Guns n Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine

sweet child of mine ukulele riff
Sweet Child of Mine midi

Even on guitar, this riff is a real finger-twister. Even Slash himself had trouble with this one. It took him a number of retakes in the studio before he could get it right.

Transferring it to the uke certainly doesn’t make it any easier. Gio Gaynor struggles with it in his version and I’ve struggled to play it too. I’ve tried to minimise the amount of jumping around you have to do but it’s still very tough to play.

Best of luck to you if you decide to take it on.

Suggested by West


Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction - Sweet Child O' Mine

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74 Comments

  1. Tim October 4th, 2007 8:05 pm

    Hi!
    Can’t you put up a ukulele version of Ac/Dc:s You shook me all night long? It would be real nice!

    //Tim

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  3. Fert October 4th, 2007 11:14 pm

    Respect! I remember a long period of practising before i was able to play it on the guitar, too. But this ukulele version is damn good to play!

  4. West October 4th, 2007 11:36 pm

    WOW – ’tis a tricky one, but hey, who said they were gonna be easy! Don’t want to labour the point, but as a beginner have LOVED this selection Woodshed!

  5. jules_perox October 5th, 2007 8:12 pm

    agree with all said!
    Nicely done and a great series, I’ve enjoyed playing all of them (nearly!)

    well done bloke!

  6. Winger October 5th, 2007 10:06 pm

    Oh that’s it, I’m going to be driving everyone insane with this all weekend now…..thanks for this! Ace! xxxx

  7. Woodshed October 6th, 2007 11:28 am

    Thanks for all the comments, guys.

  8. Ian B October 7th, 2007 1:50 am

    Thanks for that one… fun riff for the uke….

  9. luckylarue October 7th, 2007 11:03 pm

    Great stuff, but, how could you leave out Steely Dan’s “Reelin’ In The Years”?

    How ’bout a few more?

    Thanks – Scott

  10. Woodshed October 7th, 2007 11:18 pm

    There’ll definitely be more, Scott. Numbers 20-11 are penciled in for November time. Steely Dan are definite contenders.

  11. Nil Recurring October 9th, 2007 9:46 pm

    Having only picked up the Uke a few weeks ago, this website has proved great! Loving the tabs and the regular updates. Can’t wait for 11-20, thanks.

  12. Woodshed October 9th, 2007 10:44 pm

    Thanks, Mr Recurring. Glad you liked it.

  13. LawnGnome November 4th, 2007 8:17 pm

    Great tab! I’m still new at the uke but I have been playing around with some of the banjo picking ideas for uke thanks to EZ Folk. To make it easier to play (for me anyway), I’ve tried to treat it like a banjo roll. I’m using a slight modification of forward roll as shown on the EZ Folk website (Pattern 7). The pattern is at: http://www.ezfolk.com/uke/Tutorials/Fingerpicking/fingerpicking.html

    I will send you my revised tab if you want to take a look at it.

  14. Woodshed November 5th, 2007 12:41 am

    Click to see Lawn Gnome’s tab

    Thanks for the tab, LawnGnome. It’s interesting to see how people with different backgrounds tackle the uke. I think I need to go and learn some banjo rolls.

  15. Danny December 27th, 2007 1:01 am

    Just got my ukulele today… play guitar to jsut wanted something to mess around with and i have put it down yet…good tab

  16. Danny December 27th, 2007 1:32 am

    also more classic rock please

  17. Jimmy December 29th, 2007 3:26 pm

    After comparing it to the original, I’ve found the actual riff is a semitone (one fret) higher. It makes it a lot more difficult, but a closer sound.

  18. Woodshed January 3rd, 2008 8:55 pm

    Danny: I’m sure it won’t be long until the next slice of classic rock.

    Jimmy: You’re absolutely right. The original is played with D chord shapes and the guitar is tuned down a fret. C# would be more accurate but a bugger to play.

  19. Joe January 22nd, 2008 5:12 pm

    awesome :P

  20. Andy February 1st, 2008 2:08 pm

    my girlfriend got me a uke for christmas, and i think she’s regetting it now because all i’m doing is playing these riffs over and over again! love it!

  21. scorpion February 8th, 2008 1:36 am

    greatness but get some more rock riffs like the clash or something

  22. Adam March 27th, 2008 3:33 pm

    hey, just curious, did you change the key at all? cause if not that means my uke is severely out of tune, when i play along with slash something sounds off

  23. Woodshed March 28th, 2008 3:21 pm

    Hi, Adam. This version is half a step lower than the original (which is in C#). It’d be too hard to play in the original key – unless you stuck a capo on the first fret.

