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Guns N' Roses - This I Love - Guitar Lesson

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Key D major
Guns N' Roses - This I Love guitar lesson video
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Classic Rock

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Mid7
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Master7
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Chinese Democracy album cover
Chinese Democracy
2008 5:34
Listen on Spotify
Guns N' Roses Hard Rock 2008 D major
Capo Advisor 0 D major · Original key

About This I Love

Few Guns N' Roses songs demand this kind of restraint from a guitarist. "This I Love," the ballad centerpiece of Guns N' Roses' long-awaited 2008 album Chinese Democracy, is built almost entirely on delicate, arpeggiated chord work and melodic lead lines that require a clean, controlled touch rather than the brute force the band is usually associated with. Playing in D major, the harmonic landscape is relatively open, but keeping the arpeggios even and the dynamics subtle is genuinely difficult, especially when the song swells into its bigger sections. The lead guitar passages call for expressive bends and vibrato, and getting that emotional weight without overplaying is the real challenge. If the arpeggio pattern or any of the swelling lead lines are giving you trouble, use the Practice Toolbar to loop those sections slowed down so you can focus on clean note separation and consistent pick or finger pressure before bringing it back up to tempo.

  • The guitar work throughout leans on fingerpicked or hybrid-picked arpeggios in D major, requiring a steady, even touch across all strings.
  • Expressive lead lines demand careful vibrato and string-bend control, making slow, isolated practice of each phrase essential before playing at full tempo.
  • The song's quiet-to-loud dynamic swells mean your picking attack must shift significantly between sections, which is easy to underestimate when first learning it.

How to Play This I Love

Key: D major · Tempo: 80 BPM

Loop each section and focus on clean, even timing rather than speed, with the metronome at 80 BPM.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Slash's weapon of choice, particularly late-'50s specs with mahogany bodies that deliver the thick, singing tone heard throughout 'Appetite for Destruction.' The Les Paul's weight and sustain complement his cranked Marshall, allowing solos to bloom with harmonic richness.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Offering a slightly different tonal character with a thinner body profile, the Custom gives Slash an alternative voice while maintaining the Les Paul's core warmth and sustain essential to his signature lead sound.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The split-channel JCM 800 2205 defines Slash's crunch, delivering natural tube saturation and midrange presence without artificial scooping, crucial for maintaining clarity in heavily driven passages.

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)
Amp

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)

Modified 1959 Super Lead amps pushed hard created the iconic raw power and harmonic distortion of 'Appetite for Destruction,' with power tube breakup that shaped GNR's raw, blues-rooted rock sound.

Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro
Pickup

Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro

These lower-output Alnico II humbuckers retain dynamic expressiveness even when the Marshall is cranked, producing a warm, slightly soft attack that makes Slash's tone creamy rather than harsh.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Slash's signature SW-95 wah adds vocal expression to solos like 'Civil War' and 'Estranged,' staying true to his minimalist pedalboard philosophy where tone comes primarily from guitar and amp interaction.

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