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Guitar Songs, Tabs & Lessons

Mountain

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

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Band Overview

Mountain emerged from the late 1960s Hard Rock and blues-rock landscape as one of the heaviest and most technically demanding bands of their era. Formed in 1969 by Leslie West (guitar/vocals) and Felix Pappalardi (bass/keyboards/production), the band landed immediately with 'Mississippi Queen' in 1970, a track that became a hard rock staple and proved that blues-rock could be both brutally heavy and radio-friendly. What sets Mountain apart for guitarists is Leslie West's approach to tone and technique: he was a master of the sustaining lead, using thick humbucker tones and cranked tube amplification to achieve singing, almost vocal-like bends and vibrato that defined early 1970s rock guitar. West's playing combined elements of classic blues (bent notes, call-and-response phrasing) with a harder, more aggressive palm-muted riff style that influenced generations of metal and hard rock players. The band's difficulty level varies wildly by song: 'Mississippi Queen' is approachable for intermediate players once you nail the iconic riff and its rhythmic pocket, while deeper album cuts require solid alternate picking, legato technique, and comfort with complex time signatures. For learning purposes, Mountain offers a masterclass in how to make a guitar sing at high volume without losing musicality, and how to balance rhythmic heaviness with melodic sophistication. Leslie West remained the creative force throughout the band's history, though the lineup shifted; his tone and technique are what every track orbits around. If you're learning hard rock or heavy blues-rock, Mountain's catalog is non-negotiable study material.

What Makes Mountain Essential for Guitar Players

  • Leslie West's signature vibrato technique: he uses a wide, expressive vibrato arm movement that creates vocal-like sustain and emotion in leads. Practice slow vibrato on bent notes to develop this characteristic singing quality rather than fast, shallow vibrato.
  • The 'Mississippi Queen' main riff demonstrates perfect pocket playing with palm-muting: the muted pick attack combined with open notes creates dynamic contrast. Focus on consistent muting pressure and clean articulation between muted and open strings.
  • West uses legato extensively in his lead work, slurring between notes with hammer-ons and pull-offs to create fluid, sustained passages. This technique reduces reliance on pick articulation and is crucial for achieving that classic early-70s rock tone.
  • Heavy humbucker tones pushed through cranked tube amps: West achieves sustain and natural compression by relying on amp sag and power-tube saturation rather than effects or gain pedals. Learn to control dynamics with your pick attack and volume knob instead of chase gain.
  • Blues-based pentatonic phrasing delivered through a heavy rock lens: West's solos stick to familiar positions but emphasize bending, vibrato, and phrasing over finger gymnastics. This teaches you that musicality and tone matter far more than speed.

Did You Know?

Leslie West's legendary Gibson SG came with a naturally worn finish before aged finishes were trendy; he played it stock and hard, proving that tone comes from technique and gear choice, not boutique modifications or collectible finishes.

The 'Mississippi Queen' riff was written in a relaxed jam session and captured on the first take; West's approach to composition prioritized groove and feel over complexity, a lesson that many modern players miss in pursuit of technical flash.

Mountain was one of the first hard rock bands to achieve major radio success without relying on distortion pedals: their heaviness came from humbucker output, tube amp saturation, and West's aggressive pick attack, influencing the minimalist approach to tone that defines classic rock.

Felix Pappalardi's production work (he also produced Cream) shaped Mountain's studio sound, emphasizing Leslie West's lead tone in the mix; his bass playing is deliberately sparse in many songs, leaving room for West's guitar to dominate without muddiness.

West's approach to live performance included using a step-down tuner to lower the pitch of his riffs, adding weight and allowing for heavier string bending without excessive tension; this was a studio/live compromise that became part of the band's sonic identity.

The band recorded primarily on 24-track analog tape with minimal overdubs, meaning Leslie West's lead tone had to be right the first time; this forced a focus on feel and authenticity over computer-aided perfection, resulting in organic, human performances that still inspire.

