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Page 1: Greatest guitar solos of all time
Page 2: Greatest guitar solos of all time
Page 3: Greatest guitar solos of all time

THE RECORDING

, Wolf Marshall: guitarsMichael Della Gala: bassMike Sandberg: drums, percussion

John Nau: keyboardsGary Ferguson: additional drums

The titles in this book include:

"Hound Dog"-Elvis Presley (with Scotty Moore)

"No Particular Place to Go"-Chuck Berry

"The Sunshine of Your Love"-Cream

"l.ley Joe"-Jimi Hendrix

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps"-The B'eatles (with Eric Clapton)

"The End"-The Beatles

"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You"-Led Zeppelin

"You.Shook Me"-Led Zeppelin

"Evil Ways"-Santana

"l;s1 fllsp"-Black Sabbath

"All Right NoW'-Free

"Bohemian Rhapsody"-Queen

'Walk this Way"-Aerosmith

"Sultans of Swing"-Dire Straits

"You Really Got Me"-Van Halen

"Crazy Train"-Ozzy Osbourne (with Randy Rhoads)

"Crossfire"-Stevie Ray Vaughan

"Sweet Child O'Mine"-Guns N'Roses

d

Page 4: Greatest guitar solos of all time

HOUND DOGWords and Music by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller

Figurel -GuitarSolo

Scotty Moore is universally acknowledged as the world's first rock'n'roll guitarist-a strong statement, perhaps...but consider this: His lead playingon Elvis Presley records in the 1950s set in motion, and brought to masspublic attention, the art of rock guitar. Moore was the first rock guitarinnovator. His style was truly eclectic and pioneering. Working without apreconceived blueprint, he freely combined elements from disparateinfluences such as country (Merle Travis and Chet Atkins), blues (B.B. Kingand T-Bone Walker), and jazz (Barney Kesselland Johnny Smith)to form thebasis ol his influential guitar approach. Before Scotty, rock 'n' roll guitar wasan obscure and regional medium at best. With Scotty, rock'n' roll guitar wascodilied and at the center of a revolution in popular music. Scotty blazed thetrail for much of what followed, and inspired subsequent generations ofrockers including the Beatles, the Stones, Jimmy Page, and counlless others.His solos from the Sun Sessions and the early RCA years are deemed bymost historians and legions of players to be the first of their kind-marking thebeginnings of a vital new artform which still shows no signs of abating some45 years later.

Scotty Moore's guitar solo on "Hound Dog," a raucous #1 hit single for, the King in August, 1956, is one of his all-time best. The brief but memorableouting has many classic Moore signatures including swing-based, horn-likelines, rockabilly-llavored double-stop bends, and gritty blues-oriented stringbending. lt's played over one chorus of a 12-bar blues in C.

Scales used: C minor pentatonic (C-Eb-F-G-Ab); C majorpentatonic (C-D-E-G-A); C Btues Scate (C-Eb-f-fil-O-Ab).

Significant added tones: Dfi (measure 5);A (measures 6-1i);B (measure 7).

Solo signatures: Mixture of single-note and dyad textures;double-stop bends; blues; country and swing phrasing within a rock'n'roll context.

Performance notes: The single-note portions exploit a wider range ofthe guitar than had been previously found in most early rock 'n' rollsingle-note solos. These occur in the third, fifth, and eighth positions.Though Scotty Moore generally played with a thumbpick and threefingers, this sleek single-note solo sounds like he might be using onlythe thumbpick or a flatpick.

Sound: Gibson L-5 archtop hollowbody electric guitar with P-90pickups and Gretsch heavy-gauge strings; small, slightly overdrivencombo tube amps: Fender "TV-front" tweed Bassman or custom-made Echo-Sonic amp built by Ray Butts.

Page 5: Greatest guitar solos of all time

0o

Featured Guitar:(right Channel of audio)Gtr. 1 meas. 1-13

Slow Demos:Gtr.'l meas. 1-3; 4-5;

6-9; 10-1 1:12-13

C major pentatonic

Fig. 1

Guitar Solo 10501

Moderately Fast shuffle ) = 174 t "-] l t.lrl

aL minor pen(atontc

Gtr. 1

C major pentatonic C blues scale

U4

@C minor pentatonic

@C major pentatonic

Copyright @ 1956 by Elvis Presley Music, lnc. and Lion Publishing Co., lnc.Copyright Renewed, Assigned to Gladys Music (Administered by Williamson Music) and MCA Music Publishing, A Division of Universal Studios, lnc.

lnternational Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

Page 6: Greatest guitar solos of all time

NO PARTICULARPLACE TO GOWords and Music by Chuck Berry

Figure 1 - Outro Guitar Solo

Chuck Berry is a true American icon and one of the most importantfounding fathers of rock guitar. Anyone picking up the instrument post-1955has been affected by him, directly or indirectly, and that includes the Beatles,the Stones, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Angus Young, Eddie VanHalen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, or the latest kid on the block. Chuck's owninfluences include blues guitarists Muddy Waters, T-Bone Walker, and ElmoreJames; R&B players Carl Hogan and Lonnie Johnson; jazz guitarists CharlieChristian and Django Reinhardt; and more esoteric musicians likesaxophonist lllinois Jacquet. He once stated that he did not recognize anystyle of his own, though most historians regard his guitar style to be one of thesingle most significant factors in the development of rock music.

