Dave Davies was pissed off. He was frustrated with his sound, his amp, and probably his brother Ray. So, he took a razor blade to the speaker cone of his little Elpico amplifier. He sliced it right up. He poked it with needles. He wanted it to growl, and when he plugged in his guitar to record "You Really Got Me" in 1964, he changed music forever. If you are looking for a You Really Got Me Kinks tab, you aren't just looking for notes on a page. You are trying to figure out how to bottle that specific brand of lightning.
It sounds easy. It’s just two chords, right? F and G. Then G and A. Basically, it’s the DNA of every punk and heavy metal song that came after it. But if you play it clean, it sounds like a nursery rhyme. It sounds wrong. To get it right, you have to understand the power chord—which wasn't really a "thing" in the mainstream until these guys from Muswell Hill decided to get loud.
The Bare Bones: Getting the Notes Right
Most people pull up a You Really Got Me Kinks tab and expect a complex jazz odyssey. It’s the opposite. The song is built on a two-note riff. You’re looking at the low E and A strings.
First, you hit that low F (1st fret on the E string) and the C (3rd fret on the A string). Then you slide it up two frets to the G. That's it. That’s the hook. But the rhythm is where the pros separate themselves from the kids in the garage. It’s a syncopated "dah-dah, dah-dah-dah" pattern. If you don't feel the swing in your right hand, you're just making noise. Dave Davies didn't play it with a light touch. He attacked the strings. Honestly, if you aren't breaking a sweat trying to keep that rhythm tight, you're probably playing it too soft.
The solo is a different beast entirely. For years, people swore Jimmy Page played it. That's a myth. Page was a session musician on some Kinks tracks, sure, but Dave Davies has spent decades defending his territory on this one. It's a frantic, messy, wonderful solo in the key of G. It uses a lot of rapid-fire tremolo picking and bends that feel like they’re about to fall off the fretboard.
Why the "Easy" Tabs Are Lying to You
You'll find plenty of versions online that suggest playing the riff as full barre chords. Don't do that. It muddies the water. The Kinks were going for a "slashed" sound. Using just the bottom two or three strings keeps the distortion focused. If you add the high strings, you lose the grit.
Another common mistake in your average You Really Got Me Kinks tab is ignoring the key change. The song starts in F, but it kicks up a notch later. It shifts. If you stay in the same position for the whole song, you'll notice it sounds "flat" compared to the record. You have to follow Ray Davies’ vocals as the intensity climbs.
Gear: You Can't Play It Without the "Green" Sound
You can have the best tab in the world, but if you're playing through a clean Fender Twin Reverb, it’s going to sound like elevator music. Dave used a Harmony Meteor guitar through that sliced-up Elpico amp, which was then fed into a larger Vox AC30.
To recreate this today without ruining your equipment:
- Use a bridge pickup. Humbuckers are great for the chunk, but a P90 or a bright single coil gets that "nasal" bite.
- Crank the gain, but roll off the bass. You want it to pierce, not thud.
- If you have a "fuzz" pedal, use it. But keep the "fuzz" setting lower than the "level."
- Try a bit of "bit-crushing" or a speaker-ripping emulator if you’re using plugins like Guitar Rig or Amplitube.
The Rhythm Mystery
Ray Davies once said the beat was inspired by "Louie Louie." You can hear it. It’s that garage-rock stomp. But while "Louie Louie" feels like a party, "You Really Got Me" feels like an obsession.
The drumming by Mick Avory is deceptively simple. He stays out of the way of the riff. When you're practicing with the You Really Got Me Kinks tab, try playing along to a metronome set to about 137 BPM. It’s faster than you think. If you lag, the song loses its "threat." It needs to feel dangerous.
Breaking Down the Solo (The Dave Davies Special)
The solo starts around the 0:58 mark. It’s mostly based on the G pentatonic scale.
- Start with a heavy bend on the 10th fret of the B string.
- Follow up with quick hammer-ons between the 8th and 10th frets.
- The "chaos" section involves hitting the open G string while fretting higher notes to create dissonance.
It’s not "clean" playing. Dave was trying to mimic the sound of a scream. If you hit a wrong note, honestly, just keep going. The original recording has a raw energy that values vibe over perfection. That's the secret of the 1960s British Invasion sound. They weren't trying to be virtuosos; they were trying to be heard over the screaming fans.
Common Obstacles for Beginners
Hand fatigue is real here. Holding those power chords and sliding them back and forth for three minutes is a workout for your index and ring fingers. If your hand starts cramping, check your thumb position. It should be behind the neck, not wrapped over the top. This gives you the leverage to slide the shape without losing the "grip" on the tone.
Also, watch your muting. If the other strings are ringing out, the riff becomes a mess. Use the underside of your index finger to lightly touch the strings you aren't playing. This keeps the "chug" tight.
Moving Toward Professional Play
Once you've mastered the basic You Really Got Me Kinks tab, start experimenting with the "sliding" technique. Instead of lifting your fingers between the F and G, keep the pressure down just enough to hear the transition. It adds a "greasy" feel to the riff that defines the track.
This song is the bridge between the blues-rock of the 50s and the heavy metal of the 70s. Van Halen's cover in 1978 proved the riff was indestructible. Eddie added "brown sound" harmonics and dive bombs, but the core—that F to G slide—remained the same. Whether you prefer the raw 1964 original or the high-octane 70s version, the tab is your roadmap to one of the most important moments in guitar history.
Actionable Steps for Mastering the Riff
To truly nail this, stop looking at the screen and start listening to the track on loop. Your ears will tell you more than a PDF ever could.
- Set your amp to a "crunch" setting. Avoid "metal" distortion; you need to hear the actual notes, not just white noise.
- Practice the F to G slide for 5 minutes straight. Do it until your muscle memory takes over.
- Record yourself. You might think you're on beat, but the Kinks' swing is tricky. Listen back and see if you're rushing the second hit of the riff.
- Experiment with "down-picking" only. Don't alternate your pick strokes for the main riff. Down-picking gives it that aggressive, uniform "thump."
- Check your tuning. The original record is slightly sharp or flat depending on the master tape speed. If you're playing along to the YouTube version and it sounds "off," you might need to tweak your tuning by a few cents to match the record's pitch.