  24. newbie April 12th, 2008 6:28 pm

    After a long time I decided to try this out but I think the outro is missing, isn’t it?
    Would appreciate if you could post it, thanks.

  25. newbie April 12th, 2008 6:47 pm

    or maybe is it just to go up and down in the A string? :)

  26. Andy April 17th, 2008 11:21 am

    woodshed, i’m absolutley loving all these riffs you’re putting up! i think i’v got them all pretty much bang on now (although back in black doesn’t sound right). i was wondering if you were thinking of putting any mini solo’s up or anything like that? would be awesome if you could! cheers

  27. Woodshed April 17th, 2008 5:47 pm

    Andy: A solo would be a good idea. Although it would be hard to find one that works on the ukulele. It’d have to be something very melodic. Any suggestions?

  28. Andy April 17th, 2008 7:35 pm

    this may not be as good idea as it sounds in my head, but ac/dc solo’s are relatively simple sounding in general, such as the one in highway to hell. however they are obviously still quite fast! possibly something like the solo on chili peppers ‘californication’ that is relatively slow and melodic. i’m glad you like the idea anyway! if i have any further thoughts i’ll be sure to let you know! cheers!

  29. Variant May 11th, 2008 11:12 pm

    I’ve finally nailed the entire song, on an ukulele no less.
    I honestly couldn’t have done it without this website.

  30. Rilrod May 12th, 2008 7:19 am

    hey woodshed, umm, is this in the original key?
    I’d just like to try and figure out the chords

  31. Woodshed May 12th, 2008 2:24 pm

    Variant: Glad to help.

    Rilrod: If memory serves, the original is in Db. So slap a capo on the first fret (or tune up half a step) and this will be in the right key.

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  33. Sophie!!! June 2nd, 2008 9:05 am

    Wow! This is awsome man! Tanx soooo much!

  34. Woodshed June 2nd, 2008 9:50 pm

    You’re welcome, Sophie!!!

  35. Xozny June 12th, 2008 8:11 pm

    I have soon nailed it. Just a Q. When you play the 2nd part with 2-3, 0-5. I have my 2nd finger on 2 and 4th finger on 3 and then I dunno if I should slide down with my 2nd finger to 5 while playing the 0 or just reach for the 5 with my 4th finger. How do you do it?

    (To understand: Read carefully with an ukulele in your hand)

  36. Xozny June 13th, 2008 8:48 am

    Yeah, and do you have tabs for at “Woh Wohoho, Sweet child o’ miiiine” as well. It’s pretty similar to the intro but not quite. It’s at 1:15 in the song.

  37. gentry August 23rd, 2008 1:46 am

    could anyone tell me where to find the entire song like they did on MUD (midnite ukulele disco)
    it would be of great help to my and my friends thank you

  38. jordan September 27th, 2008 12:21 am

    how do you change guitar songs into ukulele songs?

  39. John February 2nd, 2009 9:01 pm

    could you please put a beginners version of guns n roses sweet child o mine

  40. eddie14 February 11th, 2009 2:03 am

    nice job on this song but can u make a song by “aventura”

  41. JCMcGee March 12th, 2009 4:09 pm

    …and the 2 solos?

  42. Woodshed March 12th, 2009 9:05 pm

    Jimmy: Feck off!

  43. mark July 27th, 2009 7:56 am

    hey i have found a better and easier version it goes like so …
    |–3——8—–7—–|–3——8—–7—-|–3——8—–7—-|
    |——-1————–|——-1————–|——-0————–|
    |0———————|0———————|2———————|
    |—–0——-0—–0|—–0——-0——0|—–0——-0——0|

    |–3——8—–7—-|
    |——-0————–| repeat and at the end play –
    |2———————|
    |—–0——-0——0|

    |5—3—5—7—8—7—5—3—|
    |————————————–|
    |————————————–|
    |–0—0—0—0—0—0—0—–|

    this is a bit easier and the only jumping is going back and forth from the 2&3 to 7&8 . if this was supposed to be the one had to be modified into whats posted up there then disregard this tab.
    but u should give this a try anyway. if u have any questions on this email me at fayte08@yahoo.com

  44. Woodshed July 27th, 2009 2:53 pm

    mark: That seems like it has a whole lot more jumping around to me. You’ve got a 1st fret and an 8th fret right next to each other. I don’t know how you could play that smoothly.

  45. fork August 29th, 2009 11:53 pm

    @ woodshed:

    that version is way easier, trust me. and although it looks like you have to jump around more, its fairly easy to slide your fingers to the 8th fret after a little bit of practice (i slide my ring finger right over). its a complicated song, and the tab up top seems to tweak your fingers more. but then again, its a matter of preference

  46. Woodshed August 30th, 2009 1:51 pm

    fork: No, I won’t trust you. Not until I hear someone playing it smoothly that way.

