Show Me Love TAB
Designing guitar parts for songs without any guitar is one of my favourite challenges. Show Me Love is a prime example, as its chords aren’t obvious and the arrangement revolves around bass lines and hooks. Let’s dive into this Show Me Love guitar lesson and create something unique for this iconic track.
The Intro Bass Line
The song begins with a bass line over a Dm chord, moving to the 5th and then the minor 3rd. Here’s the TAB (try playing along with the loop in the video above).
While it’s tempting to play this bass line on the guitar, it doesn’t always fit naturally. A synth pedal might help transform the tone, but let’s move forward and see what else we can create.
The Main Bass Line
For the main section, we transcribe the bass line, which features syncopated rhythms. Here’s the TAB:
Playing this on guitar might clash with the bass player, but it’s essential to understand the rhythm and groove. You can experiment by moving the line up an octave, as shown below, to give it a fresh feel.
In the video loop, I alternate between the lower and higher octaves, and you can try using the Show Me Love chords lesson’s backing track to practise. This is a great opportunity to explore the fretboard while focusing on the intervals in CAGED chord shapes.
The Hook
The iconic Show Me Love hook is another element we can adapt. Here it is in an Am shape. Notice how its rhythm mirrors the bass line.
To give the part more depth, I moved it to an Em shape, adding slides and pull-offs for extra texture. This version breathes more life into the hook, but be mindful—if you’re in a band, playing this might step on the keyboard player’s toes!
If there’s no keyboard player, this hook is yours to own. Practise it using the backing track from the chords lesson and focus on keeping it consistent throughout the song—it’s a great endurance test!
Creating a Unique Guitar Part
The real challenge is inventing a guitar part that complements the song without overshadowing other instruments. Here’s an idea (Example 5 in the playlist):
Notice how the rhythm starts after the bass but before the hook. Separating the phrases in bars 2 and 4 creates space and a minimalist variation, echoing the simplicity of the bass line from earlier.
This approach ensures you’re contributing to the song’s arrangement rather than competing with other parts. With these techniques, you can make Show Me Love your own on guitar.
Show Me Love TAB | Related Pages
Show Me Love | Chords + Lyrics
You can learn how to play Show Me Love by Robin S using chords, lyrics, a chord chart and the original recording.
||: Dm7 Am7 | Bbmaj7 :||
Heartbreaks and promises, I’ve had more than my share.
Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics
Robin S tunes
Robin S is the voice behind the iconic house hit Show Me Love—a track that has been a staple for DJs and bands worldwide since the early ’90s.
Discover more about Robin’s journey, how she achieved international fame, and why she never earned a penny from the song that made her a household name.
Robin S on the web
About me | Dan Lundholm
This guitar lesson by Dan Lundholm features TAB and covers Show Me Love. Discover more about him and how you can learn guitar with Spytunes.
Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not practising scales, and studying theory in isolation.