Rock You Like a Hurricane by the Scorpions, from Love at First Sting (1984), features a guitar solo by Matthias Jabs that is one of the most recognizable in hard rock. Fast, powerful, and packed with classic 80s metal energy.
About This Lesson
Jabs plays with total conviction on this solo — driving alternate picking, aggressive bends, and a tone that cuts through the wall of sound. It is a defining example of German hard rock guitar — technically solid, musically direct, and full of attitude.
What You Will Work On
- Hard rock alternate picking — fast, aggressive, consistent
- Pentatonic runs with attitude — speed that sounds like it means something
- Metal string bends — wide, confident bends with rock conviction
- High-gain tone articulation — staying clear and defined with heavy distortion
- 80s hard rock phrasing — the vocabulary that defined a generation of rock
Tips for Learning
- Match the aggression — hesitant playing completely kills this solo.
- Work on pentatonic alternate picking patterns before tackling the full solo.
- Use a high-gain tone with scooped mids to match the Scorpions sound.
- Study the Scorpions’ catalog to understand the full context of Jabs’ style.
WANT TO MASTER THIS SOLO PROPERLY?
Private Rock Guitar Lessons via Zoom — Diego Fonseca
Rock & metal specialist with 20+ years of teaching. Students across the US and Canada. I will build a lesson plan around the music you actually want to play — solos, technique, theory.
✔ Free 30-min trial lesson ✔ US & Canada timezones ✔ $240/month · 4 lessons
Fill out the form and Diego will reply within 12 hours.