No More Mr. Nice Guy Key and Chords
“No More Mr. Nice Guy” by Alice Cooper is a classic rock radio staple first released in 1973 on the album “Billion Dollar Babies.” The song uses modal mixture, chromatic voice leading, and pentatonic scales. Music publishers notate the music using a key signature for A major (Ionian mode), but A Mixolydian mode appears throughout. Certain sections of the song also focus on other tonics temporarily, including Bm and F#m, creating the sound of Dorian mode and the relative minor, Aeolian.
No More Mr. Nice Guy Scales and Lead
The song’s lead lines are based on various scales depending on what’s happening with the chords in each section. During the second half of the intro, the music focuses on a B minor chord, and the lead guitarist follows suit by using the B minor pentatonic scale. Lead fills are played over an E major chord during the pre-chorus using the E major pentatonic scale. When the music returns to an A major chord during the Interlude section, A Mixolydian mode (aka the dominant scale) and A major pentatonic patterns are used for the lead guitar licks.
No More Mr. Nice Guy Video and Guitar Tab
Watch the video No More Mr. Nice Guy – How Does This Song Work? for a music theory overview of this song. Follow along with the free No More Mr. Nice Guy guitar tab and sheet music to see how some parts are specifically played. Listen to Episode 139 of the Guitar Music Theory podcast for an audio-only overview of this song.
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