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Accept - Balls To The Wall - Guitar Lesson

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Key E minor
Accept - Balls To The Wall guitar lesson video
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Balls To The Wall album cover
Balls To The Wall
1983 5:43
Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Music
Accept Heavy Metal 1983 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Balls To The Wall

Few heavy metal anthems from the early 1980s hit as hard rhythmically as this one. At 120 BPM in E minor and standard tuning, the song is built around a driving, palm-muted low-E riff that demands tight right-hand control throughout. The groove is deceptively simple on paper, but keeping that muted chug locked in and consistent for the full length of the song is where most players slip up. The pre-chorus and chorus lifts require quick shifts between power chord positions, so knowing exactly where your hand needs to land before you move is essential. If the transitions between the verse riff and those chord stabs are giving you trouble, use the Practice Toolbar to isolate and loop those bars slowed down until the movement feels automatic. Accept built their reputation in Heavy Metal on riffs exactly like this one, tight, heavy, and built to be played at full commitment.

  • The central riff is rooted on the low E string with heavy palm muting, making right-hand consistency the main technical challenge.
  • Playing in E Standard means no retuning is needed, so you can jump straight into the riff with a guitar straight off the stand.
  • The song's power-chord shifts between verse and chorus sections are a solid drill for building left-hand accuracy at a steady 120 BPM.

How to Play Balls To The Wall

The song moves through: Intro, Main riff, Main riff ending variation, Verse, Pre-chorus, Chorus, Parts leading into solo, Solo rhythm, Solo.

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E minor · Tempo: 120 BPM

The arrangement runs through 9 distinct sections, and the solo is the steepest jump, so isolate it on its own.

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 Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Herman Frank uses the Les Paul Standard to add thick midrange body to Accept's dual-guitar attack, complementing Wolf Hoffmann's brighter Flying V tone. The guitar's weight and fuller voice create the dense, crushing rhythm foundation that defines Accept's metal riffs.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Les Paul Custom offers Herman Frank enhanced sustain and midrange presence, thickening Accept's guitar mix with its premium construction. This variation provides the tonal ballast needed when layered against Hoffmann's articulate Flying V for maximum heaviness.

Gibson Flying V
Guitar

Gibson Flying V

Wolf Hoffmann's signature Flying V delivers the articulate, slightly brighter attack that cuts through Accept's dense rhythm section. The moderate-output humbuckers keep palm-muted riffs crisp and defined, letting every note punch through without losing dynamic clarity.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The JCM800 provides Accept's core tone: natural tube saturation from cranked preamp and power tubes rather than pedal distortion. This classic Marshall bark and breakup keeps Hoffmann's riffs tight, focused, and heavy while maintaining the dry, direct character that made Accept legendary.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Hoffmann occasionally deploys the Cry Baby for expressive solo passages and wah-effected lead moments, adding movement to Accept's otherwise straightforward, gain-focused tone. The wah enhances his soloing dynamics while keeping the overall signal chain minimal and tube-driven.

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