Smooth Criminal: Guitar TAB Digital Sheet Music

This arrangement captures everything that made Alien Ant Farm's version iconic: the playful energy, the fresh take on a classic, and the kind of guitar work that rewards both technique and personality. Students get to explore how a cover can stand on its own merit while honoring the original.

Cheeky and driving, with a wink to the original while establishing its own attitude. The guitar part balances playful syncopation with solid rock fundamentals, never losing the infectious energy that made this version stick in people's heads.

Guitar students who respond to music from their own cultural moment or who need a confidence boost from playing something contemporary and fun. This works equally well for players building rock chops or exploring how arrangement choices shape a song's identity.

• Lock the syncopated rhythm in the main riff with a steady pick attack; the groove depends on precision, not speed.
• Let the dynamic shifts between the verse and chorus breathing room, resist the urge to play everything at the same volume.
• Pay attention to any palm-muted sections to create the percussive texture that defines the band's signature sound.
• Record yourself playing through and listen for where the pocket slots in relation to the beat; small timing adjustments make a huge difference.

Perfect for a contemporary or pop rock showcase, or as a palate cleanser between classical pieces in a student recital. It also works as a gateway into studying arrangement and reinterpretation, especially when paired with listening to both the Jackson original and Alien Ant Farm's version.

• Reading and executing guitar TAB notation accurately
• Playing syncopated rhythms with precision and feel
• Understanding how arrangement transforms a song's character
• Balancing technical accuracy with stylistic interpretation