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Motley Crue - Dr. Feelgood Pt.1 - Intro, Main Riff & Verse - Guitar Lesson

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Motley Crue - Dr. Feelgood Pt.1 - Intro, Main Riff & Verse guitar lesson video
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Motley Crue Hard Rock E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Dr. Feelgood Pt.1 - Intro, Main Riff & Verse

The intro and main riff of "Dr. Feelgood" are built on a tight, syncopated groove that sits right in the pocket at 120 BPM. Mick Mars plays the whole thing in Eb Standard tuning, which drops every string a half-step and gives the riff that slightly looser, heavier feel compared to concert pitch. The riff itself lives in E minor and leans heavily on muted low-string chugging combined with a sharp, snapping attack on the higher strings, so getting your pick-hand palm muting consistent is the first real challenge here. The verse keeps that same aggressive rhythmic feel, and staying locked to the groove without rushing is harder than it looks at first. If the syncopation is tripping you up, use the Practice Toolbar to loop the intro riff slowed down until the rhythm clicks before bringing it back up to full tempo. Motley Crue built this track as a centrepiece of their Hard Rock catalog, and the guitar work rewards the time you put into it.

  • The riff is played in Eb Standard tuning, so tune every string down a half-step before you start or it will sound noticeably off.
  • Palm muting control on the low strings is the core technique: sloppy muting makes the signature groove fall apart immediately.
  • At 120 BPM the syncopated rhythms feel deceptively quick, so practise the intro pattern with a metronome well below tempo first.

How to Play Dr. Feelgood Pt.1 - Intro, Main Riff & Verse

Tuning: Eb Standard · Key: E minor · Tempo: 120 BPM

It is played in Eb standard, a half step down, so tune down before you start or every position and bend will sit a half step sharp against the recording.

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 120 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Mick Mars used custom Fender Stratocasters with humbucker pickups for specific recordings, providing tonal variety beyond his signature Les Paul thickness. The Strat's brighter character offered alternative textures while maintaining the aggressive humbucker-driven attack essential to Motley Crue's sound.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Mars' primary weapon throughout Motley Crue's career, the Les Paul Standard delivered the thick, sustained rhythm tones and warm PAF-style humbucker attack that define the band's heavy metal foundation. Its stock Gibson electronics and natural resonance let the cranked Marshall amp create the signature crunch without additional processing.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Mars' most iconic guitar choice, the black and white Les Paul Customs from the late 70s and 80s provided the dense, aggressive tones that powered Motley Crue's biggest hits. The custom model's weight and construction contributed to the sustained, sludgy rhythm guitar sound that became the band's sonic trademark.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The core of Mick Mars' legendary tone, his heavily modified JCM800 heads with scooped mids and cranked preamp gain created Motley Crue's characteristic thick, saturated crunch. Driven hard with a Les Paul's humbuckers, this combination produced the warm yet aggressive distortion that defined 80s hair metal.

Soldano SLO-100
Amp

Soldano SLO-100

Mars adopted the Soldano SLO-100 in later years for its smoother, more refined high-gain character compared to the Marshall's rawer saturation. The Soldano's tighter response and cleaner articulation suited Motley Crue's evolution while maintaining the band's heavy, sustain-driven aesthetic.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Featured prominently on 'Kickstart My Heart' intro and various solos, Mars' Dunlop Cry Baby wah pedal added dynamic expression to his otherwise amp-driven tone. The wah's sweeping character became an iconic texture in Motley Crue's arsenal of lead guitar effects.

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