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Foreigner - I Want To Know What Love Is - Guitar Cover

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Key C major
Foreigner - I Want To Know What Love Is guitar cover video
Kfir Ochaion
Kfir Ochaion Top Contributor
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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.
Feels Like The First Time album cover
Feels Like The First Time
2011 4:46
Listen on Spotify
Foreigner Pop Rock 2011 C major
Capo Advisor 0 C major · Original key

About I Want To Know What Love Is

At 104 BPM in C major and standard E tuning, this Pop Rock ballad sits comfortably in range for most guitarists, but the challenge is not technical speed. It is about feel: sustaining long, clean chords with the right weight and timing to match the song's slow, searching atmosphere. The guitar parts are largely chordal, so getting the voicings to ring cleanly without buzzing is your first priority. The transitions between chords need to feel unhurried even though the pulse keeps moving, which means locking in with the kick and bass rather than rushing the changes. If a particular chord movement keeps tripping you up, isolate that two-bar stretch with the Practice Toolbar, slow it down, and repeat it until the muscle memory is there. Foreigner built this track around a huge gospel choir and a broad harmonic feel, so your guitar playing needs space and restraint rather than flashy fills.

  • Playing in E Standard and C major keeps all the chords in familiar open and barre positions, making clean voicings your main focus rather than unusual fingerings.
  • The 104 BPM tempo is slow enough to feel relaxed but demands steady right-hand consistency so sustained chords do not lose energy between strums.
  • Looping the chord transitions slowed down with the Practice Toolbar is the most effective way to build the smooth, unhurried movement this song requires.

How to Play I Want To Know What Love Is

Tuning: E Standard · Key: C major · Tempo: 104 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 104 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Mick Jones occasionally grabbed the Strat for brighter, single-coil tones on specific Foreigner tracks, providing jangly contrast to his signature Les Paul warmth. The Strat's snap helped cut through dense keyboard arrangements without the heavy midrange of his primary guitars.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Jones's main voice throughout Foreigner's classic era, the late '50s and early '60s Les Paul Standards delivered thick, sustaining midrange from mahogany bodies and maple tops. These guitars enabled the dynamic clean-to-crunch transitions that define songs like 'Cold as Ice' and 'Waiting for a Girl Like You.'

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Black Beauty appeared on several Foreigner recordings and live shows, offering the same warm, rounded PAF tones as Jones's Standards but with a sleeker aesthetic. This guitar contributed to the band's signature rich, vocal-friendly lead tones that soared over synth layers.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The JCM800 head was the sonic foundation of Jones's tone, delivering warm crunch at moderate gain levels that cleaned up responsively with guitar volume changes. Driven into 4x12 cabs with Greenback speakers, it produced Foreigner's organic, dynamic overdrive sound without digital artifacts.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

Jones blended the Twin Reverb in the studio for cleaner rhythm parts and arpeggiated sections, adding natural reverb and clarity alongside Marshall crunch. This combination created Foreigner's signature warm, spacious production that balanced heavy riffs with lush, layered textures.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Jones deployed the Cry Baby on select Foreigner solos to add expressiveness and vocal-like quality to lead passages. The wah's sweep complemented his dynamic playing style, enhancing the emotional intensity of the band's power ballads and rock anthems.

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