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Van Halen - Eruption - Guitar Tab

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Key E minor
Van Halen - Eruption guitar tab video
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Classic Rock

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Van Halen Hard Rock E minor
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About Eruption

Few guitar pieces have asked more of a player's right and left hands simultaneously than "Eruption." Van Halen recorded this solo showcase in Eb Standard tuning, which drops every string a half step and gives the tone a slightly looser, darker quality worth matching if you want the bends to feel right. At 120 BPM the piece moves fast, and the two-handed tapping technique at its core demands that both hands work with equal precision: the picking hand taps high on the neck while the fretting hand pulls off and hammers on below. Getting that coordination clean is the real challenge, and it takes far more slow repetition than most players expect. Use the Practice Toolbar to isolate the densest tapping runs and loop them slowed down until each note speaks clearly before you bring the tempo back up. The tremolo-picked passages and the whammy dive at the end each deserve their own focused sessions too, since they call on very different physical skills within one short piece.

  • Two-handed tapping is the core technique: the picking hand frets notes high on the neck while the fretting hand hammers and pulls off below.
  • The song is played in Eb Standard tuning, so drop all six strings a half step to match the original recording's pitch and feel.
  • Despite lasting under two minutes, the piece covers tapping, tremolo picking, and whammy bar use, making it a demanding multi-technique study.

How to Play Eruption

The song moves through: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 (Tapping).

Tuning: Eb Standard · Key: E minor · Tempo: 176 BPM · Difficulty: Medium

Eruption is built around Eddie Van Halen's two-handed tapping, and the tapping section (Part 4) is the centerpiece: the right-hand index finger taps high on the neck while the left hand hammers and pulls off below, creating the cascading runs. Learn the pull-off sequences in each part before adding the tapping hand, because sloppy left-hand technique is the most common reason the passage sounds muddy. The piece is in Eb Standard tuning, so tune down a half step before starting or the positions and bends will feel off. At 176 bpm the full tempo is aggressive, so use the speed control to isolate and loop Part 4 at 60-70% until each tap lands cleanly and consistently.

Loop the hardest passage and creep the speed up from around 70 percent until it holds at 176 BPM.

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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