How to play Black Crowes: Hard to Handle on the guitar

"Hard to Handle" by The Black Crowes is a rock song in the key of B, at a tempo of 104 beats-per-minute. All guitars are in standard tuning and are overdriven throughout the song. This article will explain how to learn and perform "Hard to Handle" by The Black Crowes.

Playing the introduction and verses

The introduction is a simple single-note riff. It is played on an electric guitar using a lightly overdriven tone. This riff repeats once through before the verse groove begins. The verse is a vamp on the chord of B Major. In the original, the guitar alternates between B and Bsus4. However, when performing this track on your own, any appropriate vamp around a B chord will work. The vamp on B lasts for eight bars, before the guitar changes to a F sharp major chord. The F sharp major chord lasts for two bars before the guitar drops out for the chorus lyrics ' Hey little thing let me light your candle, cause mama I'm sure hard to handle now, gets around". The part on F Sharp can be considered to be a pre-chorus section.

Playing the choruses

The chorus riff is a sequence of power chords, complimented by hits on the drums. The most important aspect of the chorus is ensuring the drum hits and chords sound at exactly the same time. Concentrating on this seemingly simple part will make the performance sound tight and professional. Note that chorus two varies from chorus one. The same chords are used, but the sequence repeats itself.

Playing the solo, outro and song form

The guitar solo in "Hard to Handle" by The Black Crowes can be performed mostly by using the B blues scale. The solo makes use of overdrive to achieve a classic soloing tone. The outro consists of two different sections and falls after the last chorus. A solo electric guitar improvises over the B vamp from the verse. Then, rather than playing the F Sharp pre-chorus section, the song moves straight to the chorus riff and draws to a close. When performing this track live, it is important to make sure the vocal improvisations and guitar improvisations both have room and do not impose on each other to the point where everything sounds messy. Controlled improvisation is key! The song form is: Intro Riff, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Solo, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Outro. Final word This article will help you perform and learn "Hard to Handle" by The Black Crowes.