Guitar & Bass Tabs
Montrose
About Montrose
Montrose was formed in 1973 by virtuoso guitarist Ronnie Montrose, merging blues-inflected hard rock with blistering guitar hooks. Their self-titled debut album Montrose (1973) introduced a fearless, riff-driven sound and featured Sammy Hagar on vocals, helping launch both the band and Hagar’s later career. The record’s blazing tracks — most famously Rock Candy and Bad Motor Scooter — became defining anthems of 70s American hard rock and set a template for guitar-forward rock energy.
In the years that followed, Montrose became a touchstone for hard rock and for the nascent metal scene, with Ronnie’s aggressive, melodic riffing and blistering leads shaping the direction of guitar-oriented rock. Although the lineup shifted and the band’s commercial arc moved, Montrose’s influence endured in classic-rock circles and in the pedagogy of modern guitar education, including the widely enjoyed lessons and tabs on DadRock Tabs. Ronnie Montrose passed away in 2012, but his influential voice continues to inspire players around the world.
🎸 Want to know what gear Montrose used, their playing style, and fun facts? Scroll below the lessons!
Watch the Lesson
Rock Candy
Montrose
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Bad Motor Scooter
Montrose
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Rock The Nation
Montrose
View Tab →Playing Style
Ronnie Montrose’s playing style is built on punchy, groove-driven rhythm guitar and soaring, blues-inflected leads. He favors tight palm-muted power riffs, aggressive downstrokes, and clear, mid-forward tone that cuts through a dense rhythm section. His solos weave melodic lines over blues-based scales, with expressive bends and brisk alternate-picking passages that balance precision with fiery emotion. The result is a distinctive, high-energy voice that fuses blues, hard rock, and early metal influences into a cohesive guitar-centric sound.
🎸 Gear & Equipment
Montrose’s iconic sound sits in a guitar-forward hard rock realm: sturdy, single-cut or solid-bodied guitars paired with reliable tube amps for tight, crunchy tones. Ronnie Montrose was known for using Gibson-style Les Paul-type instruments and other solid-body guitars, often run through powerful Marshall-style amps to deliver penetrating rhythm riffs and sustain-heavy leads. A modest selection of overdrive/distortion pedals helped push solos without losing note clarity, allowing the signature bite that defines tracks like Rock Candy and Bad Motor Scooter. For learners aiming to approximate this tone, a humbucker-equipped guitar with a good tube amp and an overdrive pedal is a solid starting point.
Why Learn Montrose Songs?
Learning Montrose tunes develops foundational rock guitar skills: tight, riff-driven rhythm technique with power chords, accurate picking, and palm muting; blues-based pentatonic phrasing for solos with melodic hooks; and dynamic contrast between aggressive riffs and soaring leads. The songs on DadRock Tabs sit at beginner-to-early-intermediate difficulty, offering immediate, recognizable payoff while building speed, precision, and tone control that translate to a wide array of classic-rock repertoire.
Did You Know?
- 1Ronnie Montrose had previously played with The Edgar Winter Group before forming Montrose in 1973, bringing a bluesy hard rock edge to the project.
- 2Montrose's 1973 self-titled debut features the enduring riffs of Rock Candy and Bad Motor Scooter, defining a blueprint for American hard rock.
- 3Sammy Hagar, who sang on Montrose, would go on to become the vocalist for Van Halen, linking the bands in rock history.
- 4Ronnie Montrose continued to push guitar-forward rock through the 70s and beyond until his passing in 2012, leaving a lasting influence on players worldwide.
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