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The Kinks - You Really Got Me - Guitar Tab

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

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Speed Control

Speed
100%

Tools

BPM
Key F major
The Kinks - You Really Got Me 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.
The Kinks Hard Rock F major
Capo Advisor 0 F major · Original key

About You Really Got Me

Few riffs in rock history are as immediately recognisable as the two-chord stomp at the heart of "You Really Got Me." The whole song is built on a relentless G and F power-chord figure that Dave Davies reportedly got by slashing his speaker cone with a razor blade to achieve that raw, buzzing distortion. In Drop D tuning, those power chords sit very comfortably on the low strings, letting you drive them with real physical weight at 120 BPM. The challenge is not finding the shapes but nailing the rhythmic punch: the chords need to feel aggressive and locked-in, not sloppy. Focus on your picking-hand attack and make sure every stab lands right on the beat. If the two-chord groove keeps slipping, use the Practice Toolbar to loop it slowed down until the momentum feels automatic. The Kinks essentially wrote the blueprint for Hard Rock with this track, so getting it right is genuinely worth the effort.

  • The Drop D tuning makes the signature two-chord power-chord riff sit naturally on the lowest strings, giving it extra weight and punch.
  • The distorted tone on the original recording came from Dave Davies deliberately slashing his amplifier speaker cone with a razor blade.
  • At 120 BPM the riff feels driving but not frantic, so focus your practice on rhythmic precision and consistent picking-hand attack.

How to Play You Really Got Me

Tuning: Drop D · Key: F major · Tempo: 120 BPM

The drop D tuning lets you fret the low power chords with a single finger, which is central to the heavier riffing here.

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 Flying V
Guitar

Gibson Flying V

Dave Davies' 1958 Gibson Flying V delivered the thick, aggressive midrange bark that defines The Kinks' signature crunch. Its dual PAF humbuckers responded dynamically to his punishing pick attack, keeping the raw energy intact without compression.

Vox AC30
Amp

Vox AC30

The Vox AC30 was essential to Dave Davies' pioneering distortion tone, either pushed by his slashed-speaker Elpico preamp or cranked alone for natural breakup. This amp's touch-sensitive breakup became synonymous with The Kinks' raw, fuzzy rhythm sound.

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