Quick Lick: Van Halen "Beautiful Girls" Video Lesson

In the following classic videos, Guitar World's Jimmy Brown shows you how to play the key licks from Van Halen's classic song, "Beautiful Girls." "Beautiful Girls" first appeared on the band's 1979 album, Van Halen II. The Eddie Van Halen Guitar World Box Set is a limited-edition package that includes all four Guitar World February 2009 issues, each of which has a unique cover photo featuring Eddie Van Halen with a different version of his new EVH Wolfgang guitar. It's available now at the Guitar World Online Store.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**

Join now for unlimited access

US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year

UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year

Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Prices from £2.99/$3.99/€3.49

Over the past 30 years, Jimmy Brown has built a reputation as one of the world's finest music educators, through his work as a transcriber and Senior Music Editor for Guitar World magazine and Lessons Editor for its sister publication, Guitar Player. In addition to these roles, Jimmy is also a busy working musician, performing regularly in the greater New York City area. Jimmy earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies and Performance and Music Management from William Paterson University in 1989. He is also an experienced private guitar teacher and an accomplished writer.

Latest

Charlie Robbins with his signature Kiesel electric guitar

“We’re very into shredding and treating the guitar the way Yngwie Malmsteen or Eddie Van Halen would treat a guitar”: Syncatto's Charlie Robbins is the latest virtuoso to feature on Cobra Kai’s guitar-driven soundtrack

See more latest ►

It worked for the Beatles on Yesterday and it can work for you, too – here’s how to use the melodic minor scale to add intrigue to your songwriting and glide over minor chord progressions

“McLaughlin’s ferocious picking and mastery of the fretboard raised the bar for what could be achieved on the guitar”: Learn the trailblazing style of John McLaughlin, one of the true pioneers of jazz-rock fusion

Think punk is just power chords and rubbish technique? Think again – here are 10 lessons you can learn from the last 50 years of punk

“The idea of the ‘rhythm’ side and the ‘lead’ side as distinctly separate entities has become somewhat blurred”: Mateus Asato is a modern master of combined rhythm and lead playing – he shares his poetic soloing secrets

“Over time, her arrangements became more creative and composed and could stand on their own as melodic instrumentals”: A pioneering protest singer, American folk legend Joan Baez draws on jazz and flamenco for her intricate picking patterns

3 easy rock guitar solo licks you need to know

What if Jimi Hendrix jammed with Eric Clapton, or Gary Moore traded solos with Joe Bonamassa? We imagine 5 all-star fantasy blues jams and what they would sound like

“Everything I do in life is left-handed, except for guitar playing… Using a plectrum never felt comfortable in my right hand”: Jared James Nichols on how he came up with his unique fingerstyle approach – and why it can make your playing more expressive

“If you’re new to funk guitar playing, these ideas will help you get you into the groove”: Learn 10 funk guitar riffs inspired by James Brown, Prince and Vulfpeck

“This was the very first electric blues track I ever felt a strong connection to”: Joe Bonamassa pays tribute to Eric Clapton’s Stratocaster years

“We’ve all played them, but how many of us can say we know how 7th chords actually work?” Get more out of one of guitar’s most important shapes with 5 chords that demystify the dominant 7th

Get The Pick Newsletter

Most Popular