Elvis Presley, the musician (2024)

Elvis Presley built a legendary career around his unforgettable voice, but it wasn't his only instrument.

What instruments did Elvis play? He played guitar, bass and piano and often played with instruments such as drums, accordion and ukulele. Although he could not read or write music and had no formal lessons, he was a born musician and played everything by ear. He could often hear a song, pick up an instrument and play it. He often played an instrument in his recordings and always produced his own music. Elvis was simply born to make music, and he was always learning new ways to do it.

Elvis was endlessly creative and often played and practiced with whatever musical instruments were available.

Elvis picked up a guitar in Tupelo at age 11 when his mother, Gladys, bought him a guitar for his birthday at Tupelo Hardware. He used that guitar throughout high school and even into his early career. During his career he owned many more and much nicer guitars and used a lot of prop guitars in his films.

The guitar is the instrument most associated with Elvis, and although he was a good player, he was not a virtuoso. But what was perhaps more important than that was the whole look: Elvis, the King of Rock 'n' Roll, always looked even cooler with his guitar in hand. He influenced many young fans to pick up a guitar like him. Without Elvis and his guitar we probably wouldn't have The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen and many more.

Speaking of guitars, Elvis also played bass.

On May 3, 1957, Elvis and his band worked on a soundtrack session for "Jailhouse Rock". Bill Black had difficulty capturing the bassline of "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care" on his new electric bass and eventually gave up in frustration. Elvis surprised everyone by picking up the bass and playing the part - so perfectly that Jerry Lieber performed a scratch vocal and the two recorded the perfect instrumental master for Elvis to sing a new vocal track over.

When The Beatles visited Elvis in California in 1965, they all jammed with Elvis on bass.

“He had a huge amplifier with a bass on it and he was playing all the time…,” John Lennon later recalled. "So we just went in and played with him. We all plugged in to what was around and we played and sang."

Like the guitar, Elvis learned the piano early and played it by ear.

Elvis often played the piano during rehearsals and occasionally on stage. He especially loved gathering around a piano for gospel jam sessions. One of Alfred Wertheimer's most astonishing photographs shows a 21-year-old Elvis sitting at a piano and singing gospel songs to himself.

Elvis may never have played drums on an album or on stage, but Elvis – always full of energy and musical curiosity – tried his hand at the drums many times.

The very first gift his future wife, Priscilla Presley, gave him was a set of bongo drums.

Elvis, the accordionist? It's not exactly the instrument of a rock star, but Elvis, who loved all kinds of music, never hesitated to pick up the instrument and see what he could play.

This photo was taken just after a concert in Richmond, Virginia, on June 30, 1956. He was not tired after his performance; in fact he was joking with a deck of cards and an accordion - perhaps he was performing a magic trick? - all while chatting with journalists.

Would you like to know more about Elvis? Look at his house,Graceland, where you can see what instruments Elvis played and learn more about Elvis the musician, Elvis the singer, Elvis the entertainer, Elvis the actor and of course Elvis the man.

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