The Ultimate Guide To Gorillaz's 'Feel Good Inc.' Guitar Tab: 7 Secrets To Mastering The Iconic Riff

Learning the 'Feel Good Inc.' guitar tab is a rite of passage for any modern guitarist looking to master a truly iconic, genre-bending track. As of late 2025, this 2005 Gorillaz classic remains one of the most requested and searched-for tabs online, and for good reason: it perfectly blends funky rhythms, a driving bassline, and a melancholic acoustic guitar riff that is deceptively simple to play but complex to master with the right feel.

This deep-dive guide will go beyond the basic chord shapes, revealing the crucial tuning detail and the specific parts for both electric and acoustic players. We’ll break down the famous clean guitar riff, the verse's chord progression, and the essential biographical context of the creative forces behind the virtual band, ensuring you have the topical authority to not just play the song, but truly understand it.

The Architects of Anarchy: Gorillaz and De La Soul Biography

To fully appreciate the musical genius of "Feel Good Inc.," it is essential to know the key entities involved. Gorillaz is a virtual band, but the creative power comes from two real-world visionaries and a phenomenal featured hip-hop group.

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Gorillaz Creators and Virtual Band Members

• Damon Albarn (Born: March 23, 1968, Whitechapel, London): The primary musical force, co-creator, and voice of the virtual band's lead singer, 2D. Albarn is also the frontman of the legendary Britpop band Blur. His eclectic musical interests are the foundation of Gorillaz's genre-hopping sound.
• Jamie Hewlett (Born: April 3, 1968, Horsham, England): The visual genius and co-creator. Hewlett is a comic book artist, best known for the comic strip Tank Girl, who designed and developed the entire visual world and character designs for Gorillaz.
• 2D (Stuart Pot): The virtual band’s lead vocalist and keyboardist. Known for his distinctive blue hair and two 'dents' in his head (hence the name).
• Murdoc Niccals (Faust Niccals): The virtual band’s self-proclaimed leader and bassist. Murdoc is the character responsible for the song's famous, driving bassline, which is often mistaken for the main guitar riff.
• Noodle: The virtual band’s Japanese guitarist. She is the character most associated with the main guitar parts of the band’s music.
• Russel Hobbs: The virtual band’s drummer.

Featured Artist: De La Soul

The iconic rap verses in "Feel Good Inc." were provided by the legendary American hip hop trio, De La Soul.

• Posdnuos (Kelvin Mercer): Born August 17, 1969. A founding member and primary MC.
• Trugoy the Dove (David Jude Jolicoeur): Born September 21, 1968. A founding member and MC who sadly passed away in 2023. His verse is a highlight of the track.
• Maseo (Vincent Lamont Mason, Jr.): Born March 24, 1970. The group's DJ and producer.

The Critical Tuning Secret: Why Standard Tuning Fails

The biggest hurdle for guitarists trying to play "Feel Good Inc." is often the tuning. Most tabs assume standard E tuning (E A D G B E), but the original recording uses a slightly lower pitch, which is essential for capturing the song's authentic, melancholic feel.

The Essential Eb Tuning

The Gorillaz track is recorded in Eb Standard Tuning, sometimes called E-flat or half-step down.

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To achieve this, you must tune every string down by one half-step:

• 6th String (Low E) becomes Eb
• 5th String (A) becomes Ab
• 4th String (D) becomes Db
• 3rd String (G) becomes Gb
• 2nd String (B) becomes Bb
• 1st String (High E) becomes Eb

While you can play the song in standard tuning by transposing, the open strings and overall deeper timbre of the half-step down tuning are crucial for matching the record's sound and for playing the clean guitar riff with the correct open-string resonance.

Deconstructing the Guitar Parts: Riff, Verse, and Chorus

Many beginners confuse the main, unforgettable phrase of "Feel Good Inc." with a guitar part. In reality, the driving, funky loop that runs throughout the verse is the bassline, played by Murdoc Niccals (or rather, by a session musician working with Damon Albarn).

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However, the song features two distinct and essential guitar parts: the clean, acoustic riff and the electric guitar chords.

1. The Iconic Clean Guitar Riff (Acoustic/Fingerstyle)

This riff, which appears in the intro and throughout the verses, is the main guitar hook. It’s simple, melodic, and perfectly captures the song's critique of consumer culture—a "jangly and upbeat" sound masking a "sharp criticism."

It is often played as an easy fingerstyle guitar cover on the top strings.

The Basic Tab (in Eb Tuning):

The riff is centered around the Dm chord shape and often involves a hammer-on and pull-off technique to give it its distinctive fluidity.

• String: G (Gb) - Fret: 2, 0, 2, 0
• String: B (Bb) - Fret: 3, 3, 3, 3
• String: High E (Eb) - Fret: 0, 0, 0, 0

The rhythm is key here. Focus on the syncopated, off-beat feel to lock in with the drum machine and bass groove. This part is excellent for building confidence in individual note picking.

2. The Verse and Chorus Chord Progression

The song is primarily built around a simple, yet powerful, four-chord progression that repeats for the Verse, Chorus, and Bridge sections. This makes it an ideal song for beginner and intermediate players to practice their chord changes, especially if they are getting their barre chords down.

The progression in Eb Tuning (or the shapes you would play if you were in Standard Tuning, which will sound a half-step lower):

• Verse/Chorus/Bridge: Dm - Am - G - F

These chords should be played with a clean or slightly overdriven electric guitar tone, often with a subtle wah effect to enhance the funk and blues pleading elements of the song’s diverse sound.

3. The Bridge Section and De La Soul’s Rap

The bridge is where the song’s atmosphere shifts, becoming more open and slightly psychedelic before the De La Soul rap section drops in. The chord progression remains the same (Dm - Am - G - F), but the strumming pattern often becomes more open and sustained, allowing the vocals to take the lead.

The rap itself introduces strong alternative hip hop influences, showcasing the band’s ability to blend genres seamlessly with funk and drum and bass elements.

Advanced Techniques and Topical Authority Entities

To truly master "Feel Good Inc." and elevate your playing, consider these advanced techniques and deeper musical entities:

Mastering the Syncopation

The song is played at a moderate tempo (around 138 BPM), but the groove is highly syncopated. This means the notes often fall between the main beats. To nail the feel, practice tapping your foot to the quarter note and playing the riff and bassline so that they intentionally push and pull against that beat. The bassline, in particular, has an "unapologetic, badass funk" rhythm that is difficult to replicate.

The Dual Guitar Approach

In a full cover, you need to account for two guitar parts: the clean acoustic riff (Noodle’s part) and the electric chords (often played by a session musician or Damon Albarn in live performances).

• Guitar 1 (Acoustic/Clean Electric): Plays the main melodic riff throughout the verses.
• Guitar 2 (Electric): Plays the Dm-Am-G-F power chords during the choruses and bridge to add harmonic weight and drive.

The Thematic Context

Understanding the song's meaning will improve your performance. The track is a fierce critique of the music industry and consumer capitalism, promoting a sense of "unrebellion"—a contradiction between the upbeat music and the inner emptiness of the characters (and society) trapped in the "Feel Good Inc." tower.

Playing the clean riff with a slightly pleading, bluesy tone, as described in musical analyses, will give your performance more depth and emotional resonance.

By focusing on the correct Eb tuning, separating the bassline from the guitar riff, and mastering the simple Dm-Am-G-F progression, you can unlock this Gorillaz classic. Whether you choose the simple guitar tab for a beginner-friendly approach or the full, multi-layered arrangement, "Feel Good Inc." remains a timeless track that is incredibly rewarding to play.