"No Particular Place to Go" is a case in point. This song was one ofChuck's biggest hits (#10 in 1964) and remains an immodal piece of the rockguitar legacy-containing a must-know guitar solo in the outro. The outro solotakes place over two choruses of a 12-bar blues in G, and exploits thetrademark rhythm-lead approach which exemplifies the Chuck Berry solo

, style.

Scales used: G Mixolydian mode (G-A-B-C-D-E-F); G Blues Scale(c-Bb-c-Db-o-q.

Significant added tones: Eb-used as a passing tone in the bluescadence of the last two measures.

Solo signatures: Shuffle-based blues feel; slurred triads and bentdouble stops; scales and modes freely combined, harmonized inparallel double stops, and played rhythmically.

Performance notes: The solo is almost entirely chordal, alternatingbetween triad and dyad textures. Chuck plays many of these chordalsounds as thematic riffs. He introduces an idea and then develops itby repetition in the following measures-as in measures 4-5, 6-9,13-15, or 1B-19. During more aggressive dyad riffs, Berry strums thefigures and mutes out extraneous unwanted notes with the frethand.The solo is situated in the "barre-chord" boxes (minor pentatonicpattern 1) in G at the filteenth and third positions.

Sound: Gibson ES-355 or ES-345 with two humbucking pickups andvibrola tailpiece; slightly overdriven Fender combo tube amps andFender Dual Showman piggyback amps.

Page 7: Greatest guitar solos of all time

Fig. 1

E _i_Moderate Rock J = 132 (J-] =J .[)

Outro Guitar Solo

ctr. 2: w/ Riy. Fig. lG

G Mixolydian mode

G Mixolydian mode G blues scale

Rhy. Fig. lCtI.2

Copyright @ 1964, 1965 (Renewed), 1973 by Arc Music Corporarion (BMl)lnternational Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

Used by Permission

Page 8: Greatest guitar solos of all time

G blues scale

G blues scale

G blues scale

AAAAA

G blues scale

C,,\AAAAAAAlrG Mixoiydian mode

G

EG Mixolvdian mode

10

Page 9: Greatest guitar solos of all time

G Mixolydian mode

G blues scale

G blues scale

G blues scale G Mixolydian mode

l-J'

1/4 1t4'Jl

1/4 t/4 1/4 U4

Gtr. 1 G24

Ab7@

G7

11

Page 10: Greatest guitar solos of all time

SUNSHINE OF YOURLOVEWords and Music by Jack Bruce, Pete Brown, and Eric Clapton

Figurel-GuitarSolo

Eric Clapton was rock's first guitar virtuoso. With Cream, rock's firstpower trio, Clapton sel the tone and attitude for electric guitar soloing in the

sixties and beyond. His fusion of Chicago and Texas blues with British hardrock marked a new direction in modern music and remains the standard bywhich most rock solos are judged. Eric's groundbreaking efforts with Creamlaid the foundation for the incipient genres of hard rock and metal, as in the

Jimi Hendrix Experience, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and other bands too

numerous to name. His influence was enormous and pervasive. Hendrix

refused to emigrate to England until he was promised he would meet Clapton,

and even futuristic jazz guilarist Allan Holdsworth cites Eric as a seminal

influence, as do contemporary virtuosi Eddie Van Halen and Eric Johnson."Sunshine of Your Love" was unarguably Cream's biggest hit-#S in

1968. Recorded in 1967, the song contains Clapton's most well-known solo ofthe era-which is saying a lot. Played over an expanded, twenty-four-measure "altered blues progression" in D, the signature rock solo featuresmany of his most unmistakable traits. Clapton's main influences as an electricguitar soloist included the Kings (B.8., Albert, and Freddie), Otis Rush, andBuddy Guy. Many of these influences are heard, often in mutated form, duringthe course of the "Sunshine of Your Love" solo.

Scales used: D minor pentatonic (D-F-G-A-C); D major pentatonic(D-E-Ff-A-B).

Significant added tones: B (measure Z); Gil (measures 6 and B).

Solo signatures: Major and minor scale combining; wide stringbending and vibrato; use of amp sustain and overdrive distortion tocreate a vocal sound.

Pedormance notes: This classic solo is a virtual textbook of Claptonguitar moves. The blues-based wide string bends and vibrato (as inthe major third bends of measure 10) require considerable handstrength and are best performed with reinforced lingering (more thanone finger pushing the string)-a very visible Clapton technique. Thepre-bends and held bends in measures 4 and 5, as well as the double-stop bends in measures 6 and 8, similarly benefit from reinforcedfingering. The solo is situated in blues-box positions in D at theseventh, tenth, and twelfth frets (patterns 5, 1 , and 2).

