Baby Let's Play House

Elvis Presley, 1955, from Non-album single. Solo by Scotty Moore.

Moore's break mixes country picking and blues licks in the Sun trio format.

Baby Let's Play House catches the Sun trio at full gallop, and Scotty Moore's break is a small lesson in blending traditions. He mixes country-style picking, with its bright, clipped notes, and bluesy bends and double stops, all delivered with a loose, slightly reckless energy. With only Bill Black's slapped bass and Elvis's acoustic guitar underneath, Moore has to keep the rhythm alive even while he solos, so his lines bounce and chop rather than float. That hybrid of rhythm and lead became a template for rockabilly players who followed. Listen for how Moore drops in little chordal stabs between single-note phrases, and how the slapback echo makes his short licks sound quicker and livelier than they are.

Baby Let's Play House by Elvis Presley is featured in our Rockabilly (#18) list. The solo is played by Scotty Moore and the song was released in 1955.

In our lists

• The 25 Greatest Rockabilly Guitar Solos — #18
• The Best Elvis Presley Guitar Solos — #6

Sources