It is the riff that launched a thousand garage bands. Seriously. If you picked up a Squier Stratocaster between 1999 and, well, today, you’ve likely looked for an all the small things tab within the first forty-eight hours of owning your instrument. It’s unavoidable. It is the "Smoke on the Water" for the millennial and Gen Z crossover generation. Tom DeLonge’s opening notes are iconic not because they are difficult, but because they are the perfect distillation of energy, simplicity, and melodic instinct.
Punk rock wasn't always about being a virtuoso, and Blink-182 proved that you could conquer the Billboard charts with basically three chords and a lot of attitude. But here’s the thing: while the song sounds "easy," there is a nuance to playing it correctly that most beginners totally whiff on their first try.
The Anatomy of the All the Small Things Tab
Most people look at the sheet music or a digital tab for this track and think, "Oh, it’s just power chords." Well, yeah, it is. But it’s about the palm muting and the specific way Tom DeLonge attacks the strings. If you look at a standard all the small things tab, you’ll see the progression is built around C, G, and F. In the key of C Major, this is a standard I - V - IV progression. It's the DNA of pop-punk.
The intro kicks off with that bright, palm-muted C power chord. On a tab, you’ll see this written as a 3 on the A string and a 5 on the D string. Simple? Sure. But the "chug" is where the magic happens. If you aren't resting the heel of your picking hand right against the bridge, it sounds thin. It sounds like a toy. You need that chunky, compressed resonance that defined the Enema of the State era.
Why Timing Trumps Technique
The verse of the song is actually where people get sloppy. You have the muted eighth notes driving the rhythm while Mark Hoppus’s bass carries the melodic weight. If you're looking at a high-quality all the small things tab, it should indicate the rhythmic "gallop" during the transitions.
One common mistake? People play the chorus too "stiff." Tom’s style is famously loose—he’s swinging his arm, hitting those chords with a lot of down-strokes. If you watch live footage from the late 90s, he isn't just playing notes; he's hitting the guitar. This isn't jazz. It’s a physical performance.
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Finding a Reliable Source for the Music
Not all tabs are created equal. You’ve probably seen the "Version 1," "Version 2," and "Version 99" on sites like Ultimate Guitar or Songsterr. Most of them are community-generated, which means they range from "perfectly accurate" to "actually a different song."
When searching for a reliable all the small things tab, you want to look for one that includes the bridge—the "Say it ain't so, I will not go" part. A lot of lazy tabs skip the subtle variations in the bridge where the guitar rings out more. You’re looking for a tab that acknowledges the octave shapes Tom uses occasionally to fill out the sound during live performances, even if the studio track is heavily layered.
Also, pay attention to the tuning. It's standard EADGBE. Some pop-punk bands like Green Day or Weezer often tuned down a half-step to E-flat, but Blink stayed in standard for most of their biggest hits. If a tab tells you to tune down, it’s probably wrong.
The Gear Behind the Sound
You can have the perfect all the small things tab in front of you, but if you’re playing through a tiny 5-watt practice amp with no gain, it’s going to feel empty. Tom DeLonge’s tone in 1999 was a specific cocktail of high-end gear. He was using a Gibson ES-333 (his signature model) or a Fender Stratocaster with a Seymour Duncan Invader pickup in the bridge.
That Invader pickup is key. It’s high-output. It’s loud. It’s meant to push an amp into overdrive.
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Speaking of amps, the studio sound was famously a blend of a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier and a Marshall JCM900. To get that sound at home, you need to crank your "Mids." A lot of beginners make the mistake of "scooping" their mids (turning them to zero), but that makes the guitar disappear in a band setting. To make those "All the Small Things" power chords pop, you need that midrange punch.
Subtle Details Most Players Miss
The "Na-na-na" section is actually more melodic than people give it credit for. While the guitar is mostly holding down the rhythm, there are subtle overdubbed layers. If you are the only guitar player in your band, you have to find a way to bridge the gap between the rhythm and those melodic hooks.
Some advanced tabs suggest playing the chorus chords as full bar chords rather than just two-note power chords. This adds a "fullness" that mimics the multi-tracking used in the studio by producer Jerry Finn. Finn was a genius at making three-piece bands sound like a wall of sound. He would often have Tom record the same part four or five times, panning them left and right to create that massive stereo image.
Why This Tab is Still Viral in 2026
It’s about nostalgia, sure, but it’s also about accessibility. We live in an era of complex polyrhythms and 8-string guitars in technical metal, but there is a primal satisfaction in playing a song everyone knows. When you play that opening C chord, everyone in the room recognizes it instantly.
It’s also the perfect "gateway" song. Once you master the all the small things tab, you’ve basically learned the foundation of 80% of the pop-punk genre. You can play "What’s My Age Again?" or "The Anthem" by Good Charlotte or "Fat Lip" by Sum 41 because the hand shapes are identical. You’re building muscle memory that lasts a lifetime.
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Honestly, I’ve seen professional guitarists who can shred circles around Steve Vai still pull this out at soundcheck just because it’s fun. There’s no ego in it. It’s just a great hook.
How to Practice It Properly
Don't just play along to the MP3. The drums on this track are actually quite fast—Travis Barker doesn't do "slow." If you want to really nail the all the small things tab, practice with a metronome at about 140 BPM. Start at 100 BPM to get the transitions clean.
Focus on the switch between the verse and the chorus. The verse is tight, muted, and controlled. The chorus needs to explode. If your volume and energy stay the same throughout the whole song, you're doing it wrong. Dynamics are what make a simple song sound professional.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Practice Session
- Check Your Muting: Ensure your palm muting isn't "choking" the notes. You want a thud, not a click.
- Listen to the Bass: Mark Hoppus plays a lot of root notes, but his tone is very "clanky." If your guitar is too bass-heavy, you’ll muddy up the mix.
- Watch the Down-strokes: Avoid alternate picking (up and down) during the main riffs. Down-picking everything gives it that aggressive, consistent punk rock edge.
- Record Yourself: Use your phone to record your playing over the backing track. You’ll quickly notice if you’re rushing the tempo during the "Na-na-na" parts.
- Simplify the Bridge: If you’re struggling with the transition, focus on the chords first before trying to add any lead flourishes.
The beauty of this song lies in its imperfections. It’s okay if a stray string rings out or if your pick attack is a little heavy. That’s the spirit of the music. Get your hands on a decent all the small things tab, crank up the gain, and just play. It’s meant to be loud. It’s meant to be fun. And most importantly, it’s meant to be shared with anyone within earshot of your garage.