Sound: Gibson SG/Les Paul Standard with two humbucking pickups;

overdriven 1O0-watt Marshall stacks with 4x12 cabinets.

12

Page 11: Greatest guitar solos of all time

Guitar Solo E:011

D CDN.C.l- IiAAAAAAAt

Featured Guitars:Gtr. 1 meas. 1-2Gtr.2 meas. 2-26Gtr.2 meas. 27-30

Slow Demos:Glr.2 meas. 2-9;

10-'15; 16-21;22-27

'j'

lu11

Grrrmffi

o0Fig. 1

[EModerateRockJ =112

A

<>

ffull

+Key signature denotes D Dorian.

CDN.C

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Copyright O 1968, 1973 by Dratleaf Ltd.Copyright Renewed

All Rights Administered by Unichappell Music lnc.lnternational Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

DCDN.C.

13

Page 12: Greatest guitar solos of all time

W

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14

Page 13: Greatest guitar solos of all time

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15

Page 14: Greatest guitar solos of all time

HEY JOEWords and Music by Billy Roberts

Figurel-GuitarSolo

Jimi Hendrix is rock's ultimate guitar hero. He effectively moved rockguitar from the electrified blues genre of the sixties into uncharted regions olthe 21st century-and we still haven't caught up with him! An intenselycreative and multi-faceted player, Jimi was brought up on blues and R&B-favorites included Howlin'Wolf, Muddy Waters, B.B. and Albert King, ElmoreJames, and Buddy Guy as well as Curtis Mayfield and James Brown. Hecombined and transformed a wide array of influences as both a musician andcomposer to produce a powerful legacy of sounds and techniques notequalled or surpassed to the present day.

"Hey Joe" was Jimi's first hit and interestingly was not his originalcomposition. ln facl, the Billy Roberts tune received multiple covers in themid-sixties (even one by Cher) before Hendrix touched it. However, once Jimimade it his debut single in 1967, he owned it. From then on, his was thedefinitive version. The song became a vehicle for Jimi's patented lead-rhythmcomping approach and the perfect setting for one of his famous guitar solos.

ln contrast to most of the extended, psychedelic rave-upimprovisations of his career, this signature eight-measure Hendrix solo isbrief, economical, and highly accessible. lt occurs over two cycles of thetune's C-G-D-A-E verse changes, and culminates in a walking ensembleline with the bass for a funky R&B finish.

Scales used: E minor pentatonic (E-G-A-B-D).

Significant added tones: Cf and Ffi (measure 8).

Solo signatures: Blues melody, feel, and phrasing despite non-bluesmusical environment; string bending and vibrato; double stops(measure 6); intervaljumps of a sixth and a fourth in the minorpentatonic scale (measure 6).

Performance notes: Jimi's solo is primarily situated in the twelfthposition E blues box. Reinforced fingering is used for the string bendsand henceforth-due in great part to Hendrix's influence-became a norm in rock guitar solos. The double stops in measure 6indicate the presence of Jimi's chord-melody conception in largelysingle-note solos.

Sound: Fender Stratocaster; slightly overdriven 1OO-watt Marshallstacks.

16

Page 15: Greatest guitar solos of all time

0o

Featured Guitars:Gtr.2 meas. 1-9Gtr.1 meas. 10 -13

Slow Demos:Gtr.2 meas. 2-5;

6-9

^Atz'C ; *'

.tyt/w<I A/yt/yt/t/yytt

Fig. 1

Gtt.2

Moderately Slow Rock J = 88

*E

G(add9) DtA ryyt/t/t/w lA {AA/}

ri

tlt*tlt

E N.C.iAAAAAII

h.

', Jl

full tft AA AAt Ttuml

*T=Thumbon @

@ 1962 (Renewed) by THIRD STORY MUS|C, tNC.All Rights Reserved lnternational Copyright Secured

*Audio fades in 3 meas. before Fig. 1

17

Page 16: Greatest guitar solos of all time

T-31 ;31 ;31

18

Page 17: Greatest guitar solos of all time

WHILE MY GUITARGENTLY WEEPSWords and Music by George Harrison

Figurel -GuitarSolo

This classic cut from the Beatles' White Album of 1968 isdislinguished by one of the most notable guest spots in rock history. Atcomposer George Harrison's insistence, British blues-rock virtuoso Ericclapton sat in with the world's biggest and most important band, a first, on thelandmark track "while My Guitar Gently weeps." Eric had done a number ofsessions prior to the date (Aretha Franklin, otis spann, champion JackDupree, Jackie Lomax, Martha Velez), but this proved to be a career highpoint. The momentous solo was recorded during a Beafle session onSeptember 6, 1968, at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Eric clapton's eight-measure contribution suits the tune perfecily-inboth a melodic and thematic sense. over the song's mixed-mode chordchanges in A minor, Eric produces one of his most emotional and well-craftedsignature solos of alltime. The climax phrase in the last measure contains anascending run in a faster sixteenth rhythm which would become a recurringconcept in many future rock solos.

