Learn "I Only Want You" by Eagles of Death Metal on Electric Guitar!

I Only Want You by the Eagles of Death Metal is an awesome guitar song! You can keep it super simple if you’re a beginner, and we also look at the intermediate and authentic versions. Contrary to the band’s name, the song itself is somewhere in the alternative-indie genre, but there certainly is a roughness to it. Not quite death metal rough, but rough enough!

Let's start with the basic version. :)

I Only Want You by Eagles of Death Metal: Basic Open Chords

If you want to simplify this song, you can play one bar of A followed by one bar of C, strumming four beats per bar. If you can stay in time and switch chords okay, it's time to change it up! To build up the energy and heaviness, play all-down eighth notes. Sounds wicked, and way closer to the original! :)

I Only Want You by Eagles of Death Metal: Bluesy Guitar Riff

For more advanced players, you can make it sound much closer to the original by playing this riff.

💡 Blues Shuffle Riff: If you’ve gone through my beginner’s course, you'll have learned the blues chunka-chunka shuffle. This riff has a similar feel and uses the techniques we cover in that lesson. :)

For the A, we hold an A mini barre and use finger 3 to create the bluesy rhythm feel. Over C, we hold a two-note power chord and add little finger two frets higher than finger 3. See the video for all the details. :) We look at several versions of it - if you need to, start with the easy one and slowly build up.

If you've nailed that riff, it's time to look at the authentic version.

Authentic Guitar Riff in Original Tuning

The original riff isn't trickier than the one above, but the tuning might confuse you. The Eagles of Death Metal version is in Open G tuning with a capo on 2. This enables you to play the first bar of the riff using finger 1 only, and the second bar with a mini barre and finger 3 or 4. It's loads easier!

Final Tip: Give It Some!

Though we cover the riffs in detail, the energy and the vibe is way more important than the exact notes you play. This song is fast, powerful, in-your-face. Make sure you pump those eighth notes! You'll find this gets tiring after a while, fuelling your anger and emotion! ;)

🎵 Want chords, guitar tabs, and lyrics to go with my song tutorials? Check out JustinGuitar Tabs.