion smooth and even is the real challenge here. Most players rush the arpeggio or let notes bleed together unintentionally, so practice the riff at a reduced tempo focusing on letting each note ring clearly without muddying adjacent strings. The two guitar solos demand a different approach from the clean riff work, so treat them as separate sections to loop and learn independently. Matching Eddie's Eb standard tuning is essential since the open strings are integral to how the riff resonates and sits in the mix.

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 ES-335
Guitar

Gibson ES-335

Eddie Van Halen pulled a Gibson PAF humbucker from a ES-335 to load his original Frankenstrat, giving him a low-output pickup that maintained clarity during lightning-fast tapping and legato runs despite heavy gain.

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)
Amp

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)

Eddie's 1968 Marshall Plexi Super Lead, run through a variac at 90 volts, created his legendary 'brown sound' by pushing power tubes into sweet, spongy saturation at gig volumes, defining his harmonic sustain and responsiveness.

Soldano SLO-100
Amp

Soldano SLO-100

Eddie adopted the Soldano SLO-100 as a tonal alternative to Marshalls, delivering the high-headroom, articulate gain he needed for his finger-tapping technique while maintaining clarity in complex legato passages.

Peavey 5150
Amp

Peavey 5150

Eddie co-designed the Peavey 5150 to capture his signature tone in a modern platform, offering three channels from clean sparkle to crushing high-gain with EL34 power tubes for dynamic responsiveness across his entire playing vocabulary.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Eddie employed the Dunlop Cry Baby wah strategically on select solos, using it to add vocal-like expression and sweep to his lead lines without relying heavily on effect-driven tones.

MXR Phase 90
Pedal

MXR Phase 90

Eddie's MXR Phase 90 script-logo version created his signature swirling, vocal sweep on 'Eruption' and 'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love,' becoming one of rock's most identifiable effect tones through minimal, tasteful use.

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