Scales used: A minor pentatonic (A-C-D-E-G).

Significant added tones: B and Cf, lpict<up measure); Eb (measure6); all as a result of string bends.

Solo signatures: Blues melody and vocal guitar phrasing within anon-blues context; wide string bends and vibrato; compositionalstructure.

Performance notes: This Clapton solo is based entirely on the Aminor pentatonic scale and is played almost exclusively in the twelfthposition. Rather than motion, the focus is on emotion-string bends ofpractically infinite variety to emphasize the weeping theme of thecomposition. Of these, note particularly the pre-bends in the pickupand measures 4-6, and the wide string bending and wide vibrato in

measures 3-6. The wide bends of a minor third (A to C) are slowlyreleased while vibratoed for a particularly expressive crying effect.

Sound: Gibson Les Paul Standard; overdriven Marshall amp;ADT(Automatic Double Tracking, a studio chorusing effect) added to theguitar solo after it was recorded.

19

Page 18: Greatest guitar solos of all time

Fig. I Featured Guitar:GIr.2 meas. 1-17

Slow Demos:Gtr.2 meas. 1-17

DgtF+g

ffiAm/G

+ffi

G

lH+flFIH+I21 34

Fft*,j?HF+IHt342tl

DgFH++1II]]EFFi.FH

Guitar Solo

Am

tt//

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TFIH

nthroughout)

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))

Am Am/G)Tn))fTD)W#-J\

W------'----------\.-\ .-_/>

grad. release

11/2w

O 1968 HARRISONGS LTD.Copyright Renewed

lnternational Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

+"tta

o0

C

tgiriFH-+11

Am/G

ttt/lfA minor pentatonic (continued

^ Ni/i'l,l}rl,i/i'i'i,i/ll.lt

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20

Page 19: Greatest guitar solos of all time

D

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Page 20: Greatest guitar solos of all time

THE ENDWords and Music by John Lennon and Paul McCartney

Figure 1 - Chorus and Guitar Solos

Abbey Road (1969) marked the last musical moments of the Beatles'illustrious career. The album's final moments, appropriately titled "The End,"featured an auspicious solo in which all three guitar-wielding players tradedback-to-back signature licks. By this point, the role and concept of the"Beatles lead guitarist" was completely blurred. Paul McCartney, GeorgeHarrison, and John Lennon equally and routinely handled solos on the band'svarious tracks as the situation arose.

ln "The End," Paul, George, and John (in that running order) play offeach other in a spirited guitar trio, and present us with an ideal opportunity toexamine their individual lead styles. The solo takes place over a vamp of A7to D7-somewhat like the first two measures of a blues progression in A.

Each player handles his two-measure spot differently and assumes a

contrasting guitar tone.

Scales used: All three soloists-A minor pentatonic (A-C-D-E-G);ABlues Scale (A-C-D-Dil-E-G).

Significant added tones: Dfi (measure 27) and Cfi (measure 31),

both as a result of string bends; B (measure 32); Fil (measures44-45).

Solo signatures: Paul-semi-clean guitar tone, with an emphasis onrhythmic elements; George-semi-distorted tone and a Claptonesqueblues-rock approach; John-distorted tone with the use of triads andlow-register lines.

Performance notes: Paul's single-note lines are choppy and angular,emphasizing syncopation and eccentric phrasing. His tone is thecleanest and brightest. George's licks are smooth and melodious,reminiscent of Eric Clapton's style of the period with a slower, singingvibrato and blues-based string bending. Note the signature sliding linein measure 42. lt's similarity to Clapton's closing phrase in "While MyGuitar Gently Weeps" is inescapable. George's lines are deliveredwith a warmly distorted, midrangey sound. John's lead work is angryand punkish. His tone has the most distortion and a very thick, bassytimbre.

Sound: Paul-most likely Fender Esquire; George-probably thesame Gibson Les Paul Standard used by Clapton for "While My GuitarGently Weeps"; John-Epiphone Casino with overdriven FenderTwin-Reverb amps.

22

Page 21: Greatest guitar solos of all time

0o

Featured Guitars:Gtr. 1 meas. 1-10Gtr. 1 meas. 19-28Gtrs.2-4 meas. 28-47

Slow Demos:Gtrs.2-4 meas. 29-47Fig. 1

lntroModerately Fast) =122

Gtrs. I &2tacat

(Drum Solo)8

@A'7

Gtr. 1t *

*Doubled by two gfts.

Copyright O 1 969 Sony/ATV Songs LLCCopyright Renewed

All Rights Administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, 8 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203lnternational Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

mf

23

Page 22: Greatest guitar solos of all time

A1*Rhy, Fig. 1

Guitar Solo 10541

A minor pentatonic

+Rhy. Fig. 1 includes Gtr. 1 only.

xctr. 2 (clean)

Gtr. l: d Rlly. Fig. 1, 8 times

A1

27

*Paul McCafnev

A minor pentatonicEnd Rhy. Fig. 1

xxGtr.3 (dist.)