  47. fork September 5th, 2009 9:20 pm

    @ woodshed

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyLzYWdaDp0

    this is the tab that was mentioned before, but performed. I guess it does jump around a bit, but it’s only a matter of preference. Whatever tab you use, keep rockin out! :D

  48. Woodshed September 13th, 2009 8:40 am

    fork: Thanks for the link. I still don’t think it’s sounds right, but I think I’ll give up arguing on this one.

  49. howtoplayalone September 28th, 2009 3:55 pm

    I think Woodshed’s version is easier, plus sounds much better (not as much sliding around).

  50. Woodshed September 29th, 2009 9:24 pm

    howtoplayalone: Thanks! Glad there’s one person who agrees with me at least.

  51. Ukulele guitar October 6th, 2009 4:04 pm

    Just wanted to let you know that this tab for the sweet child of mine riff makes me look like a real badass at campfires now. It’s certainly a tricky one, but totally worth it.

  52. Ben December 22nd, 2009 9:24 pm

    I’ve just picked up my old Uke, coz i used never to play it, getting a new one this Xmas. Great tab mate, thanks, I would love a hysteria baseline one and November rain :D

  53. Paloke January 7th, 2010 1:59 am

    Totally bodacious fingering. I’v been playing the uke for about two weeks now and this tab is working like a charm :D It makes me about ten times cooler that … A). I can play this song. B) On ukulele. C) And I’m a girl. That can play this song. On ukulele.

    Thanks mate!

  54. danny April 11th, 2010 9:40 pm

    lol im wondering if theese comments from danny are from me… i got my ukulele a few years ago… got anyway of telling the email or anything

  55. TheUkeDude April 15th, 2010 5:25 pm

    Thanks for the tab :) I didnt find this one too hard to play after a bit of practise!

  56. sam April 21st, 2010 10:21 pm

    great tab easy and very accurate :D now if you can make a This Town Needs guns song for ukulele it would very much appriciated

  57. Woodshed April 22nd, 2010 10:40 am

    sam: Thanks for the suggestion.

  58. Miss.lol April 25th, 2010 11:11 am

    could u do a recording for this song like a few of the others? thanks x

  59. acdcfan1 July 3rd, 2010 5:14 am

    could u put the tab up for the simpsons theme song

    just as a joke thingy

  60. Woodshed July 3rd, 2010 12:12 pm

    acdcfan1: It’s up here.

  61. Refried July 13th, 2010 11:43 pm

    Love your site. Love this tab. Sounds like you have transposed it to a different key. what would the chord progression be to play in the key that you have tabbed the intro?
    having trouble figuring that out. also same question for chords for the verse/chorus for boys don’t cry?
    thank you, you are a uke god(dess)

  62. Woodshed July 17th, 2010 4:55 pm

    Refried: This version is in C. As far as I remember, the original is in D. So the chords will be two frets lower than the original. Or you could play the riff in D tuning then it would be the same.

  63. Ivan August 8th, 2010 3:23 pm

    Easy as hell this should be posted on easy tabs

  64. Woodshed August 10th, 2010 8:03 pm

    Ivan: Thread rule: if you’re going to say how easy it is you have to post a video of you playing. Tits, as they say, or GTFO.

  65. Anja October 17th, 2010 6:44 pm

    Hey!
    Brilliant tab, been working on it all week, and driving my family insain!

    Cheers.

  66. Guy January 2nd, 2011 10:55 am

    dude, there is a much easier way of playing this…
    the way that mark said above in the comments if far easier and sounds perfectly clear…

  67. David February 8th, 2011 8:43 pm

    Hi,
    thanks for the tab, but (sorry everyone) I think this might be a tone flat than the actual song…

  68. pianoman April 27th, 2011 9:26 pm

    having only been playing for less that a week i found this easy in comparison to some other tabs on the site… coming from the piano makes it easy to place my fingers i guess- and working both hands at once

  69. Woodshed April 30th, 2011 9:30 am

    pianoman: Yeah, having prior music experience definitely helps when you pick up a uke.

  70. kevin morris July 16th, 2011 4:45 pm

    many thanks for gunsroses riff where is the rest of the song

  71. Liluke July 29th, 2011 6:35 pm

    I love this! and the best thing about it is that it’s easy to learn and it sounds great!:) My dad was impressed when I showed him. Playing it on the electric uke sounds good to :D

  72. Woodshed July 30th, 2011 8:34 am

    Liluke: Glad you like it!

  73. connor August 14th, 2011 9:15 pm

    I will do this! gonna fingerpick it :D

  74. Woodshed August 15th, 2011 2:46 pm

    connor: Good luck with it.

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