About Sweet Child O' Mine

Sweet Child O' Mine showcases Slash's legendary guitar work with one of the most recognizable intros in rock history. Written by Axl Rose as a poem for his girlfriend, the song became Guns N' Roses' only number-one hit. The circular guitar riff was actually created by Slash as a guitar exercise, which the band turned into a full song.

Tips for Playing Sweet Child O' Mine

• The main riff is in D major using a pattern across the D, G, and B strings

• Practice the intro riff slowly until you can play it cleanly, then gradually increase speed

• The verse uses D-C-G chord progression with palm-muted power chords

• The solo is primarily in E minor pentatonic - learn the scale positions first

• Use moderate gain and let notes sustain for the riff sections

Fun Facts About Sweet Child O' Mine

• Slash almost didn't include the riff, thinking it was too "circus-like"

• The song was written in just five minutes

• It's one of the most covered songs by guitar students worldwide

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Frequently Asked Questions