**George Hmison

A minor pentatonic

A7xGtr.4 (dist.)

A minor pentatonic

24

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Page 23: Greatest guitar solos of all time

A minor pentatonic

A blues scale

A minor pentatonic

tA /lfa AA A AAt

A minor pentatonic

D7\.--\ ,,,-^\fA A A

^f

Tttrlllmlr

W

W

A minor Pentatonic

A minor pentatonic

*This measure played simile on demo

25

Page 24: Greatest guitar solos of all time

A minor pentatonic

A minor pentatonic

Gtr.3

.l

U4 1/4 !l'l

A minor pentatonic

t^f

@A(7)D7A'7

t--., =.---. 1 =a-..

26

Page 25: Greatest guitar solos of all time

BABE, I'M GONNALEAVE YOUWords and Music by Anne Bredon, Jimmy page, and Robert plant

Figurel -GuitarSolo

Jimmy Page, a veteran of the mid-sixties rock session scene inLondon as well as a crony of Eric clapton and Jeff Beck in the late-sixtiesBritish blues explosion, joined the legendary yardbirds in 1966 and inheritedthe legacy by 1968. From those ashes rose first the New Yardbirds and linallyLed Zeppelin in 1969. Page brought to bear all his session sawy as acomposer, arranger, and musician on the groundbreaking debut album LedZeppelin. The proof of the pudding is in tracks like "Babe I'm Gonna LeaveYou." This prototype power ballad set strong precedents for both the genre ofhard rock/metal and the future direction of the mighty quartet's music.Balancing light acoustic and hard-rock timbres, it presented the world with anearly view of Zep's trademark use of terraced dynamics, and Jimmy page'swell-conceived guitar orchestration.

For the solo in "Babe I'm Gonna Leave you," Jimmy page chose toplay steel-string acoustic guitar. He takes his compelling twenty-measure rideover a mixed-mode vamp in A minor-basically a variation of the verse chordprogression played by the song's primary acoustic guitar.

Scales used: A Dorian mode (A-B-C-D-E-F#-C);n Natural Minoror Aeolian mode (A-B-C-D-E-F-G); n Btues Scale(A-C-D-D#-E-c).

Significant added tones: B (measure 10).

Solo signatures: Modal scalar lines mixed with blues bends andblues-rock phrasing; thematic development.

Performance notes: This acoustic guitar solo is purely in single notesand played with a flat pick. Page uses the full range of the acousticguitar, moving through multiple position changes and exploiting open-string, first-position licks in measures 10-13. The gypsy-inspireddiatonic lines (measures 2-5 and 16-17) contrast nicely with theblues bends in measure 6 and 7 and the blues slurs in measures10-12. The raked seventh-chord arpeggios in measures 14-15 are astrong climax riff phrase, rhythmically and melodically. They arebased on superimposed Em7 shapes played against the A minor tonalcenter, and produce a jazzy, extended-chord (Am11)effect.

sound: Miked steel-string acoustic-most likely the borrowed GibsonJ-200 that Page has cited as used on the sessions.

27

Page 26: Greatest guitar solos of all time

Fig. 1

6oi1"" 56;6 F50ModerateRockJ =134

Am AmTsus4/G

0o

Featured Guitar:Gtr. 3 1-20

Slow Demos:Gtr. 3 meas. 2-3;4-5;

6-9; 10-13; 14-'l7;

A Dorian mode

Gtr.3 (acous.)t-

*played behind the beat

A Aeolian mode A hlues scale

Copyright @ 1969, 1975 Songs of PolyGram lnternational, lnc. and Superhype Publishing, lncCopyright Renewed

lnternaiional Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved28

Page 27: Greatest guitar solos of all time

A blues scale

Am73

A blues scale

A blues scale A Dorian mode

29

Page 28: Greatest guitar solos of all time

A Dorian mode

=6tttt

30

Page 29: Greatest guitar solos of all time

YOU SHOOK MEWritten byWillie Dixon and J. B. Lenoir

Figurel-GuitarSolo

"You Shook Me" exemplifies the electric side of Jimmy Page on theZeppelin debut album. Page's transformation of Muddy Waters's Chicagoblues standard into heavy metal on the first Zep album is a legendary momentin .rock history, establishing an important and influential "fusion music" withpowerful future implications. Page's guitar influences include proto-rockersScotty Moore, Chuck Berry, blues players Muddy Waters, the Kings (B.8.,Albert, and Freddie), Elmore James, and blues-rock contemporaries EricClapton and Jefi Beck. He has gone on to influence generations of rockplayers with his unique electric guitar style.

Jimmy Page's "You Shook Me" solo occurs over a slow 12-bar bluesin E. His approach bridges the gap between updated Chicago blues, sixtiesblues-rock, and early heavy metal.

Scales used: E Mixolydian mode (E-Ffi-G#-A-B-Cf-D); E minorpentatonic (E-G-A-B-D); E major pentatonic (E-F#-Gil-B-Cil).

