Learn to Play "Get It Hot" by AC/DC | Guitar Lesson

Bring the fiery, high-energy spirit of AC/DC straight to your fretboard with our note-for-note guitar lesson for “Get It Hot”, a standout track from their iconic 1979 album Highway to Hell. Clocking in at just over two-and-a-half minutes, “Get It Hot” is a tight, riff-driven rock 'n' roll banger that packs classic Angus and Malcolm Young guitar work into every bar. With its upbeat rhythm, tight grooves, and bluesy attitude, this song is a perfect study in high-voltage rhythm and lead guitar.

In this in-depth lesson from LickLibrary, we guide you through every riff, chord, and lick in the track, helping you lock in with the song’s rhythm section and emulate the phrasing and feel of two of rock's most legendary guitarists. As you learn the song, you'll develop essential guitar skills including barre chords, double stops, hammer-ons, and alternate picking—each one broken down in detail to help you master the technique and understand how it functions within the context of the song. This lesson is taught by Danny Gill.

Song Breakdown & Techniques Covered

Barre Chords

A key component of “Get It Hot” is the use of barre chords to shape the rhythm guitar parts. Malcolm Young uses barre chord shapes to deliver crisp, percussive rhythm work that defines the song’s tight groove. Barre chords are an essential building block for any guitarist, allowing you to play movable shapes across the neck and gain control over muting and dynamics. This lesson teaches you how to play barre chords cleanly and with feel—an invaluable skill for rhythm guitarists.

Double Stops

Angus Young frequently spices up his lead lines with double stops—two notes played simultaneously for added grit and harmonic interest. In “Get It Hot,” these are used to accentuate phrases and give short licks a fuller, bluesier feel. Learning double stops helps build fretting-hand coordination, develops a sense of harmony within lead lines, and adds power and punch to your phrasing.

Hammer-Ons

To add movement and fluidity to his solos and fills, Angus uses hammer-ons—a technique that allows you to articulate ascending notes using only your fretting hand. Hammer-ons are vital for achieving smooth, legato phrasing and are frequently used in blues-rock playing. In this lesson, we’ll show you how to execute hammer-ons cleanly and musically, incorporating them into short licks that mimic Angus’s dynamic playing style.

Alternate Picking

Tight, syncopated riffs like the ones in “Get It Hot” rely on accurate and consistent alternate picking—a technique where downstrokes and upstrokes are alternated for efficiency and clarity. This song is a great way to develop your right-hand accuracy, especially when playing fast-moving rhythm parts. Our lesson will help you lock into the groove, ensuring your picking hand works in tandem with your fretting hand to produce crisp, clean articulation.

Why Learn “Get It Hot”?

“Get It Hot” is a shining example of how to say a lot with just a few chords and licks. It’s not overly complex—but what it lacks in technical difficulty, it makes up for in feel, tone, and tightness. Learning this track will help you refine your rhythm playing, sharpen your timing, and improve your articulation across both rhythm and lead guitar parts.

This LickLibrary lesson delivers clear, detailed breakdowns of each section of the song, complete with on-screen tab and expert insights into how to recreate the tone and phrasing of the original recording. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of how classic rock riffs are constructed, and how to inject your own personality into them while still staying true to the original.

Whether you’re learning to play like Angus Young, working on your rhythm tightness, or simply adding another AC/DC classic to your setlist, this lesson gives you everything you need to play “Get It Hot” with confidence and style.

About the Guitarists: Angus and Malcolm Young

Angus and Malcolm Young defined the classic AC/DC sound—raw, rhythmically tight, and always rooted in the blues. Malcolm’s precision rhythm playing served as the band’s rock-solid backbone, while Angus delivered fiery, melodic solos full of swagger and soul. In “Get It Hot,” both brothers shine in their respective roles. Malcolm provides the chugging, syncopated rhythm that drives the song forward, while Angus decorates it with punchy fills and energetic lead lines. Their work on this track is a great reminder that groove, tone, and timing can be just as powerful as flash and speed.

Techniques Used in This Lesson

• Barre Chords
• Double Stops
• Hammer-Ons
• Alternate Picking

Capture the gritty, high-voltage energy of AC/DC with our “Get It Hot” guitar lesson, and develop the precision, tone, and groove that made the Young brothers legends of rock. Learn every riff, lick, and lead line—note for note.