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Guitar Songs, Tabs & Lessons

Gary Moore

11 guitar songs · Tabs, Lessons & Tone Guide Blues

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Artist Overview

History and Guitar Legacy

Gary Moore (1952–2011) was a Belfast-born guitarist who emerged in the late 1960s through Irish bands like Skid Row with Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy. He navigated Hard Rock, blues-rock, and pure blues for decades, creating one of the most emotionally devastating tones in electric guitar history. Moore bridged Peter Green's ghostly lyricism with 1980s shred fury, establishing himself as one of the most technically complete guitarists of his generation.

Playing Style and Techniques

Moore's approach to vibrato and phrasing defines his sound more than any equipment. His vibrato is wide, controlled, and intensely vocal, bending notes with human cry-like intensity. His legato runs are fluid and precise, incorporating hammer-ons and pull-offs at blinding speed while maintaining melody over flash. Every note carries weight while he executes technically demanding passages when the music demands it.

Why Guitarists Study Gary Moore

As a solo artist, Moore's blues period from 1990 onward produced iconic tracks like 'Still Got the Blues' and 'Parisienne Walkways' that teach slow bending, sustain control, minor pentatonic phrasing, and dynamic solo construction. His earlier hard rock work including 'Out in the Fields' and 'The Loner' demonstrates aggressive alternate picking, fast pentatonic runs, and Marshall-driven crunch rivaling genre peers.

Difficulty and Learning Path

Gary Moore sits in the intermediate to advanced range. His slower blues pieces are accessible in note choice but replicating his vibrato, sustain, and emotional delivery is deceptively challenging. Faster material demands serious alternate picking, accurate bending across multiple frets, and stamina for sustained intensity. He's ideal for developing expressive lead playing that transcends correct note execution.

What Makes Gary Moore Essential for Guitar Players

  • Gary Moore's vibrato is arguably the most expressive in blues-rock history. It's wide, even, and generated primarily from the wrist, not the fingers. Studying his vibrato technique on sustained bends in 'Still Got the Blues' will transform your lead playing more than learning any scale pattern.
  • His legato technique is world-class. Moore frequently uses rapid hammer-on and pull-off sequences within minor pentatonic and blues scale frameworks, giving his faster runs a smooth, singing quality rather than the percussive sound of strict alternate picking. Listen to the outro solo of 'Still Got the Blues' for textbook examples.
  • Moore was a master of dynamic solo construction. In 'Parisienne Walkways,' he starts with sparse, breathy phrases in the lower register and gradually ascends into soaring, sustained bends at the top of the neck. Learning this approach teaches you how to tell a story with a solo instead of just shredding from bar one.
  • His rhythm playing is often overlooked but features tight palm-muted downpicking and crisp chord work, particularly in his hard rock material. He could lock in with a rhythm section with the same authority he brought to lead work, making him a complete player worth studying beyond just his solos.
  • Bending accuracy is critical to nailing Moore's style. He regularly executes whole-step and one-and-a-half-step bends with pinpoint intonation, often holding the bent note while adding vibrato. Practicing his bends on the B and high E strings around the 12th–15th frets is essential for any aspiring blues-rock lead guitarist.

Did You Know?

Gary Moore's legendary 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard was previously owned by Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac. The guitar's neck pickup was installed backwards (reversed magnet polarity), creating the famous 'out-of-phase' tone on the middle pickup position that defined Green's sound and later became part of Moore's tonal palette.

Moore reportedly practiced six to eight hours a day even at the peak of his career. His disciplined approach to technique, particularly his vibrato and bending, was something he consciously worked on throughout his life, proving that even elite-level players never stop refining fundamentals.

The solo in 'Parisienne Walkways' was largely improvised during a live BBC recording session. The version most people know captures a moment of pure spontaneous emotion, which is part of why it resonates so deeply, it wasn't meticulously composed note by note.

During his time in Thin Lizzy, Moore played alongside Scott Gorham, contributing to the band's signature twin-guitar harmony approach. His stint with Lizzy sharpened his ability to blend lead pyrotechnics with disciplined harmony playing, a skill that informed his solo career.

Moore was known for pushing Marshall amplifiers to their absolute limits in the studio, often cranking them to get natural power-tube distortion rather than relying heavily on pedals. Engineers reportedly had to manage extreme volume levels during his recording sessions.

He could seamlessly switch between a Stratocaster's glassy single-coil bite for clean blues passages and a Les Paul's thick humbucker roar for high-gain leads, often within the same set. This versatility meant he never sounded like he was copying anyone, the tone always served the song.

Gary Moore's version of 'Still Got the Blues' almost wasn't released as a single because the record label thought a slow blues instrumental-style track wouldn't connect commercially. It became his biggest hit and one of the most-played guitar solos in radio history.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

Still Got the Blues album cover
Still Got the Blues 1990

This is the album to start with. The title track is a masterclass in slow blues phrasing, vibrato, and emotional bending, every lead guitarist should learn it note for note. 'Oh Pretty Woman' features aggressive minor pentatonic runs and showcases Moore's ability to shift between restrained phrasing and explosive intensity within a single solo.

