Creator Area
Sign in Creator Area

Practice Studio

Motley Crue - Wild Side - Guitar Lesson

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

Not in tune?

Select a Loop

Start of your loop
End of your loop

Speed Control

Speed
100%

Tools

BPM
Key E minor
Motley Crue - Wild Side guitar lesson video
Guitar 365
Guitar 365 Top Contributor
YouTube: 1.6Msubs 241Kviews
Creator Page →
·
–50¢ 0 +50¢
· Tap to start

Your browser will ask for microphone permission.

Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
AI tone preset

AI-selected preset based on genre and era — adjust the knobs to taste.

Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
Listen on Spotify
Motley Crue Hard Rock E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Wild Side

Tuned down a half step to Eb Standard, "Wild Side" sits in E minor and rolls along at 120 BPM with a swagger that feels deceptively relaxed until you try to lock in the groove yourself. The signature riff is built on a repeating, syncopated figure that demands your picking hand stay consistent while the fretting hand navigates position shifts, so getting it up to tempo cleanly takes more repetition than it first appears. Motley Crue layer in some aggressive chord stabs and lead fills that require quick transitions between rhythm and lead playing, which is where most players start to slip. The Hard Rock feel of the track lives in the attitude of the picking, not just the notes, so a tight, slightly behind-the-beat attack is worth developing. Use the Practice Toolbar to isolate the main riff and the chord-to-fill transitions at a reduced speed until the movement is automatic before pushing back toward full tempo.

  • The song is played in Eb Standard tuning, so tune every string down a half step before you start or your riffs will sound noticeably off against the recording.
  • At 120 BPM the main riff sits in a mid-tempo pocket where rhythmic tightness matters more than speed, making consistent right-hand technique the real challenge.
  • The song mixes rhythm chord work with short lead fills, so practising smooth transitions between the two positions is one of the most useful things you can drill.

How to Play Wild Side

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.

Recommended for You