Van Halen has always been know as a “guitar group” but how unmistakable is the opening synthesizer portion of “Jump?” I mean, you could “name that tune” after the first chord, couldn’t you? William Kurk not onl takes you through ALL the tips and tricks VH used to create this unique sound, but how to play it yourself, if you so desire. Here’s more from his article at Reverb.com:

Given the endless tone worship and shredding adulation Eddie Van Halen generates within the guitar community, it’s somewhat ironic that one of the band’s most recognizable sounds comes from a synth. But as a number one hit upon its release and a mainstay of sports arenas and karaoke bars in years since, “Jump” from 1984’s 1984 is about as classic as it gets—and it’s exactly where we’re pointing our spotlight in this week’s installment in our “The Synths Sounds Of…” series.

Compared to some of the other songs we’ve covered in this season so far, like Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” the synth content in “Jump” is more or less limited to one key track. There’s a lot of other sonic content that makes up the fabric of the final song, but the key synth line that kicks off the entire tune and carries it throughout is undeniably the most recognizable audio component (with all due deference to Eddie’s ripping solo that comes in on the bridge).