Significant added tones: Bb (measures 7-8, 13).

Solo signatures: Slide and standard guitar; modal melody(measures 3-6); minor and major scale combining; blues-orientedstring bending and vibrato; doubletimed riff flurries of sixteenthnotes in measures 7-9.

Performance notes: Page plays slide in standard tuning during thefirst third of the solo (measures 3-6), employing a combination ofbottle-neck and fingered technique. The remainder of the solo is donewithout the slide. The multi-note lines in measures 7-9 are played inthe seventeenth position ("B.B. Box") and make use of mixed E minorand major pentatonic scales. Aggressive lines like these would havea profound effect on future guitar soloists in rock and metal. The finallour measures are situated in standard blues box positions in E at thetwelfth and ninth/eighth frets.

Sound: Fender Telecaster; overdriven Supro combo with a single 12"

speaker-according to Page "all of the first album was done on that"(using thal guilar/amp combination); chrome metal slide; harmonizer,reverb, and echo are discernable in spots, probably added in thestudio.

31

Page 30: Greatest guitar solos of all time

ooE]

ooxxffiffi2l

ET|D Am EIBg4Egffiffiffi3t

Guitar Solo F56lE5 E6

w/ slide w/o slide w/ slide

A5aTTTT] 5fr

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Featured Guitars:Gtr. 1 meas. 1-2Glr.2 meas. 2-13

Slow Demos:Gtr.2 meas. 2-6

6-14

Fig. 1

Slow Blues Rock J = ca 53

E7Gtr. 2 (overdubbed)I

w/ dist.. echo & reverb

E'7ID

lla,}tl,llVl|

tA^^^ /t/}

tAAA/tf,l

t/yt A/w

(cont. in slash)

AGET@@5fr 3fr

J ))G

@3fr

.h

E5 Am/C E A@@open 5fr

E/B A/C# E/B

))))))*,'n )4, )J )[n D) nGtr4^

u 8vartf,i.iat A^f/w

w/o slide

lvt ^,i

a,(l^^l}

il slide w/o slide w/ slide

tf,t /) t^{f

{/yt{A/try}

t/t AA/ta.!

).t

L--J--JLJ---l

full full full

@ 1962 (Renewed 1990) HOOCHIE COOCHIE MUSIC (BMlyAdministered by BUG and ARC MUSIC CORP.All Rights Reserved Used by Permission32

Page 31: Greatest guitar solos of all time

hr/-).t

,|"N\ l$.--.. /\\ 2

L? | r r I

tuil

LJ----JL-J----Jljl

Gtr. l: w/ Rhy. Fill 1 (see next page)

E8va

Lrl!,r

full

NIAAAA/I AAAA,<lrylAAOl!-.-r^

flllmmmmm,r,*

l\,'\----.

t-s) t_ j--t t_ 3----t t -j---t

-^-lAA,'l.if,i.i

B7

\

full full

) t lltr

t/ti{/t a/w}

tAArylA/YIAI

.Y!-' \:/\,--.

33

Page 32: Greatest guitar solos of all time

Rhy. Fitl lGfu.1

94

Page 33: Greatest guitar solos of all time

EVIL WAYSWords and Music by Sonny Henry

Figure 1 - Outro Guitar Solo

As the sixties came to a close, a new era of guitar experimentationloomed in the future. While British bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbathpushed forward the frontiers of blues-rock with metal, a stateside band fromSan Francisco named after its innovative lead guitarist presented their ownbiand of fusion music. Santana came to prominence in 1969, after acaptivating appearance at Woodstock, national exposure on the Ed SullivanShow, and the release of their remarkable debut record Santana. "Evil Ways"was a stand-out track on the album-a showcase number which succinctlycaptured the unique Latin/rock/jazzlblues amalgam of the Santana band andCarlos Santana's sophisticated lead guitar style.

Carlos's "Evil Ways" guitar solo is played over an animated version ofthe Gm-C7 vamp (like a repeating ii-V progression) heard in the verse.Santana's guitar influences include blues (8.B. King, Muddy Waters, and OtisRush), jazz (Wes Montgomery, Gabor Szabo, and Bola Sete), and rock (JimiHendrix, Mike Bloomfield, and Eric Clapton). He blends them all beautilully in

the bong's memorable ride-out solo.

Scales used: G Dorian mode (G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F); O minorpentatonic (c-Bb-C-D-F).

Significant added tones: A and E, used lhroughout-though notstrictly non-harmonic or chromatic added tones (they are diatonic tothe Dorian mode), their deliberate use creates specific jazz-oriented

extensions (ninth and thirteenth) which are at the heart of Santana'ssolo style.

Solo signatures: Alternation between modal diatonic lines and blueslicks. Syncopation and rhythmic devices used as themes. Rhythmicostinato riffs (measures 14-16, 16 and 17, 20 and 21). Acceleratingrhythm (measures 20 and 21). Use of amp distortion and sustain.

