Van Halen - Runnin' with the Devil - Guitar Tab

About Runnin' with the Devil

Few opening riffs in rock guitar are as immediately recognizable as the one kicking off this Van Halen track. The signature part is built around a driving, palm-muted power-chord figure in E minor, and getting the right amount of palm-mute pressure is what separates a muddy attempt from the real thing. Eddie Van Halen's rhythm playing here is deceptively tight: the groove sits right in the pocket and any looseness in your pick attack will show up immediately. Work through the chord changes slowly at first, focusing on clean transitions and consistent muting, then use the Practice Toolbar to loop the main riff slowed down until the motion feels automatic. The lead fills woven between verses are great targets for beginners to intermediate players because they stay close to the E minor pentatonic box but still require confident string control. Once the rhythm is locked in, add the fills gradually rather than trying to learn everything at once.

• The main riff relies on palm-muted power chords in E minor, so precise right-hand muting pressure is the core technique to develop.
• Eddie Van Halen's rhythm part stays tight and percussive throughout, making consistent pick attack and tempo control the real challenge for practice.
• The lead fills between verses sit comfortably within the E minor pentatonic scale, making them a practical target for players building soloing confidence.