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After Hours album cover
After Hours 1992

A deeper dive into blues-rock territory with incredible tone throughout. 'Cold Day in Hell' teaches dynamic solo building over a slow-burn groove, while 'Story of the Blues' features one of Moore's most melodically sophisticated solos. This album is perfect for intermediate players looking to develop phrasing and sustain control.

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Corridors of Power album cover
Corridors of Power 1982

For guitarists who want the harder-rocking side of Moore, this album delivers. 'End of the World' and 'Don't Take Me for a Loser' feature fast alternate picking, aggressive palm-muted riffs, and high-gain Marshall tone that bridges hard rock and early metal. Great for building picking speed and right-hand stamina.

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Live at Montreux 1990 1990

Hearing Moore play live reveals how much of his magic comes from real-time dynamics and improvisation. The extended version of 'Parisienne Walkways' is longer and even more emotionally intense than the studio cut, with improvised phrases that show how he navigated the fretboard spontaneously. Essential listening for understanding how to perform solos, not just play them.

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Blues for Greeny album cover
Blues for Greeny 1995

A tribute to Peter Green played largely on Green's actual 1959 Les Paul. Tracks like 'Need Your Love So Bad' and 'The Supernatural' are studies in tasteful restraint and vintage blues tone. This album teaches you how less can be more and how pickup selection and amp interaction create magic without effects pedals.

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Tone & Gear

Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard (1959), the famous 'Greeny' previously owned by Peter Green, with its reversed neck pickup magnet creating an out-of-phase tone in the middle position. Moore also frequently used Fender Stratocasters (particularly 1961 and 1962 models) for cleaner blues tones, and various other Les Pauls including Custom and Standard models from different eras. During his hard rock period, he also played Hamer and Charvel superstrats. The Les Paul/Strat combination defined his ability to shift between fat, sustaining humbucker leads and glassy, biting single-coil cleans.

Amp

Marshall JCM800 and earlier Marshall 1959 Super Lead Plexis were his foundation, typically cranked hard to achieve natural power-tube saturation and rich harmonic overtones. He later incorporated Marshall JCM2000 DSL and TSL models. For cleaner tones, he occasionally used Fender combos. The key to Moore's amp tone was volume, he ran Marshalls loud enough to get that singing, violin-like sustain where the guitar feeds back controllably, allowing notes to bloom and sustain endlessly.

Pickups

In the 'Greeny' Les Paul, the original PAF humbuckers (with the reversed neck pickup magnet) produced a slightly lower output, more dynamic response that cleaned up beautifully with volume knob adjustments. His other Les Pauls typically ran standard PAF-style humbuckers in the 7.5–8.5k ohm range, giving him enough output to drive a Marshall into singing sustain without the compressed, scooped character of high-output ceramic pickups. On his Stratocasters, stock single-coils delivered that biting, glassy Fender tone essential for his cleaner blues work.

Effects & Chain

Moore kept his effects chain relatively simple. A Boss SD-1 or Ibanez Tube Screamer was used as a clean boost to push the front end of his Marshalls harder rather than as a standalone distortion. He used a Dunlop Cry Baby wah for expressive lead passages, a Boss CE-2 or TC Electronic chorus for occasional shimmer, and a digital delay (often a Boss DD-series) set with short repeats for solo thickening. Despite having these options, the vast majority of his tone came from fingers, guitar, and cranked amp, pedals were seasoning, not the main course.

Recommended Gear

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Gary Moore wielded Fender Stratocasters for his cleaner blues tones, using their glassy single-coil bite to contrast with his Les Paul's fat sustain. The thin, articulate voice let him deliver expressive rhythm work and cutting lead lines without the compressed warmth of humbuckers.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Moore's iconic 'Greeny' Gibson Les Paul Standard with its reversed neck pickup magnet became his signature, delivering dynamic PAF humbucker tone that bloomed into singing sustain when pushed through cranked Marshalls. This guitar defined his ability to achieve violin-like feedback and endless note decay.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Gibson Les Paul Custom gave Moore additional options beyond 'Greeny', with standard PAF-style humbuckers in the 7.5–8.5k ohm range providing enough output to drive his Marshalls into natural power-tube saturation without ceramic pickup compression. This guitar delivered the fat, singing tone central to his hard rock era.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The Marshall JCM800 became Moore's modern workhorse, cranked loud enough to achieve that singing, violin-like sustain where controlled feedback allowed notes to bloom endlessly. The amp's natural power-tube saturation created rich harmonic overtones essential to his fluid, sustaining lead style.

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)
Amp

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)

Gary Moore's early Marshall 1959 Super Lead Plexis were run at volume to generate natural harmonic saturation and responsive, singing sustain that defined his blues-rock foundation. The amp's sensitivity to picking dynamics let his fingers shape tone as much as the guitar itself.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Moore deployed the Dunlop Cry Baby Wah for expressive, soulful lead passages that added vocal-like character to his soaring solos. Though a key tool in his arsenal, it served as seasoning to his core tone rather than the foundation of his sound.

How to Practice Gary Moore on GuitarZone

Every Gary Moore 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 Still Got the Blues - Guitar TabPractice Parisienne Walkways - Guitar CoverPractice Still Got the Blues - Guitar Cover