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Learn to play blues guitar.

Scotty Moore Style Guitar Lesson (Elvis Presley) – EP073

Description

In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a Scotty Moore influenced lead and rhythm. Scotty Moore was the classic guitar sound behind Elvis Presley in his early career and played on songs like Mystery Train, That’s All Right (Mama), Blue Moon of Kentucky, and most of the Elvis classics. His style of rockabilly guitar is influenced by jazz, country, and blues and you’ll hear a little of all 3 of those styles in this lesson. I’ve included 2 versions of the MP3 jam track (one normal tempo and one slower).

Part 1

Part 2

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Slow Walk-Through

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Comments

  2. stevie P says

    Brian, you’ve no idea how long I’ve wanted to be able to play the intro to Mystery Train….there are other tutorials I’ve tried but they are very confusing…your lesson makes it so much easier to understand.. I can’t wait to get stuck into this lesson not only for the intro but also the whole lesson…I love that Scotty Moore style ..and you have nailed it…

    • Ian C says

      Just joined up and am expecting some great things from you Brian. My first love was MYSTERY TRAIN. I am 77 and loved it from on 1954 !
      Not so much interested in the TAB as I am the actual music script.
      Is the music available as I am a music reader ? Thanks.

  4. stvrck4 says

    What a great lesson. I am an Elvis fan but as I got older I became a bigger fan of his musicians like Mr.Scotty Moore, Hank Garland, and James Burton. Love this stuff!! My vote is for more of this.

  6. maradonagol says

    Brian, I simply couldn’t put this down, nailed it in one pass, and learned all those chord voicings that filled those great tunes….Sunday has become my favorite day of the week awaiting your lessons! Very happy with your work!

  7. Brian Belsey says

    Scotty Moore is a great subject, and it would be really good to have some more rockabilly, which also has some obvious blues links. James Burton, mentioned above, would also be a great subject, partly from the later Elvis work but also stuff like Suzy Q and his solos from early Rick Nelson records.

  11. riverrick says

    A BIG thumbs up on this lesson Brian. Now if I could only get the rhythm down on the opening E riff. More practice for sure. Would love some more Rock-a-Billy tunes.

  13. more toys than talent says

    great lesson.  I haven’t listened closely to Scotty Moore,  but it is obvious that John Fogerty borrowed a lot from his style and I am a huge CCR fan

  14. phrank says

    Thanks for this Brian! Love Scotty Moore and have been wanting to learn the Mystery Train intro for some time. With your clear instruction, now maybe I can!

  15. tommc says

    Enjoyed this lesson.  Well done.  I vote for more rockabilly.  I appreciate the way you tied the chord voicings together.  As you said, the slapback sound is essential to this style.  Most any delay will do.  I would highly recommend the Catlinbread Montivllian to anyone looking to buy.  The can be had used for around $120.

    Funny, the way your shirtsleeves blended with the background, it looked like two hands playing the guitar at first.

  17. musiclover says

    Great lesson Brian. Joined a couple of months ago and always loved Blues - Rockabilly - Grunge etc. Scotty Moore long time fan. Guys such a natural and so original and innovative for his time. Also love to see any lessons on Eddie Cochran and Brian Setzer (Stray Cats era).
    Cheers and thanks for the inspiration and easy hands on teaching!

  18. stevie P says

    Just to point out Brian,I’m pretty sure songs like Elvis’ from the 50’s are now out of copyright…so I don’t think you have anything to worry about as far as reproducing parts of the tracks etc.

  19. StreakyPete says

    Another stonking lesson Brian!  - plus one here for more of the same.
    I was interested in your comment that George Harrison had clearly studied Scotty Moore’s style. The intro to this piece reminded me of George’s work on “I’ll cry instead”, an early Beatles release.
    I’m looking forwards to the promised George Harrison lesson.  I’ve played quite a few Beatles songs over the years, and it’d be great to get a definitive lesson on George’s style.
    One final point - I actually found it easier to play this piece using the alternating thumb technique.  We’ve been so well schooled by you using this method recently, that it just came naturally to me :-)
    Keep ‘em coming

  23. drlknstein says

    you know what I like about this?

