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Def Leppard

15 guitar songs · Tabs, Lessons & Tone Guide Hard Rock

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Band Overview

History and Guitar Legacy

Def Leppard emerged from Sheffield, England in 1977 and became one of the defining bands of 1980s Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Their guitar approach evolved dramatically from early New Wave of British Heavy Metal roots on 'On Through the Night' (1980) to the polished, layered production of 'Hysteria' (1987). This album became a masterclass in overdubbed guitar textures and harmonic sophistication, establishing the band's reputation for obsessive attention to detail.

Playing Style and Techniques

Steve Clark and Phil Collen brought distinctly different approaches to Def Leppard's sound. Clark contributed bluesy, soulful lead work and textural rhythm playing, while Collen delivered precise, technically accomplished solos and rhythm arrangements. The band's rhythm guitar work relies on double-tracked parts, suspended voicings, and careful EQ separation between players to create clarity in dense arrangements. Their technique blends single-coil and humbucker tones seamlessly throughout their catalog.

Why Guitarists Study Def Leppard

Learning Def Leppard teaches guitarists how to build massive arrangements through layering and how to execute both pentatonic-based Blues Rock leads and complex melodic soloing. The band demonstrates harmonic sophistication and raw power without sacrificing either element. Their work shows how to balance two distinct guitar personalities within one cohesive sound, making them essential for understanding stadium rock guitar architecture and production techniques.

Difficulty and Learning Path

The difficulty ranges from moderate to challenging depending on the era. Early material like 'On Through the Night' and 'High 'n' Dry' (1981) features straightforward rock riffing accessible to intermediate players. 'Hysteria' demands precision in timing, understanding of harmonic rhythm, and comfort with suspended chords and power-chord variations. Mastering their catalog provides a comprehensive education in both fundamental and advanced guitar concepts.

What Makes Def Leppard Essential for Guitar Players

  • Double-tracked rhythm guitar is Def Leppard's signature: Steve Clark and Phil Collen would record identical or complementary parts panned left and right, creating width and power without need for heavy distortion. Learning to identify these layers teaches you arrangement thinking and how to use studio techniques to enhance modest gain levels.
  • Harmonic rhythm and chord voicing dominate the band's mid-period material; songs like 'Hysteria' and 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' build on suspended fourths, dropped-D tuning variations, and slash chords rather than traditional power-chord progressions. This requires understanding how suspended voicings create tension and movement.
  • Lead tone separation is crucial: Clark favored a slightly thicker, warmer tone with more sustain via humbuckers, while Collen used sharper attack and clearer articulation with single-coils or humbucker-single-coil hybrid setups. Understanding how different pickup types and amp settings create distinction between rhythm and lead is essential.
  • Vibrato technique varies between the two players; Clark uses wider, slower vibrato typical of blues rock, while Collen employs tighter, faster vibrato for precision. 'Rock of Ages' and 'Photograph' solos showcase both approaches and reveal how vibrato choice affects solo character.
  • Alternate picking and downpicking discipline creates the driving attack in rhythm parts; songs like 'Animal' and 'Foolin'' require consistent, even alternate picking at moderate tempos (around 120-140 BPM) with palm-muting for dynamic control. This foundational technique is more demanding than it sounds when applied to the band's syncopated riff patterns.

Did You Know?

Steve Clark recorded most of 'Hysteria' with a Les Paul Standard and a Telecaster Deluxe, preferring Fender single-coils for treble response in layered arrangements, contradicting the common assumption that British hard rockers always use humbuckers. This gear choice directly influenced the album's clarity.

The 'Hysteria' sessions took over two years and involved 12 different producers; guitarist Phil Collen re-recorded nearly every solo after the initial takes to meet perfectionist standards, sometimes recording 20+ takes of a single lead. This obsessive approach to tone and timing shaped the album's surgical precision.

Def Leppard pioneered the use of guitar synthesizers and drum machines integrated with traditional rock instrumentation in the mid-1980s, predating many alternative rock bands; the interplay between Rick Savoy's keyboards and the guitars on 'Hysteria' created a new template for layered rock production.

Steve Clark's tone was partially defined by using vintage Marshall JCM800 amplifiers with lower gain settings and significant volume, allowing natural power-tube saturation rather than preamp distortion; this yielded a smoother, more compressed tone ideal for layered rhythm work compared to modern high-gain amps.

The band's use of suspended chords and modal interchange (borrowing chords from parallel keys) on songs like 'Love Bites' and 'Hysteria' reflects influence from both progressive rock and pop songwriting; these harmonic choices were uncommon in hard rock at the time and expanded what was possible harmonically in the genre.

'Rock of Ages' features a riff built on a minor pentatonic shape played in a percussive, palm-muted style with significant syncopation; the rhythm pattern is deceptively tricky to lock in and rewards players who practice strict timing discipline with a metronome.

Phil Collen's approach to gain staging involves using a booster pedal into a moderate-gain amp setting rather than maxing out distortion; this technique, now common in modern metal and rock, helps preserve note definition and string separation in high-gain contexts, making it easier to execute complex fingerings.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

Hysteria album cover
Hysteria 1987

This is the masterclass in studio guitar production and harmonic sophistication. 'Hysteria', 'Pour Some Sugar On Me', and 'Love Bites' teach you suspended chord voicing, the power of double-tracked harmony leads, and how to layer guitars for maximum impact. The album's production values and precision executing double-tracked riff sections make it essential for understanding 1980s rock production.

