Guitar & Bass Tabs
Tesla
Learn Tesla's Guitar & Bass Style
Discover how Tesla developed their signature guitar and bass sound, the techniques you'll encounter in their music, and the best lessons to begin your learning journey.
Tesla perustettiin 1980-luvun alkuvuosina Sacramentoissa, Kaliforniassa, ja he rakensivat maineensa bluesy hard rockin, kohoavien melodioiden sekä twin-guitar attackin ansiosta, joka muodostui heidän tunnusmerkiksekseen. Frank Hannonin ja Tommy Skeochin vaihtaessa crunchy rhythm workin ja harmonized leadsin, Jeff Keithin gravelly vocal linesin, Brian Wheatin solid bassin ja Troy Lucckettan drum drivin, he raivasivat rohkean tilan Länsirannikon rock-skeneessä. Heidän läpimurtonsa tuli Geffenin rosterissa julkaistu Mechanical Resonance (1986), joka sisälsi yleisöä miellyttävän coverin Grand Funk Railroad's Little Suzi ja sarjan radio-friendly kappaleita, jotka määrittivät heidän varhaisen äänensä. Seuraavaksi seurasi breakout The Great Radio Controversy (1990), joka toi Love Song ja Paradise kaltaisia hittejä ja vakiinnutti Teslan erään aikakauden määrittävien hard rock -akteista MTV-aikana.
🎸 Want to know what gear Tesla used, their playing style, and fun facts? Scroll below the lessons!
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Rock Me To The Top
Tesla
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Comin' Atcha Live
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Modern Day Cowboy
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Signs
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Too Late For Love
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Love Me
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Change In The Weather
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Edison's Medicine
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Don't De-Rock Me
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Song And Emotion
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Time
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Freedom Slaves
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Had Enough
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What You Give
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Can't Stop
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Toke About It
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The Way It Is
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Love Song
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Hang Tough
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Makin' Magic
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Paradise
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Party's Over
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View Tab →Playing Style
Tesla's playing style blends bluesy hard rock, melodic leads, and a tight twin-guitar dynamic. Frank Hannon and Tommy Skeoch trade rhythm parts and harmonized melodies, creating big, catchy hooks that propel the songs. The approach relies on strong rhythm guitar via power chords and palm muting, with lead lines that ride on tasteful bends and vibrato. They employ alternate picking and occasional sweep-picked arpeggios in select solos, but the emphasis is on singing phrases and groove rather than flashy technique. The result is a sound that feels both rugged and melodic, with choruses that hit hard and solos that sing.
🎸 Gear & Equipment
Tesla's tone comes from a practical rig: dual guitar setups with humbucker-heavy guitars (Les Paul-style and Stratocaster-style) paired with reliable tube amps reminiscent of Marshall and Mesa/Boogie circuits. Their effects palette typically included chorus and delay to widen leads, a wah for expressive solos, and a solid bass tone from a Fender Jazz Bass to anchor the low end.
Why Learn Tesla Songs?
Learning Tesla's catalog on DadRock Tabs is a solid pathway to building core rock guitar skills. These songs emphasize riff-driven rhythm, melodic lead lines, and strong dynamics, helping you master power chords, palm muting, and precise alternate picking, while also developing your ear for harmonized guitar parts. The difficulty across the 22 lessons ranges from approachable to mid-level, making them accessible for late-beginners moving into intermediate territory. As you work through the party-starting hooks and soaring choruses, you'll gain confidence in tone shaping, timing, and how to serve a song as a guitarist, laying a strong foundation for rock rhythm and lead playing.
Did You Know?
- 1Tesla took its name from inventor Nikola Tesla, signaling their electric, high-energy take on hard rock.
- 2The band hails from Sacramento, California, a unique origin for a late-80s/early-90s rock breakout.
- 3Twin-guitar pairing of Frank Hannon and Tommy Skeoch gave Tesla a distinctive, harmonized lead feel that fans remember.
- 4Their power ballad Love Song became a defining hit of the era, helping expand hard rock radio beyond heavier anthem tracks.
22 Tesla lesson(s) available — Start learning today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn to Play Tesla Guitar
Explore Tesla 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 Tesla on guitar or bass, these related artists use similar riffs, tunings, playing styles, and classic rock techniques.