Tonight by Ozzy Osbourne – Guitar Lesson

Take a deeper dive into melodic hard rock with our note-for-note guitar lesson of “Tonight” by Ozzy Osbourne. This emotionally driven ballad from the Diary of a Madman album showcases Randy Rhoads' ability to balance intensity and sensitivity within his guitar playing. Through beautiful clean sections, heavy riffs, and soaring lead guitar passages, Tonight serves as a brilliant example of Rhoads' versatility and melodic sensibility.

This LickLibrary lesson takes you through every detail of the track, giving you the tools to master essential techniques such as altered tunings, power chords, hammer-ons, and string bending. With each section carefully broken down, you'll not only learn to play the song accurately but also develop a better understanding of phrasing, tone, and the emotional storytelling behind each note. This lesson is taught by Danny Gill.

Technique Focus

Altered Tunings

“Tonight” uses altered tunings to help create a unique tonal palette and chord voicings that wouldn't be possible in standard tuning. This not only contributes to the atmospheric feel of the clean sections but also allows for creative chord shapes and harmonic interplay.

Learning benefit: Exploring altered tunings opens up new creative possibilities and expands your harmonic vocabulary, allowing you to discover new textures and write more original guitar parts.

Power Chords

Rhoads transitions seamlessly from melodic phrases to hard-hitting power chords that give the chorus and bridge sections of the song their drive and weight. These chords provide a tight, controlled wall of sound that enhances the song’s dynamic shifts.

Learning benefit: Power chords are foundational to rock and metal rhythm guitar. Mastering them improves your ability to lock in with the rhythm section and deliver punchy, focused riffs with clarity and aggression.

Hammer-Ons

Throughout the lead lines and transitions, hammer-ons are used to enhance melodic flow and add a legato feel to Randy’s phrasing. Whether in subtle fills or faster runs, hammer-ons bring fluidity and speed to the performance.

Learning benefit: Practicing hammer-ons improves finger strength and speed, making your lead playing more expressive and efficient while reducing picking fatigue.

String Bending

The solo in Tonight features some of Randy’s most emotionally charged string bending. These bends are precise and vocal-like, capturing the essence of melodic soloing and adding drama to each phrase.

Learning benefit: String bending is vital for expressive lead guitar. It helps develop ear training, pitch accuracy, and emotional articulation in your solos, allowing you to phrase more like a vocalist than a technician.

Why Learn This Song?

Tonight offers guitarists a well-rounded learning experience that blends beautiful clean tones, heavy riffs, and lyrical solos—all underpinned by excellent technique and tasteful composition. By learning this song, you’re not only adding a powerful track to your repertoire but also building core skills that will serve you across a variety of musical styles.

Whether your goal is to emulate Randy Rhoads’ iconic style or to expand your understanding of emotional phrasing, this lesson gives you everything you need to play Tonight with conviction and control.

About the Song and Randy Rhoads

“Tonight” is one of the more reflective and atmospheric tracks from Ozzy Osbourne’s Diary of a Madman album, released in 1981. A standout power ballad in Ozzy’s catalogue, the song explores themes of isolation and emotional conflict, and the guitar work perfectly matches the mood—moving between delicate clean melodies and full-throttle rock riffs.

The track features the incredible playing of Randy Rhoads, whose influence on rock and metal guitar remains immense to this day. Trained in classical music but born to shred, Rhoads combined articulate melodic phrasing with raw intensity. His work on Tonight is particularly poignant, showcasing not just his technical ability but his compositional strength. For players seeking to emulate a truly expressive and multifaceted guitarist, this track is a masterclass.

What You’ll Learn in This Lesson

Our guitar lesson breaks down every part of Tonight in meticulous detail—from the clean intro arpeggios to the heavier rhythm guitar sections and the soulful, expressive solo. It’s a perfect study in dynamics and emotional phrasing, giving you practical tools that go beyond speed or flash.

If you're an intermediate or advanced guitarist looking to improve both technique and expressiveness, this lesson offers the perfect balance between technical development and musical depth.

Techniques Used in This Lesson

• Altered Tunings
• Power Chords
• Hammer-Ons
• String Bending

Explore the emotional depth and technical brilliance of Tonight with this complete LickLibrary guitar lesson—an essential journey into the heart of Randy Rhoads' legendary playing.