Guitar & Bass Tabs
Extreme
About Extreme
Extreme emerged from the Boston hard rock scene in 1985, pairing guitarist Nuno Bettencourt's blistering technique with Gary Cherone's raw vocal energy. Their breakthrough came with the 1990 album Pornograffitti, whose blend of funk-metal punch and pop-rock sensibility helped redefine late-80s rock. The band scored a global hit with More Than Words in 1991, cementing Extreme as one of the era's most technically fearless acts and influencing a generation of players with their melodic intensity.
After a four-year hiatus in the mid-90s, the group reformed in 2007 and has continued to tour and release new music, including the 2023 album Six, keeping their legacy alive for fans old and new.
🎸 Want to know what gear Extreme used, their playing style, and fun facts? Scroll below the lessons!
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Kid Ego
Extreme
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Wind Me Up
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Big Boys Don't Cry
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Teacher's Pet
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Smoke Signals
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Play With Me
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When I'm President
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Decadence Dance
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More Than Words
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Get The Funk Out
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Its A Monster
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Pornographiti
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Rest In Peace
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Color Me Blind
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Politicalamity
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Cupid's Dead
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View Tab →Playing Style
Extreme's playing style is built on a fearless blend of hard-edged riffing and shimmering melodic leads. Nuno Bettencourt's guitar work spans punchy rhythm parts built from power chords and palm-muted chugs to soaring lead lines, arpeggios, and expressive vibrato. Their songs swing from aggressive, funk-inflected grooves to intimate acoustic passages (as heard in More Than Words), demanding precise alternate picking, clean phrasing, and tasteful dynamics. The band's songs reward careful timing, hybrid picking, and harmonic nuance, giving players a toolkit that translates to both rhythm and lead guitar across rock and metal contexts.
🎸 Gear & Equipment
Iconic gear associated with Extreme centers on Nuno Bettencourt's go-to signature guitar, a fast, humbucker-equipped solid body known for crushing riffs and nimble lead work. On stage and in the studio, Bettencourt chased high-gain tones with robust amp setups (commonly Marshall- and Mesa/Boogie–style heads) and a palette of effects—from chorus and delay to phaser and wah—to create the band's dynamic contrasts, from razor-tight chug to shimmering clean tones and expansive solos.
Why Learn Extreme Songs?
Learning Extreme's catalog provides a practical bootcamp in rock guitar: tight rhythm technique, melodic lead work, and dynamic phrasing across tempo and mood. Beginners can start with groove-oriented riffs and acoustic-inflected tracks like More Than Words, then move to more demanding leads and arpeggio-driven solos. The 20 lessons cover technique and theory—alternate picking, palm muting, legato, sweep-like arpeggios, vibrato, and phrasing—building a versatile toolkit for any rock guitarist.
Did You Know?
- 1Extreme formed in Boston in 1985, pairing Gary Cherone's vocals with Nuno Bettencourt's guitar virtuosity.
- 2Their 1991 ballad More Than Words became a worldwide Top 5 hit and a defining track of early 90s rock.
- 3The band disbanded in 1996, reformed in 2007, and released the 2023 album Six, continuing to tour.
- 4Nuno Bettencourt is widely regarded as one of hard rock's most influential guitarists, inspiring countless players with his tone and technique.
16 Extreme lesson(s) available — Start learning today!
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