Performance notes: Carlos exploits the full range of the fretboard,gravitating to the box positions of G minor pentatonic for blues licks asin measures 13 and 25-30. Most of his modal lines are played on oneor two strings in a given phrase and are based on short repeatedmotifs rather than long scalar runs. The unison bends in the finalmeasures are held and picked.

Sound: Gibson SG Special; overdriven Fender Twin Reverb.

35

Page 34: Greatest guitar solos of all time

0o

Featured Guitar:Gtr. l meas. 1-30

Slow Demo:Gtr. 1 meas. 4-30

Fig. 1

@ModerateRockJ =122

Outro Guitar Solo l3:0Tl G Dorian

*Chords implied by orgm and bass

G Dorian

C,I

C-.lt --- - -- -- -------^-.-n \

G Dorian G minor pentatonic

xPlayed behind the beat

Copyright @ 1967 Richcar Music Corp.Copyright Renewed

All Rights Administered by Songs Of PolyGram lnternational, lnc.lnternational Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved36

Page 35: Greatest guitar solos of all time

G Dorian

G Dorian

Gm

17 i---> ;-> ;-> i--> ;) lrt-

/1

vl /yy| /} 8va

i/t/l/t/t/t/tt

G Dorian

Gm8va-----"---"

*)

G minor pentatonic (to end)

Gm8va -

*)

l)

A:I

'jl

fullF-\)r

37

Page 36: Greatest guitar solos of all time

A.t=I

EtrRepeat and Fade

Ac

|.\NN\\^A,\Gm

NN\\\C

\\\Gm

(

38

Page 37: Greatest guitar solos of all time

IRON MANWords and Music by Frank lommi, John Osbourne,WilliamWard,andTerence Butler

Figurel -GuitarSolo

Black Sabbath personified the dark, dungeonistic side of heavy metalin the seventies. With vivid horror-film mythology and gothic themes, theyexplored new levels of heaviness-lyrically and sonically. Underneath the

lofty theatrics and black-magic trappings, Tony lommi was a straightfonvardhard rock and electric-blues guitarist, a logical descendant of the EricClapton-Jimmy Page school of the late sixties. lommi's guitar work withSabbath set undeniable precedents for late-seventies metal, as well as thethrash style of the eighties and the heavier alternative sounds of the nineties.His solo in the early heavy metal classic "lron Man" from the landmark BlackSabbath Paranoid album is an early milestone and a career high point-lrequently cited by today's metal and hard rock guitarists as a stronginfluence.

Tony lommi's "lron Man" solo is played over one chord or tonal area(Cfi minor) implied by the bass and the solo guitar melody. The solo is in acharging double-time feel which alludes to Cream-era Eric Clapton-a majorinfluence in Tony's style. The solo is introduced with a single-note ensembleriff in C# minor (measures 1-4) which is restated at the end of the solo in

measures 21-24.

Scales used: Cf, minor pentatonic (Cil-r-rf-Cfi-a)

Significant added tones: G (measures 10 and 14) as a result of

string bending.

Solo signatures: Rifi-based soloing balanced with free pentatonic

scale playing; prevalent use of hammer-ons and pull-offs; almost

continuous eighth-note rhythm, with sixteenth-note ornaments.

Performance notes: Tony's solo is situated predominately in two

minor pentatonic boxes-Cil minor pentatonic at the fourth position

and the ninth position. Theme riffs are played in measures 6-7 and

15-16. lommi uses a repeated, hammered-on C# note in measures

17-20 as a signal riff to "conduct" the band's return to the song.

Sound: Gibson SG; overdriven Marshall stacks; modified

Rangemaster treble booster for gain boost.

39

Page 38: Greatest guitar solos of all time

Fig. 1

oo

Featured Guitar:Gtr.'l meas. 1-28

Slow Demos:Gtr. 1 meas. 5-18;

21-24Moderately Slow Rock J = 76Double-Time Feel

N.C.(C#m)

*Audio fades in 4 meas. before Fig. l0

@ Copyright lg70 and 1974 Westminster Music Ltd., London, EnglandTRO - Essex Music lnternational, lnc., New York, New York controls all publication rights for the U.S.A. and Canada

lnternational Copyright SecuredAll Rights Reserved lncluding Public Performance for Profit

Used by Permission40

Page 39: Greatest guitar solos of all time

41

Page 40: Greatest guitar solos of all time

ALL RIGHT NOWWords and Music by Paul Rodgers and Andy Fraser

Figurel-GuitarSolo

Paul Kossoff came to prominence in the early seventies with theBritish hard rock band Free. When the group scored big in 1970 with thesmash single "All Right Now," Kossoff emerged from relative obscurity tointernational stardom practically overnight. Kossoff's blues-based rock style,with its emphasis on string bending, singing vibrato, and mutated blues licks,has much in common with late-sixties Eric Clapton-which is hardly a surpriseconsidering that they employed similar instruments and shared manycommon seminal blues guitar influences such as B.B. and Freddie King.

