Motley Crue – She Goes Down

Get ready to channel your inner rock star with LickLibrary’s in-depth guitar lesson for She Goes Down by Mötley Crüe. This high-energy track from the band’s iconic Dr. Feelgood album is packed with classic hard rock attitude and features a range of guitar techniques that will sharpen your chops and expand your expressive toolkit. Taught note-for-note, this lesson breaks down every riff, lick, and solo section so you can master the style and swagger of one of glam metal’s most influential guitar-driven bands. Danny Gill breaks down this classic track in this exclusive Lick Library video tutorial.

About the Song

She Goes Down is a punchy, riff-laden rock anthem that captures Mötley Crüe’s signature mix of sleaze, showmanship, and serious musicianship. The track showcases a blend of raw power and technical finesse, especially in its guitar work, which combines rhythmic drive with melodic flair and dynamic soloing. This lesson breaks it all down step by step, making it accessible for intermediate and advanced players looking to dig deeper into the stylistic trademarks of late-’80s and early-’90s hard rock.

Guitar Work in She Goes Down

At the core of this song lies a combination of rhythmically tight riffs, melodic lead lines, and explosive soloing. Our LickLibrary guitar lesson covers each section of the track, breaking it down into manageable chunks. You’ll learn how to replicate the tone, phrasing, and articulation that define the Crüe’s guitar sound, while also improving your technical proficiency across a range of styles.

Techniques You Will Learn

Palm Muting

Palm muting is used extensively in the main riffs of the song to add tightness and rhythmic precision. Mastering this technique helps control string noise and enhances your sense of timing and groove—an essential skill for all rock and metal guitarists.

Slides

Slides appear throughout the rhythm and lead parts to add fluidity and style to transitions between notes and positions. Practicing slides not only improves finger coordination and fretboard awareness but also helps create a more vocal, expressive lead tone.

String Bending

The expressive quality of string bending is a highlight in the song’s lead guitar work. Learning this technique develops control, pitch accuracy, and emotional depth in your soloing.

Vibrato

Vibrato gives the solo phrases a singing quality. Adding vibrato to sustained notes improves your tone and adds a professional polish to your playing.

Double Stops

Used for both rhythm and lead embellishments, double stops add thickness and harmony to your lines. Mastering them enhances your ability to create rich, layered textures in solos and riffs.

Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs

These essential legato techniques make your playing more fluid and help with speed development. They appear in fast runs and fills, adding dynamic contrast and phrasing variety.

Power Chords

Foundational to the rhythm guitar parts in this track, power chords provide the song’s driving force. Learning these shapes gives you a solid base for most rock and metal rhythm work.

Pick Slides

Pick slides add a dramatic, aggressive flair to transitions and accents. They’re a great way to inject attitude into your playing and punctuate key moments in a performance.

Pinched Harmonics

These screaming harmonics are featured in the lead guitar sections, adding excitement and flash. Learning to control and execute them consistently sharpens your pick attack and expressive range.

Whammy Bar Tricks

Used for dive bombs and pitch effects in the solo, whammy bar techniques take your performance to the next level. They add theatricality and creativity to your leads.

About the Guitar Player: Mick Mars

She Goes Down features the distinctive playing of Mick Mars, Mötley Crüe’s longtime lead guitarist. Known for his bluesy roots fused with a hard rock edge, Mars brought a gritty tone and inventive approach to the band’s sound. Despite battling health challenges throughout his career, he developed a unique style marked by tight rhythm playing, expressive bends, and memorable solos. His work on Dr. Feelgood remains a masterclass in crafting melodic yet aggressive guitar lines. Learning Mars’ licks gives players insight into balancing technical prowess with feel—a crucial lesson for anyone aiming to capture the essence of classic rock guitar.

Why Learn This Song?

Studying She Goes Down gives guitarists a well-rounded workout. You’ll not only build technique but also gain a deeper understanding of phrasing, timing, and dynamic control. The song’s solos and riffs are great for developing rock lead vocabulary, while the rhythm sections improve your precision and sense of drive. This lesson is perfect for players who want to strengthen their fundamentals while adding some glam metal flair to their repertoire.

Techniques Featured in This Lesson

• Palm Muting
• Slides
• String Bending
• Vibrato
• Double Stops
• Hammer-Ons
• Pull-Offs
• Power Chords
• Pick Slides
• Pinched Harmonics
• Whammy Bar Tricks

Explore the lesson today and bring the stadium-ready energy of Mötley Crüe to your own playing with note-for-note accuracy, only at LickLibrary.com.