Guitar & Bass Tabs
Whitesnake
Learn Whitesnake's Guitar & Bass Style
Discover how Whitesnake developed their signature guitar and bass sound, the techniques you'll encounter in their music, and the best lessons to begin your learning journey.
Whitesnake burst onto the British hard rock scene in 1978 when David Coverdale left Deep Purple to pursue a blues-infused rock project in London. The early lineup, featuring Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden, established a lean, guitar-driven foundation that fused raw blues with swaggering riffs and soulful vocal melodies. Over the years the band evolved into a globe-spanning act, delivering memorable riffs, big choruses, and emotionally charged performances that helped shape late-70s and 80s rock. As the decades rolled on, Whitesnake became synonymous with melody-driven hard rock and stadium-ready anthems, secure in their identity as a band that could blend gritty blues-rock with glossy, radio-friendly hooks.
🎸 Want to know what gear Whitesnake used, their playing style, and fun facts? Scroll below the lessons!
Watch the Lesson
Still Of The Night
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Cheap An' Nasty
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Slip Of The Tongue
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Slide It In
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Here I Go Again
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Slow An Easy
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Bad Boys
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Children Of The Night
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Fool For Your Loving
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Crying In The Rain
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Give Me All Your Love
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Is This Love
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Is This Love
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Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City
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Lie Down
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The Time Is Right For Love
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Trouble
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Free Flight
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Long Way From Home
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Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues
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Medicine Man
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Mean Business
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Lovehunter
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Sweet Talker
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Ready An Willing
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Black And Blue
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Don't Break My Heart Again
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Lonely Days Lonely Nights
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Wine Women An Song
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Till The Day I Die
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Crying In The Rain
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Would I Lie To You
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Saints An Sinners
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Gambler
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Give Me More Time
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Love Ain't No Stranger
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All Or Nothing
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Hungry For Love
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Guilty Of Love
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Straight For The Heart
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Don't Turn Away
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Looking For Love
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Your Gonna Break My Heart Again
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Kitten's Got Claws
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Now You're Gone
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The Deeper The Love
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Judgement Day
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Wings Of The Storm
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Playing Style
Whitesnake’s guitar work blends blues-rock grit with soaring, melodic leads. Expect beefy, palm-muted power-chord riffs anchored in blues scales, tight rhythmic chugging, and expressive bends that give way to soaring solos. The sound toggles between punchy, sustain-rich lead lines and clean, chorus-drenched tones on ballads, all framed by precise phrasing, dynamic vibrato, and tasteful use of arpeggios. This catalog invites rhythm players to lock into groove-driven riffs and lead players to practice bend-heavy solos that sing over a solid rock rhythm section, as heard across tracks like Wings Of The Storm and The Deeper The Love.
🎸 Gear & Equipment
Iconic Whitesnake tones have long come from a combination of solid-bodied guitars (Gibson Les Pauls and Fender Stratocaster-style models), big Marshall-style amps, and expressive effects such as delay, chorus, and sustain. The band's late-80s era in particular is associated with powerful, high-gain tones and lush lead textures, often enhanced by multi-amp setups and time-based effects that thicken the guitar sound while preserving clarity for articulate bends and runs.
Why Learn Whitesnake Songs?
Learning Whitesnake tunes is a masterclass in classic hard rock phrasing, rhythm discipline, and expressive lead work. Players will strengthen their blues-based vocabulary, work on precise power-chord rhythm, gain control of palm-muted passages, and develop fluid bend-and-vibrato techniques for memorable solos. The 52 Whitesnake lessons on DadRock Tabs provide a progressive path from groove-driven riffs to soaring melodic lines, with material drawn from a broad spectrum of tempos and textures that build solid rock fundamentals and tone control.
Did You Know?
- 1Whitesnake was formed in 1978 by David Coverdale after leaving Deep Purple and quickly became a cornerstone of blues-infused hard rock.
- 2The 1987 self-titled Whitesnake album delivered Here I Go Again and Is This Love, propelling the band to international superstardom and top-charting status.
- 3David Coverdale has led Whitesnake as the constant driving force for decades, guiding the band through multiple lineup changes while preserving its signature sound.
- 4Whitesnake’s blend of blues-rock swagger and arena-ready hooks has influenced countless guitarists and remains a staple of classic rock radio and live arenas.
48 Whitesnake lesson(s) available — Start learning today!
Learn to Play Whitesnake Guitar
Explore Whitesnake guitar and bass lessons with a focus on riffs, rhythm parts, classic rock techniques, and practice-friendly video lessons.
Start Here
Begin with the most recognizable riffs and rhythm parts before moving into harder songs.
Techniques
Practice power chords, timing, picking control, bends, vibrato, and classic rock phrasing.
Next Step
Use the lessons below to build a practice path from easier songs to more advanced parts.
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If you're learning Whitesnake on guitar or bass, these related artists use similar riffs, tunings, playing styles, and classic rock techniques.