You Give Love A Bad Name Tab by Bon Jovi

You Give Love A Bad Name tab by Bon Jovi

Guitar Tab

You Give Love A Bad Name by Bon Jovi: Guitar, Bass & Songwriting Insights

"You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi features a catchy riff played by guitarist Richie Sambora, using a talk box to create the iconic vocal-like guitar effect in the solo. The song's driving rhythm is anchored by bassist Alec John Such, with Tico Torres providing a solid backbeat on drums. Released in 1986, the track became a massive hit, showcasing Bon Jovi's signature blend of rock and pop sensibilities.

You Give Love a Bad Name

As recorded by Bon Jovi
Written by: Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Desmond Child

Tabbed by Ferdinand blomqvist
NOTE: this is 100% accurate.

Symbols

h - hammer on
p - pull off
b - bend
r - release
/ - slide up
\ - slide down
v - vibrato
t - tapping
tr- trill
x - muted string
# - pick scratch
< > - harmonic
P.H  - pinch harmonic (written under the tab)
N.H. - natural harmonic (written under the tab)
P.M. - palm mute (written under the tab)
W.B. - wammy bar (written under the tab)
/\ - bend with W.B
\/ - dip with W.B
L.R - let ring
U.B. - unison bend

🎸

Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -


Listen to the record ro get the timing


Intro

Guitar one

e|------------|--------------------|------------|--------------------|
b|------------|--------------------|------------|--------------------|
g|10b12-10v-8-|10b12r10-8----------|10b12-10v-8-|10b12r10p8----------|
d|------------|-----------10v-8-10-|------------|-----------10v------|
a|------------|--------------------|------------|--------------------|
e|------------|--------------------|------------|--------------------|



Guitar two

e|------------|--------------------|------------|--------------------|
b|------------|--------------------|------------|--------------------|
g|5-----------|-----------5--------|------------|8----------5--------|
d|5-----6---6-|8--------8-5--------|6-----8-----|8----------5--------|
a|3-----6---6-|8--------8-3--------|6-----8-----|6----------3--------|
e|------4---4-|6--------6----------|4-----6-----|--------------------|



Guitar one

e|------------|--------------------|------------|--------------------|
b|------------|--------------------|------------|--------------------|
g|10b12-10v-8-|10b12r10-8----------|10b12-10v---|--------------------|
d|------------|-----------10v-8-10-|------------|--------------------|
a|------------|--------------------|------------|--------------------|
e|------------|--------------------|------------|--------------------|



Guitar two

e|------------|--------------------|------------|--------------------|
b|------------|--------------------|------------|--------------------|
g|5-----------|-----------5--------|------------|--------------------|
d|5-----6---6-|8--------8-5--------|6-----8-----|--------------------|
a|3-----6---6-|8--------8-3--------|6-----8-----|--------------------|
e|------4---4-|6--------6----------|4-----6-----|--------------------|






Riff A

e|----------------|---------------|----------------|-----------------|
b|----------------|---------------|----------------|8\/8\/8\/8\------|
g|----------------|---------------|----------------|8\/8\/8\/8\------|
d|--------1-1-----|--------1-1----|--------1-1-----|8\/8\/8\/8\------|
a|3---1-3-----3-1-|3---1-3-----3v-|3---1-3-----3-1-|-----------------|
e|--3-------------|--3------------|--3-------------|-----------------|
  P.M.--------------------|	   P.M.-----------| W.B.-----deep diwe




Vers riff

e|----------------|----------------|
b|----------------|----------------|
g|----------------|----------------|
d|--------1-1-----|--------1-1-----|
a|3---1-3-----3-1-|3---1-3-----3v--|
e|--3-------------|--3-------------|
  P.M.--------------------|
Play 4 times




