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Guns N' Roses - Ordinary Man - Guitar Solo Tab

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Key G major
Guns N' Roses - Ordinary Man 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.
Guns N' Roses Hard Rock G major
Capo Advisor 0 G major · Original key

About Ordinary Man

Playing "Ordinary Man" in Eb Standard means your whole guitar sits a half-step lower than concert pitch, so make sure you tune down all six strings before you start or nothing will sit right against a backing track. The key of G major at 120 BPM gives the song a steady, mid-tempo feel that is approachable for intermediate players, though locking in cleanly with the groove is its own discipline. Guns N' Roses bring their trademark mix of rhythmic chug and melodic lead work to this Hard Rock setting, so pay attention to both your rhythm palm-muting and the phrasing of any lead lines. The real challenge is keeping your pick attack consistent at this tempo without rushing through chord changes. If a transition or a lead phrase is giving you trouble, use the Practice Toolbar to loop that section slowed down until your muscle memory is solid before bringing it back up to 120 BPM.

  • The song is played in Eb Standard tuning, meaning every string is tuned down one half-step from standard E, which affects both chord voicings and lead tone.
  • At 120 BPM in G major, the mid-tempo feel rewards steady pick attack and clean chord transitions more than raw speed.
  • Use the Practice Toolbar to slow down any rhythm-to-lead transitions and loop them until your fretting hand changes feel automatic.

How to Play Ordinary Man

The song moves through: Intro, Full speed, 60%, Bar #7.

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

It is played in Eb standard, a half step down, so tune down before you start or every position and bend will sit a half step sharp against the recording. It is built from a handful of distinct sections, so learn each one in blocks before stringing them together.

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

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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