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High 'n' Dry album cover
High 'n' Dry 1981

This album captures Steve Clark's bluesy, soulful lead style before the band shifted toward production perfection. 'Bringin' On the Heartbreak' and 'Foolin'' showcase slower, more melodic lead work and demonstrate how to use tone and vibrato for emotional expression. It's more accessible than 'Hysteria' for intermediate players learning pentatonic-based soloing.

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Pyromania album cover
Pyromania 1983

The bridge between raw NWOBHM energy and polished arena rock; 'Rock of Ages', 'Foolin'', and 'Photograph' feature Steve Clark's most aggressive riffing combined with precise double-tracking. This album teaches you how to balance aggression with clarity, and the lead work here is more straightforward than 'Hysteria', making it ideal for players developing their lead vocabulary.

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On Through the Night album cover
On Through the Night 1980

The band's debut captures their roots in NWOBHM with rawer production and less studio layering; ideal for players learning foundational hard rock riffing and lead technique without the production complexity of later releases. 'Rocks of Ages' and 'Wasted' showcase straightforward pentatonic soloing and power-chord riffing that's accessible to intermediate players.

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Tone & Gear

Guitar

Steve Clark (primary era 1977-1998): Gibson Les Paul Standard (1952-1960 vintage models preferred), Fender Telecaster Deluxe, and occasional Strat for bright tones. Phil Collen (joined 1982): primarily Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters, later added PRS guitars for lead work; Collen's single-coil preference directly contrasts with Clark's humbucker warmth. Both players used multiple guitars on layered parts to achieve tonal variety without changing amp settings.

Amp

Steve Clark: Marshall JCM800 2203 (100W) running at moderate volume with moderate gain settings (3-5 range), driving power tubes for natural saturation rather than preamp distortion; this approach preserved clarity and dynamics. Phil Collen: initially Marshall Super Lead, transitioning to Soldano SLO-100 and later custom amp designs for higher-gain capability. Both players typically ran single-channel setups with minimal gain cranking, relying on pickup output and tube saturation for tone.

Pickups

Steve Clark: PAF-style humbuckers on Les Pauls (8-9k output), paired with Fender single-coil pickups on Telecaster Deluxe for tonal contrast and brightness in layered arrangements; this mix of warm and bright pickups became the band's signature approach. Phil Collen: primarily Fender Custom Shop single-coils (6-7k output) for precise articulation and attack, later exploring humbucker-single-coil hybrid configurations. The intentional pickup variety across guitar parts created natural EQ separation without extensive pedal-based tone shaping.

Effects & Chain

Def Leppard kept effects minimal and functional: Ibanez Tube Screamer or equivalent booster/overdrive for sustain and gain boosting (not heavy distortion), occasional Cry Baby wah for lead textures, and essential studio effects like reverb and delay added during mixing rather than in live pedalboards. The philosophy prioritized amp tone and natural breakup over effects-based shaping; tone came from tube saturation, pickup selection, and careful gain staging. Live setups were intentionally sparse compared to studio productions.

Recommended Gear

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

The most iconic electric guitar ever made. Its three single-coil pickups, contoured body and versatile tone make it the go-to for blues, rock, funk and everything in between. Players from Hendrix to Gilmour to Clapton built their sound on it.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

The original solid-body electric guitar. Its snappy bridge pickup and no-nonsense construction deliver a sharp, cutting tone perfect for country, rock and blues. Favored by Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen and countless session players.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

The definitive rock guitar. Its mahogany body, maple top and PAF-style humbuckers deliver warm, thick sustain with natural compression. From Slash to Jimmy Page, the Les Paul Standard is the backbone of hard rock tone.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The 'Black Beauty' - Gibson's premium Les Paul with bound neck, multi-ply binding and upgraded hardware. Its ebony fingerboard and heavier construction give it a darker, more refined tone compared to the Standard.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The definitive rock amp of the 1980s. The JCM800's single-channel, all-tube design produces a natural, harmonically rich overdrive at high volumes. Every hard rock and metal guitar sound from that era ran through one of these.

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)
Amp

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)

The amp that invented Rock. The original Marshall 100-watt Plexi's cranked power tubes deliver a dynamic, touch-sensitive breakup that no modern amp has fully replicated. Hendrix, Clapton and Page all recorded through one.

How to Practice Def Leppard on GuitarZone

Every Def Leppard song page on GuitarZone includes a built-in Practice Toolbar. No app to download, no account needed. Open any song, then use the toolbar to slow the video to 0.5× speed, set an A/B loop around the exact riff you're working on, and jump between song sections instantly.

The toolbar appears automatically on every guitar tab, lesson, and cover page. Pick a song below, hit play, and start practicing at your own pace.

Practice Hysteria - Guitar LessonPractice Pour Some Sugar On Me - Guitar TabPractice Photograph Pt.1 - Chords/Riffs - Guitar Lesson