Mountain - Mississippi Queen - Guitar Tab

Climbing!

1970 2:31

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About Mississippi Queen

Few riffs in Hard Rock are as immediately recognisable as the cowbell-and-guitar one-two that kicks off "Mississippi Queen." Mountain guitarist Leslie West plays the main riff in E minor, and the key demand is raw, thick tone paired with a confident pick attack. The riff itself sits in a pentatonic box around the open position, but getting it to lock with the groove at 92 BPM, the way West does, takes more control than it first appears. The bends need to be accurate and full, and the rhythm has to feel slightly behind the beat, giving it that heavy swagger. If the bend-and-release figure at the end of the phrase keeps slipping, use the Practice Toolbar to loop just those two bars slowed down until the motion is automatic. The solo leans heavily on blues phrasing and vibrato, so work on sustaining notes with wide, even vibrato before trying to match West's delivery at full speed.

• The signature riff sits in an open-position E minor pentatonic box, making it approachable for intermediate players but demanding in tone and rhythmic feel.
• Getting the bend-and-release figure to land in tune at 92 BPM is the main technical challenge, so slow practice with a loop is strongly recommended.
• Leslie West's thick, slightly behind-the-beat pick attack is central to the sound, so focus on pick dynamics and groove before chasing speed.