    it’s fresh and new……it’s really nice to add something like this….I was getting bogged down and a little boredwith what I was doing or trying to do…. ….this was refreshing

    thanks

    mark

  24. huddmex@hotmail.com says

    hi brian…hudd from mexico….you are so inclusive in these lessons…..so in your introduction….you are explaining the delay pedal and you do a small boogie woogie iin e…..so …from that…I taught myself the boogie woogie in A….and B….thanks again brian..
    just shows how much is in your lessons….hudd

  25. jimmyfo67 says

    Brian, By far my favorite lesson t date, great teacher great lesson. I feel a bit guilty pay such a small admission fee for such great lessons thanks for taking the time ..cheers

  26. WJW says

    I’ve been playing for many years, Brian, mainly blues and blues/rock stuff, but I really enjoy the way you teach, it makes this stuff easy to break down and learn. I never really got too deep into the rockabilly stuff, but I learned a lot here, shows you can indeed teach an old dog like me some new tricks. I have a question regarding the A6 chord, though. Isn’t this the same chord as a Dmaj7th chord, or does the Dmaj7th have to be barred? Seems like the same voicing, and I learned to play Maj7th chords off the A string that way years ago. Explain, please? Thanks again for your excellent lessons, it’s renewing my interest in playing guitar again.

  32. Robert J says

    Hi Brian!

    Loved this lesson. a ton! Really diverse and informative. I play in a rockabilly band, and this is going to be handy. really enjoyed it. I would love to see/learn the George Harrison lesson you intimated. Also, maybe some of Elvis’s other guitarists and maybe some Gene Vincent’s guitarist Cliff Gallup.Just some suggestions. I do love the Rockabilly stuff. I also dug the Carl Perkins lesson. I think your teaching style is excellent. Just became a premium member. Thanks again and I look forward to learning lots of great guitar stuff from you.

    Rob Jacobs
    Springfield, Or.

  33. Nick_66 says

    I’m having lot of troubles nailing that rythm you are teaching in part 1. When I listen to the way you play it, I can hear clearly a muted strum after the A chord. Am I right? In the tab there is a rest after the A chord.

  35. GreggC says

    Thanks Brian!
    You simply cannot find the breadth and quality of instruction anywhere else. This isn’t to disparage some great teachers out there, Justin Sandecore, Marty Schwartz come to mind but here you get the reasons these fit and work together and how they’ll work elsewhere.

    Makes me wanna buy a Strat! But I struggle hitting that middle pickup with my pick. I know it’s a technique thing but at my age it’d be easier fixing my golf swing and IT looks like an octopus swatting sand flies.

    Brain you’ve got me playing Country and Rockabilly when all I signed up for was the blues!

    Cheers!

    G

  36. Franco M says

    can try whatever i want..just cant make sound part 1 the right way……….ok..i’m not a pro player…but this now demoralizes me badly…..just cant make it …. …help!!!! :-(………

  40. Thomas L says

    …and I found this today…..put comment on u-tube channel but will add it here too……..love old Elvis stuff w/Scotty Moore (spelled it correctly this time). Got most of “That’s All Right Mama” figured but needs more work…learned a lot from this one…thanks for the lesson and hope to see more on this type of guitar stuff…..would like to see some CCR also !

  41. Ira G says

    Brian,

    First, you do a great job, thanks. Second, I just discovered this lesson and love it. Love the fact that I don’t have to learn to chicken pick to play some all time favorites. Love the Carl Perkins as well. Keep it coming!!!

    Ira

  44. James W says

    Thanks Brian……..new guy here…..big early Elvis fan and by no means an expert but to my ears it sounds like Scotty was using the 4 note “F” SHAPE for the “A” (fifth fret) after hitting the open 5th string for the bass note…..then moving up to the “D” Shape “A”.
    BTW, I think the lead run you were thinking of might have been the (first) solo part Scotty did on “Hound Dog.”

    I really appreciate all the work you put into teaching….great job sir.

  46. Duffey says

    Brian, I hate to bother you with this but I am going back over some of you old lessons and can not seem to download or print the tabs for this lesson. Would love to have 1 and 2 if possible. Thanks for everything you have given me in my guitar playing journey.

  50. Walter D says

    Hey Brian, as a relativelly new premium member, I accidently came accross this old lesson of yours just yesterday. Trying to learn some rockabilly techniques like Scotty Moore has always been something I wanted to learn how to play. but due to a physical disability on my right hand, the finger picking is almost impossible. But am so happy I found this lesson and technique to play this kind of great sound just with a pick and special strumming.

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