This Tears Don’t Fall guitar lesson will teach you one of Bullet for My Valentine’s most popular tracks that perfectly bridges melodic metal with accessible guitar playing. What makes this song so appealing to guitarists is how it combines heavy palm-muted riffs with soaring melodic sections, giving you a taste of modern metal without requiring lightning-fast shredding skills. You’ll work on drop D tuning, power chord progressions, and some tasteful lead lines that sound way more complicated than they actually are.
What You’ll Learn
- Drop D tuning and how it changes your chord fingerings
- Palm muting technique for those chunky metal rhythms
- Power chord progressions that drive the verse and chorus
- Melodic lead guitar parts in the intro and bridges
- String bending and vibrato for expressive lead playing
- Alternate picking patterns for clean rhythm sections
Chord Progression Breakdown
The magic of Tears Don’t Fall starts with dropping that low E string down to D. This gives you access to deeper, heavier power chords that define the metal sound. The main progression centers around D5, A5, G5, and F5 power chords, but because you’re in drop D, your fingerings change completely.
For the D5 chord, you can now use just one finger across the 7th fret on the bottom two strings. The A5 becomes a single finger on the 7th fret of the A string with the open low D ringing underneath. These simplified fingerings let you move between chords much faster than standard tuning would allow.
The verse section alternates between these power chords with a specific timing that creates tension. You’ll spend two beats on D5, one beat on A5, then move to G5 for two beats before hitting that F5. This rhythm creates a driving feel that pushes the song forward without feeling rushed.
During the cleaner sections, you’ll use fuller chord voicings. The Dm chord uses the standard fingering but sounds much richer with that low D drone. When you move to Am and Gm, keep that bottom string ringing to maintain the heavy foundation even during the melodic parts.
Strumming Pattern & Rhythm
The rhythmic approach changes dramatically between the heavy and clean sections. During the distorted parts, you’ll use aggressive downstrokes with heavy palm muting. Rest the side of your picking hand lightly on the strings right where they cross the bridge saddles. This creates that tight, percussive sound that defines modern metal rhythm guitar.
Your strumming pattern for the heavy sections is primarily down-up-down-down, with emphasis on those downstrokes. The upstrokes are lighter and help maintain the groove between the heavy hits. Count it as “1-and-2-3” to get the timing right.
The clean sections require a completely different approach. Here you’ll use more traditional alternate picking with a flowing eighth-note feel. Let the chords ring out fully and focus on smooth transitions between chord changes. The contrast between the heavy and light sections is what makes this song so dynamic.
Practice switching between these two rhythmic feels slowly at first. The transition from heavy palm-muted sections to open, ringing chords is trickier than it sounds because your right hand has to completely change its approach mid-song.
Lead Guitar Techniques
The lead parts in Tears Don’t Fall are incredibly melodic and focus more on emotional expression than technical showboating. The intro melody happens on the higher strings and uses simple bending techniques that sound beautiful when executed with proper vibrato.
For the main melodic theme, you’ll work primarily on the G and B strings around the 10th-12th frets. The key technique here is string bending, specifically half-step and whole-step bends. When you bend the 10th fret of the G string up a whole step, make sure you’re using your ring finger with support from your middle and index fingers behind it.
Vibrato is crucial for making these lead lines sing. After you hit a bent note or sustain a regular fret, add a subtle vibrato by gently rocking your fretting finger. The vibrato should be controlled and musical, not wild or random. Think of it as adding emotion to each note rather than just making it wiggle.
The bridge section features some higher register playing that requires good finger stretches. Take these sections slowly and focus on clean note separation. Each note should ring clearly without accidentally muting adjacent strings.
Tips for Playing This Song
Get your drop D tuning accurate. Use a tuner to make sure that low string is exactly one whole step down from E. An out-of-tune low string will make all your power chords sound muddy and undefined. Check your tuning frequently, especially when you’re first getting used to the different string tension.
Control your palm muting pressure. Too light and you won’t get that tight metal sound. Too heavy and you’ll completely mute the strings. Find the sweet spot where you can still hear the pitch clearly but with that percussive attack. Practice this technique slowly with single notes before trying it with full chords.
Work on your chord transitions gradually. The jumps between some of these power chords cover several frets quickly. Start by practicing just two chord changes at a time, focusing on moving your fretting hand efficiently. Your hand should move as one unit rather than lifting individual fingers.
Balance your dynamics between sections. The contrast between heavy and clean parts is what makes this song emotionally powerful. Don’t play the quiet sections too loudly or the heavy sections too quietly. Use your guitar’s volume knob and your amp settings to emphasize these differences.
This song rewards patience and attention to detail more than speed or complexity. Focus on getting each section to sound musical and expressive, and you’ll have a great-sounding version that captures the original’s emotional impact. Practice along with the video lesson to nail the timing and feel of each section.