What Instruments Did Elvis Presley Play?

Elvis Presley is a legendary rock star who grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee. He got his sound from the pop, gospel, country, and rhythm and blues music that was available in Memphis while he was growing up there. He became a recording artist in 1954, and quickly became an icon in just two years. Presley played two musical instruments professionally, but the guitar was his personal favorite.

Elvis Presley was rarely on stage without a guitar. He used countless guitars in his career, allegedly doing significant damage to them during his performances. Elvis' on-stage persona was aggressive for the period. He would swing his guitars, break strings with his hard picking and sometimes even throw them. The guitars played by the "King of Rock and Roll" are now worth significant sums of money.

Elvis Presley was a pianist, though he rarely played piano professionally. He did play the piano live on occasion, notably for "Unchained Melody" in his 1977 tour -- the year of his death. He had a piano at his home in Graceland. Iconic photos of "The King" playing piano are among fan favorites. At least one shows him playing piano for his young daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, and his then wife, Priscilla Presley. He played piano during his U.S. Army years aboard the U.S.S. Randall. A picture of this event shows Elvis in his uniform with his hair coiffed in its usual style.

Elvis was not good at playing the accordion. He did not have the same practice with it that he did with the guitar and the piano. There are no public recordings of him playing the accordion. However, there are pictures of him playing, or attempting to play, the instrument.

Elvis Presley was not a bass guitar player. However, he did know how to play guitar and did try his hand at the bass guitar on occasion. Like the accordion, Elvis did not play bass guitar for performances or on recordings. Fans know he played the bass guitar from pictures of him picking at them.