As a young boy, Elvis Presley would regularly bring his guitar to school to play songs. However, he didn’t leave as significant of an impression back then as he would do so effortlessly later in his career. Classmate Kenneth Holditch even remembered Elvis as “a sad, shy, not especially attractive boy whose guitar playing was not likely to win any prizes.” Well, that sad, shy, and not especially attractive boy made a pretty decent living as a musician. But did Holditch have a valid point, suggesting Elvis wasn’t a proficient guitarist, or was Elvis actually a great guitar player?
Elvis’ Guitar Chops
Elvis Presley wasn’t a highly skilled guitar player, but he had a great natural feel for the instrument, particularly rhythm-wise. As Elvis’ backing guitarist Scotty Moore recalled: “You know, Elvis wasn’t considered a real good rhythm player on guitar, but you listen to ‘That’s All Right, Mama,’ he starts with the rhythm, just the open rhythm, and then the slap [bass] starts — he had a feel for rhythm on the stuff that we did that’s very hard for anybody to do the same way.”
Elvis himself was humble about his abilities on guitar and praised backing guitarist Scotty Moore in a 1965 interview. “People seem to think I’m married to the guitar but the truth is I’m not very good at it. I usually get credited with beating up a storm on it, but usually, I have another and much better guitar player backing me up when I play it.”
In Johnny Cash’s biography Cash, “The Man in Black” recalled he was impressed with Elvis’ playing during a live performance at the Eagle’s Nest. “The thing I really noticed that night was his guitar playing. Elvis was a fabulous rhythm player. He’d start into “That’s All Right, Mama” with his own guitar alone, and you didn’t want to hear anything else.”
’68 Comeback Special
One of the best ways to judge Elvis Presley’s guitar playing is to listen to the ’68 comeback special. On “Baby, What You Want Me To Do” (see clip above), Elvis plays pretty tasty guitar. However, the song is a basic twelve-bar blues and Elvis uses basic open chords. Most of the fillers (licks, walks, etc.) are basic chord slides and licks played in the basic open position.
Read more: The Story Behind “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley
In honest judgement, Elvis’ guitar playing on the special is adequate, but not anything outstanding. Still, Elvis’ playing on “Baby, What You Want Me To Do” sounds sweet because of his great feel for rhythm. Playing the instrument during a comeback special also showcases he was at the very least comfortable with the instrument.
Elvis Presley’s Influence
Elvis’ influence on the guitar is far greater than his guitar playing abilities itself. Despite often using the instrument as a prop, Elvis undoubtedly inspired many young musicians in the 1950s to pick up a guitar too. While he wasn’t an amazing guitar player like some of his Rock and Roll peers, Elvis Presley’s presence – with or without guitar – was unmatched.