Pre chorus

e|----------|------------------|-------------|-----------------------|
b|----------|------------------|----8-8---8-8|\/8\/8\/8\/8-----------|
g|2---------|2\/---------------|----8-8---8-8|\/8\/8\/8\/8-----------|
d|3---------|3\/---------------|/10-8-8---8-8|\/8\/8\/8\/8-----------|
a|3---------|3\/---------------|/10----------|-----------------------|
e|1---------|1\/---------------|-------------|-----------------------|
	      W.B.			      W.B.
slow diwe, fast release

Sustain the chord,
W.B dip starts in
the second measure





e|----------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
b|3---------|------3-----------|----------------1-|------------------|
g|3---------|----3-------------|------2b3r2b3r2---|------4b5r4b5r4-5-|
d|3---------|3-3---------------|----3-------------|----5-------------|
a|1---------|1-----------------|--3---------------|--5---------------|
e|----------|------------------|1-----------------|3-----------------|
	     L.R	        L.R.-| 	           L.R.-|




Chorus

e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
b|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
g|5---------------|--------5-------|----------------|8---5-----------|
d|5-----6-------6-|8---8---5-------|6-----8---------|8---5-----------|
a|3-----6-------6-|8---8---3-------|6-----8---------|6---3-----------|
e|------4-------4-|6---6-----------|4-----6---------|----------------|
Play 2 times




1st ending

e|----------------|----------------|--------|
b|----------------|----------------|--------|
g|----------------|----------------|--------|
d|6-----8---------|----------------|--------|
a|6-----8---------|----------------|--------|
e|4-----6---------|----------------|--------|
   	L.R.--------------------------------|
				    NOTE: this bar is
				    only half the
				    lengt of a normal bar!





2nd ending

e|----------------|----------------|
b|----------------|----------------|
g|----------------|----------------|
d|6-----8---------|----------------|
a|6-----8---------|----------------|
e|4-----6---------|----------------|
	L.R------------------------|





Solo

e|---------|-------------|-------------------|----------------------|
b|---------|-------------|-------------------|----------------------|
g|10b12r10-|---8-8-8-8v--|5/7-7/8-8/10-10/12-|12/15-15/17-17~~~~~~~~|
d|---------|10-----------|-------------------|----------------------|
a|---------|-------------|3/5-5/6-6/8--8/10--|10/13-13/15-15~~~~~~~~|
e|---------|-------------|-------------------|----------------------|
							W.B. vibrato




   _______________________
  /the length of the trill \
e|----------------|----------------|8-----10--------|
b|11tr8-----------|\/--\/--11b13---|11b13-13b15-----|
g|----------------|----------------|----------------|
d|10#-10#-10#-10#-|----------------|----------------|
a|----------------|----------------|----------------|
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|
				  U.B.  U.B.
  Here you should trill the notes on the b-string normaly while
  pick scratching. These scratches occur on the beat. Then you
  should do W.B. dips on the beats while still trilling the notes
  normally.





e|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
b|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
g|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
d|----------1---------------1-3-1-|--------------------------------|
a|3-1---1-3---3-1-3-1---1-3-------|--------------------------------|
e|----3---------------3-----------|3\------------------------------|
  P.M.---------------------------| W.B. deep dive




Outro

e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
b|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
g|----------------|8---5-----------|----------------|8---5-----------|
d|6-----8---------|8---5-----------|6-----8---------|8---5-----------|
a|6-----8---------|6---3-----------|6-----8---------|6---3-----------|
e|4-----6---------|----------------|4-----6---------|----------------|
  repeat and fade


Here Richie also overdubs som stuff which I won't tab. It sounds
like the intro but it isn't exactly the same...




Here is how to put the parts together:

1. Intro
2. Riff A
3. Vers riff
4. Pre chorus
5. Chorus with 1st ending
6. Riff A
7. Verse riff
8. Pre chorus
9. Chorus with 2nd ending
10. Solo
11. Break (only drums and vocals)
12. Chorus
13. Outro





Any comments? mail me   ferdinand_blomqvist@ hotmail.com

Last updated: July 5, 2025

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