Better Call Saul Tabs: Why Most People Are Playing the Intro Wrong

That surf-rock, sun-bleached, slightly-distorted riff is unmistakable. If you’ve spent any time looking for better call saul tabs, you know the one. It’s that grainy, lo-fi theme song that cuts off abruptly just as it gets going. It sounds simple. You think, "Hey, it’s just a few notes and a slide, I can nail this in five minutes."

Then you try it.

Suddenly, it sounds... off. It’s too clean. Or too stiff. Or the rhythm feels like it’s stumbling over its own feet. That's because the theme, written and performed by the British band Little Barrie, isn’t just a sequence of notes. It’s a masterclass in "vibey" guitar playing that relies on some very specific, and often overlooked, techniques. If you want to actually sound like the show's intro, you need to stop thinking about the dots on the page and start looking at what Barrie Cadogan is actually doing with his hands.

The Secret Sauce of the Better Call Saul Riff

Most people think the main riff is just a standard bluesy lick in A. Technically, they aren't wrong. It revolves around that classic A pentatonic flavor. But the official theme has this gritty, "recorded in a garage on a 4-track" feel.

The biggest mistake beginners make when searching for better call saul tabs is ignoring the whammy bar. This isn't a shredder's dive bomb. It’s a subtle, shimmering vibrato that creates that "underwater" desert heat mirage effect. Little Barrie uses a Bigsby tremolo—or a standard Strat-style bar—to slightly dip the pitch during the sustained notes. If you're playing it on a hardtail guitar, you have to fake that with some very wide, slow finger vibrato, or it’ll just sound flat.

Breaking Down the Main Lick

Honestly, the tab is pretty straightforward. You're basically working with a slide from the 2nd to the 4th fret on the G string, then hitting the 3rd fret on the B string.

1. The Slide: Start on the 2nd fret of the G string and slide up to the 4th.
2. The "Kicker": Hit that 3rd fret on the B string (the D note).
3. The Bend: This is where people mess up. You need a slight quarter-tone bend on that 4th fret G string when you come back to it. It shouldn't sound "correct." It should sound a little sick.

The rhythm is "swung." It’s not straight eighth notes. If you play it like a robot, you lose the Saul Goodman swagger. You've gotta play it like you're trying to talk your way out of a parking ticket.

Why the Full Version is a Different Beast

Did you know the theme is actually a full song? Most people only know the 15-second TV edit, but Little Barrie recorded a full three-minute track. If you’re looking for the full better call saul tabs, you’re in for a much harder workout.

The full song introduces a lot of hybrid picking. Paul Davids, a well-known guitar educator, once broke down Barrie’s style, and it's fascinating. Barrie often holds a pick between his thumb and index finger but uses his middle and ring fingers to snap the higher strings. This gives the song a percussive, "clicky" attack that a pick alone can't replicate. It’s almost like a country-fried version of the blues.

The full version also features some gnarly chord extensions. We're talking Asus2, F#m7/D, and some weirdly voiced C and D chords that use "thumb-over" bass notes. It’s very Hendrix-inspired. If you have small hands, these tabs are going to be a nightmare. You’ll be stretching your thumb over the top of the neck to catch those low G and F notes while keeping the high strings ringing.

Tone is 90% of the Battle

You can have the most accurate better call saul tabs in the world, but if you’re playing through a high-gain metal amp, it’s going to sound terrible.

The "Saul" sound is all about Spring Reverb and Tremolo.

• The Amp: You want a Fender-style clean tone. Something like a Twin Reverb or a Deluxe Reverb.
• The Gain: Keep it light. You want just enough "hair" so that when you dig in, it growls, but when you play light, it’s chimey.
• The Effects: Crank that spring reverb. It needs to sound like you're in an empty New Mexico warehouse. Add a slow, shallow tremolo effect to give it that pulsing movement.

Dave Porter, the composer for the rest of the show’s score, famously moved away from the heavy synths of Breaking Bad to a more "70s rock palette" for Better Call Saul. He used twangier guitars, Farfisa organs, and a lot of Mellotron. The theme sets the stage for that. It’s supposed to feel a bit cheap, a bit worn out, but still charming.

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Where to Find the Most Accurate Tabs

Don't just trust the first result on Ultimate Guitar. A lot of those are user-submitted and full of "close enough" guesses.

If you want the real deal, look for creators who have actually transcribed the Little Barrie performance, not just the TV snippet. Songsterr usually has a decent version with rhythm notation, which is crucial because the timing of those slides is everything. YouTube is also a goldmine here because you can actually see the finger placements. Look for "Little Barrie Better Call Saul lesson"—specifically anyone mentioning the hybrid picking or the "thumb-over" technique.

Quick Cheat Sheet for the Intro:

• Tuning: Standard EADGBE.
• Key: A Major (mostly using the A Minor Pentatonic for that "blue" note feel).
• Main Move: Slide 2/4 on G string, hit 3 on B string. Repeat with attitude.
• The "Saul" Ending: A quick, dirty A5 chord that gets cut off by a "bad connection" static sound.

Getting That "Bad Guitar" Sound

One of the most iconic things about the Better Call Saul intro is how it sounds like it’s being played on a broken TV. This wasn't an accident. The producers wanted it to feel like a low-budget commercial for a shady lawyer.

When you're practicing with your better call saul tabs, try rolling your guitar's tone knob down to about 3 or 4. This cuts the high-end "sparkle" and makes the guitar sound boxy and old. If you have a fuzz pedal, turn the gain way down and the volume up. It creates a "velcro" ripping sound that mimics the lo-fi aesthetic of the show's opening credits.

Actionable Steps to Nailing the Riff

1. Master the Swing: Don't practice with a metronome on a straight 4/4 beat. Listen to the track and clap along to the "shuffle" feel. If you can't feel the shuffle, you can't play the riff.
2. Use Your Fingers: Try putting the pick down. Use your thumb for the low notes and your index/middle fingers for the slides. You’ll get a much warmer, more authentic snap.
3. Quarter-Tone Bends: Practice bending the G string just a tiny bit. Not a full half-step—just enough to make the note sound "sharp." This "out of tune" quality is what gives the song its personality.
4. The Cut-Off: When you finish the riff, stop the strings dead with your palm. The silence is just as important as the notes in this theme.

Don't overthink it. It's supposed to be a little messy. It's Jimmy McGill in musical form—flawed, a bit crooked, but undeniably catchy. Grab your guitar, dial in some reverb, and stop worrying about playing it perfectly. Playing it "perfectly" is actually the biggest mistake you can make.

Ready to try it? Start by pulling up the official Little Barrie "Full Version" on Spotify to hear how the song actually evolves beyond those first 15 seconds. It’ll give you a much better perspective on the groove.