Learn to Play “Is This Love” by Whitesnake
Take a deep dive into one of the most iconic power ballads of the 1980s with Licklibrary’s comprehensive guitar lesson for “Is This Love” by Whitesnake. This lesson breaks down every detail of the song’s guitar work, giving you a note-for-note breakdown of the rhythm and lead parts, along with insights into the stylistic techniques that defined Whitesnake’s melodic hard rock sound. Perfect for intermediate and advanced guitarists, this tutorial enhances not only your song repertoire but also your technical proficiency and expressive phrasing. Danny Gill breaks down this classic track in this exclusive Lick Library video tutorial.
About the Song and Guitar Style
Released in 1987, “Is This Love” is a timeless ballad from Whitesnake’s self-titled album that blends soaring melodies with soulful guitar playing. The track was a massive commercial success and showcases the band’s ability to combine heavy rock dynamics with emotional, radio-friendly songwriting. The guitar work in this track is tasteful and expressive, offering the perfect balance of lyrical phrasing and technical precision.
The Guitar Legend: John Sykes
Although Adrian Vandenberg played the solo in the music video and was part of the band’s lineup during the height of its fame, much of the guitar work on the Whitesnake album—including “Is This Love”—was recorded by the legendary John Sykes. Known for his work with Thin Lizzy, Blue Murder, and Whitesnake, Sykes brought a unique blend of fiery technique and melodic finesse to the table. His style features everything from emotive bends and vibrato to fluid legato lines, making him a major influence on hard rock and shred guitarists worldwide. Learning his parts in this song offers players a deeper understanding of rock phrasing, note choice, and tone control.
Song Breakdown and Guitar Techniques
Our lesson covers every section of the track, from the clean, atmospheric intro to the emotionally charged solo, explaining each passage in detail.
Clean Intro and Verse Chords
The track opens with rich, clean-tone chords that set a reflective mood. These sections offer an excellent opportunity to work on barre chords and arpeggiated chord progressions. Precision and tone control are key here, helping players develop fretboard clarity and consistent dynamics.
Learning arpeggiated progressions enhances your picking accuracy and right-hand coordination while also improving your understanding of harmony in context.
Chorus Power and Dynamics
As the song transitions into the chorus, it introduces richer textures and overdriven power chords. Here, students get to apply power chords with palm muting to achieve a tight, controlled sound.
Working on power chords in context builds strength and stamina in your fretting hand, while palm muting helps develop rhythmic control and tonal variety.
Lead Guitar Lines and Expressive Phrasing
Throughout the track, melodic lead lines fill the spaces between vocal phrases. These parts incorporate expressive techniques like vibrato, slides, and hammer-ons, giving guitarists the chance to explore the vocal-like quality of the guitar.
Developing a strong vibrato and clean slides allows players to convey more emotion in their solos and phrasing, bridging the gap between technical execution and musical expression.
Guitar Solo
The standout guitar solo is a masterclass in melodic rock lead playing. Sykes makes use of string bending, pre-bends, and legato phrasing to craft a solo that is both technically impressive and emotionally powerful.
Practicing pre-bends and controlled bending refines your ear and intonation. Legato work boosts fluidity and speed, especially when transitioning between notes seamlessly.
Outro Licks and Sustained Melodies
The closing phrases of the song are rich with sustain and bluesy bends, wrapping up the track with a passionate, resonant finish.
Focusing on sustain and expressive bends trains players to hold notes confidently, letting each phrase breathe and carry emotional weight.
Why Learn “Is This Love” on Guitar?
This lesson is a valuable study for any guitarist looking to master expressive phrasing, understand melodic soloing, and refine their control over clean and distorted tones. You’ll not only expand your song repertoire but also improve your technique, timing, and musical sensitivity.
Learning this track will teach you how to:
- Phrase leads that sing like a voice
- Control tone with dynamics and picking
- Blend rhythm and lead seamlessly
- Apply intermediate techniques musically, not just mechanically
Guitar Techniques Used in This Lesson
About The Tutor
Tutor Profile
Danny Gill
Danny Gill is, without a doubt, the most loved tutor by our community. With an incredible array of DVDs and web lessons for LickLibrary covering a wide variety of topics all of which he covers with incredible detail, it's no wonder he carries as much respect as he does. As...