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Mr. Big - To Be With You - Guitar Lesson

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Key G major
Mr. Big - To Be With You guitar lesson video
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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.
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Mr. Big Hard Rock G major
Capo Advisor 0 G major · Original key

About To Be With You

"To Be With You" is a well-known ballad by Mr. Big, the Los Angeles hard rock band formed in 1988. Despite the band's reputation for technically demanding playing, this song showcases their softer side, built around acoustic guitar and rich vocal harmonies. It is a rewarding piece to learn on electric guitar, offering clean chord work and an accessible structure that highlights dynamics and tone control over technical complexity.

  • Mr. Big featured Paul Gilbert, widely regarded as one of rock's most technically skilled guitarists, adding depth to the band's range.
  • The song relies heavily on vocal harmonies, learning the chord progressions helps guitarists understand how melody and harmony interlock.
  • Mr. Big formed in Los Angeles in 1988 and balanced hard rock intensity with melodic, harmony-driven songs throughout their career.

How to Play To Be With You

Tuning: E Standard · Key: G major · Tempo: 120 BPM

"To Be With You" is built primarily on acoustic-style chord work in G major, so the challenge is not speed but clean, full-sounding open and barre chord voicings with smooth transitions between them. The intro fingerpicked or strummed pattern sets the song's feel immediately, so nail that section before moving to the verse and chorus progressions. A common pitfall is rushing the strumming pattern and losing the gentle rhythmic lilt that the song depends on at 98 bpm. Focus on consistent dynamics throughout, keeping your picking hand relaxed so the tone stays warm rather than harsh.

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

Paul Gilbert uses the Les Paul for its thick, warm midrange character, providing a tonal counterpoint to his bright Ibanez shredders. The guitar's body mass and traditional humbuckers deliver sustain and harmonic depth for his bluesy lead work alongside Mr. Big's harder material.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Custom variant appeals to Gilbert for its premium craftsmanship and enhanced tonal resonance, offering the same midrange richness as the Standard but with refined sustain. It serves as a go-to for studio recordings where tonal warmth and presence matter as much as his signature picking aggression.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

This amp's punchy British midrange and natural tube breakup define Mr. Big's classic tone. Gilbert runs it at moderate gain to preserve pick attack and note clarity during lightning-fast runs, letting his aggressive technique provide percussion rather than amp saturation.

DiMarzio Super Distortion
Pickup

DiMarzio Super Distortion

The Super Distortion's hot output and harmonic richness made it essential for Mr. Big's bridge pickup tone, delivering sustain on lead lines while remaining responsive to volume knob dynamics. Its midrange presence cuts through dense arrangements without sacrificing articulation.

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9
Pedal

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9

Gilbert uses the TS9 as a midrange boost into his already-cooking amp rather than primary distortion, tightening the signal and pushing the front end. This approach preserves picking clarity during shred passages while enhancing sustain on slower, bluesy lead moments.

Boss DS-1 Distortion
Pedal

Boss DS-1 Distortion

The DS-1 serves as Gilbert's go-to distortion pedal for adding aggression without compromising note definition. Its relatively moderate saturation complements his philosophy of letting technique and tube amp punch drive the tone rather than pedal-based heaviness.

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