Mountain's second album 'Nantucket Sleighride' features one of the earliest examples of a guitarist using a wah-wah pedal in a hard rock context while maintaining heavy, palm-muted rhythms; this combination became a template for 1970s and 1980s metal riffs.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

Climbing album cover
Climbing 1970

Mountain's debut and the album that introduced 'Mississippi Queen', this is essential study material for learning heavy riff construction and lead vibrato. The title track 'Climbing' showcases West's ability to sustain notes and bend with precision over a hypnotic riff, teaching both rhythm and lead discipline. Every track emphasizes tone and feel over technicality.

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Nantucket Sleighride album cover
Nantucket Sleighride 1971

This album deepens Mountain's approach with more complex arrangements and solos that demand legato technique and control. The title track is a masterclass in dynamics and phrasing, while 'Don't Look Around' features heavier riffing with subtle wah-wah integration. Learning this album prepares you for harder, more sophisticated hard rock compositions.

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The Best of Mountain album cover
The Best of Mountain 1973

A curated collection that highlights Leslie West's most impactful performances and riffs. Ideal for guitarists who want to study the band's essential vocabulary without committing to full albums; tracks like 'Theme for an Imaginary Western' and 'Long Red' demonstrate range and technique in a focused format.

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Tone & Gear

Guitar

Leslie West's primary instrument was a Gibson SG, typically a Standard model (late 1960s to 1970 era), played stock with no modifications. The SG's thin body, sharp cutaway, and double-humbucking configuration gave West access to both aggressive brightness and warm, singing sustain. He favored this guitar for its balance of playability and tonal character, and rarely switched instruments during recordings or live shows. The SG's lighter weight and responsive body resonance were essential to his ability to generate natural sustain without excessive gain.

Amp

Leslie West's primary amplifier was a Marshall amplifier, most notably a 100-watt Marshall (JTM or early 1970s Marshall Super Bass). This amp was pushed into overdrive and saturation via tube sag and power-tube breakup, not through a gain channel or distortion pedal. West cranked the master volume to achieve that thick, sustaining tone that defined Mountain's sound. The high wattage allowed for natural power-tube compression and sag at moderate stage volumes, resulting in organic, responsive sustain that's nearly impossible to replicate with modern solid-state amplifiers. He rarely used a distortion box; the amp's natural saturation was sufficient.

Pickups

The Gibson SG came equipped with dual PAF-style humbuckers (8-9k output range, wound to early 1970s specifications), which provided thick, warm tone with excellent sustain and rejection of unwanted noise. Humbuckers were essential to West's approach; the lower output compared to modern high-output pickups meant the amp had to work harder to achieve saturation, resulting in responsive dynamics and natural compression. The warm low-end and punchy midrange of PAF-spec humbuckers paired perfectly with Marshall's coloration, creating the signature 'creamy heavy' tone that defined early Mountain recordings.

Effects & Chain

Leslie West's approach was minimal and purpose-driven. He occasionally used a Cry Baby wah-wah pedal for specific lead passages (especially on 'Nantucket Sleighride' album), but his core chain was: Guitar straight into the amplifier. No compressors, no reverb pedals, no excessive modulation. Tone came from humbucker output, tube amp saturation, and his hands. This minimalist philosophy is the opposite of modern practice; West proved that spending your energy on feel, vibrato, and phrasing generates far more compelling results than seeking tone through electronics. Studio recordings captured his amp's natural room ambience rather than artificial effects.

Recommended Gear

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Leslie West deployed the Cry Baby wah sparingly on tracks like 'Nantucket Sleighride' to add vocal expressiveness to lead passages without cluttering his minimalist signal chain. The wah's resonant sweep complemented his Gibson SG and Marshall's natural saturation, letting West shape sustain dynamically while maintaining the organic tone that defined Mountain's heavy blues-rock attack.

How to Practice Mountain on GuitarZone

Every Mountain 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 Mississippi Queen - Guitar TabPractice Mississippi Queen - Guitar LessonPractice Theme for an Imaginary Western (with tablatures and backing tracks - Guitar Tab