Fool For Your Loving – Whitesnake

Dive into the world of classic hard rock with our note-for-note guitar lesson for "Fool For Your Loving" by Whitesnake. At LickLibrary.com, we bring you a comprehensive breakdown of this iconic track, originally released in 1980 and later re-recorded in 1989. Our lesson captures the very essence of the song’s fiery riffs, melodic solos, and expressive phrasing—giving you the skills to master one of Whitesnake’s most enduring anthems.

This guitar tutorial dissects every section of the song, focusing on key rock techniques that are essential for any intermediate to advanced guitarist. You'll explore a powerful combination of expressive bends, articulate vibrato, melodic motifs, and aggressive rock phrasing that defined ‘80s guitar style. Sam Bell breaks down this classic track in this exclusive Lick Library video tutorial.

The Guitarists Behind the Track

The 1989 version of "Fool For Your Loving" features the mighty Steve Vai took over guitar duties. Vai infused the song with his signature technical flair, adding fiery leads and explosive guitar tricks while retaining the bluesy undertone of the original. His contribution brought a new level of shred-inspired energy to the track, showcasing more advanced techniques such as two-handed tapping and whammy bar acrobatics.

Key Techniques Covered in This Lesson

String Bending

From subtle bluesy bends to aggressive full-tone bends, this lesson breaks down the art of string bending. This technique adds expressive depth to your playing and is vital for capturing the vocal-like phrasing that defines the lead parts in Fool For Your Loving. Learning to control pitch, sustain, and vibrato within your bends can dramatically improve your soloing skills.

Vibrato

No great solo is complete without expressive vibrato. Our lesson explores how Bernie Marsden and Steve Vai use vibrato to add emotion and sustain to held notes. Developing a confident vibrato style helps your notes sing, providing a personal signature to your phrasing.

Double-Stop Bends

A Whitesnake signature move, double-stop bends are used throughout the lead sections. This technique delivers a harmonised, vocal effect and teaches you to bend with control while fretting two strings at once—a must for mastering blues-rock phrasing.

Alternate Picking

Vai’s aggressive rhythm and lead work showcases rapid alternate picking passages. You’ll build speed and accuracy by isolating these runs, developing tighter control in both rhythm and lead guitar contexts.

Legato

Smooth transitions between notes are key in Steve Vai’s solo sections. The use of legato—a combination of hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides—creates fluid, fast phrases that roll effortlessly across the fretboard. Practising legato improves finger strength and smooths out your phrasing.

Slides

Guitar slides are used tastefully throughout the riffs and solos, providing smooth transitions and dynamic emphasis. Incorporating slides into your playing adds a more vocal, lyrical touch to your phrasing.

Pinched Harmonics

The re-recorded version includes aggressive pinched harmonics, adding an edge to key phrases. Learning this technique helps you add scream and attitude to your solos—perfect for rock and metal.

Whammy Bar Tricks

Steve Vai’s version features tasteful whammy bar tricks that add flair and unpredictability to solos. These effects are great for learning pitch control, vibrato manipulation, and dive bombs.

Power Chords

Foundational to the rhythm parts of the song, power chords give the track its hard-hitting edge. Tight, punchy and palm-muted in parts, these chords are essential for any rock or metal rhythm guitarist.

Pull-Offs

Used frequently in the legato sections, pull-offs allow for fast melodic runs without picking every note. This technique enhances finger dexterity and adds speed to your phrasing.

Why Learn This Song?

Learning Fool For Your Loving is more than just adding a rock classic to your repertoire. It’s an opportunity to:

• Improve expressive phrasing through bends, vibrato, and slides.
• Develop technical proficiency with legato and alternate picking.
• Explore blues-rock soloing in both classic and modern forms.
• Strengthen your rhythm chops with tight, dynamic power chord work.
• Gain inspiration from two distinct guitar icons—Bernie Marsden and Steve Vai.

Whether you're a fan of Whitesnake or just want to refine your rock guitar technique, this lesson delivers both the nuance and power you need to elevate your playing.

Techniques Used in This Lesson

• Vibrato
• Alternate Picking
• Legato
• Double-Stop Bends
• Pinched Harmonics
• Slides
• String Bending
• Pull-Offs
• Power Chords
• Whammy Bar Tricks