Paul Kossoff recalled that his lead guitar work on "All Right NoW'wasadded last-after the bass, piano, and rhythm guitar-and that necessitatedthat his playing be simple. Nonetheless, Kossoff's solo is a true seventiessignature rock guitar solo and fits the song like a glove. lt is played in twosections: the first is essentially an extended break without a definite chordalaccompaniment; the second-beginning in measure 13-occurs over a two-measure vamp ol G-D/Ffi-A. This section builds in momentum until a strongclimax is reached in the final measures.

Scales used: A minor pentatonic (A-C-D-E-G);A major pentatonic(A-B-cfl-E-Ff).

Significant added tones: Cfi (measures 2 and 6) as a result of stringbends; C (measure 22); Fil (measure 44).

Solo signatures: Blues-based string bends and vibrato; use of openstrings in solo.

Performance notes: Kossoff responds to the larger, sectional natureof the solo by strategically alternating moods, ideas, and changing theregister of his playing. Measures 1-B are comprised of jabbing minorpentatonic blues licks in the thirteenth position. The beginning of thesecond section is laid back and sparse with long notes in the lowerregister. These are slurred and sustained with vibrato. The melodiesin measures 14-35 are based by contrast on major pentatonicsounds. From measure 24 on, Paul plays in the upper register. Theriffs in measures 25,28,36, and 40 are thematically repeated, and areplayed in first major, and then minor, pentatonic form.

Sound: Gibson Les PaulStandard; overdriven Marshall 1OO-watt stack.

42

Page 41: Greatest guitar solos of all time

oo

Featured Guitar:Gtr. 1 meas. 1-46

Slow Demos:Gtr. 1 meas. 1-B;

13-45Fig. 1

Guitar SoloA minor pentatonic

tAudio fades in 8 meas. before Fig. 1 1

A minor pentatonic

*,2> .(l AA/f ',(}

tl r?

A major pentatonic (until next bracket)

grad. bend

t*tmm,r 1:/2 i ^,r _)'

t/ta,i dyr,vr i/) w tvyta,tAt /yyytryt/t f

W t/yt/yt/t /y!&

Copyrighl @ 1970 Blue Mountain Music Ltd.All Rights tor the U.S. and Canada Administered by Songs of PolyGram lnternational, lnc.

lnternational Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

I^A/yr^^/t/t/t/t&

43

Page 42: Greatest guitar solos of all time

A G D/Ffl

.-----\

let ring

IAAAAAA/IA/I/} TAAA/}

DIF# A

letring ----------r

/\ tAt \ \ -\/' '^ ^- ^:. ,,. /\_- \

t*tr*umnmmll

,i /t/t/)(| /!ll/|A/to

ho

Ai ryyt/w

grad. bend

fult tAA l

AIAA/IAAAA,I

xplayed ahead of the beat

44

i/t/l/t/t/t/t^A i/t/t/t/t/t^AA

Page 43: Greatest guitar solos of all time

G8va--

->^ rlAiAAAAf/\ ,-\

flummmr

r iAAAAAAAAAAATi\.-=-- -.(loco)

Tttnmmmmll full ttt*rmt

A minor pentatonic

\va -

G D/F#i{{/w

\.-\ \^^ ^ :

t/yt ofull full full^-

I_-_---------\)tl r

E

W

W

45

Page 44: Greatest guitar solos of all time

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODYfeatured in the Motion Picture WAYNE,S WORLDWords and Music by Freddie Murcury

Figurel -GuitarSolo

Queen was one of the few bands in rock history to enjoy bothcommercial success and artistic freedom. Their music-distincily British andvery regal-combined the eclectic experiments of the Beafles and thearistocratic quirkiness of English progressive rock bands like yes with thelargerthan-life heaviness of Led Zeppelin. "Bohemian Rhapsody,' wasQueen's coup. The crowning track of their masterpiece album, 1975's A Nightat the opera, it remains a gigantic global hit and an indispensable piece in theannals of classic rock. A complex and sprawling six-minute-plus epic, it isdistinguished by state-of-the-art arranging and production, superbmusicianship, and one of the most memorable and melodic guitar solos in therock genre.

Brian May's eight-measure solo in "Bohemian Rhapsody" is definitive.Clearly ahead of its time, it blends melodic elements of classical music withthe sonics of hard rock-anticipating a medium and trend which came tomuch greater prominence in the late seventies and eighties.

Scates used: Eb major (Eb-F-G-Ab-Ab-C-Oy.

significant added tones: Db-used during the moduration inmeasure B.

solo signatures: composed style; stately semi-classical phrasing;strong note-to-chord relationship in the melody; mixture of slow, lyricallines and faster, scalar playing.

Performance notes: This classic Brian May solo is based on diatonicscalar lines in Eb major, an unusual key for rock. The basic majorscale is used modally throughout to create lines for specific chords inthe progression, as in measures 3-4, where it is used against Fm andBbz chords. ornamental trills are added to the ladder-like sequencemelody in measure 4. pure scalar runs are used in measure 5. BrianMay employed a coin (Engrish sixpence) with a serrated edge as apick for his very strong, accented attack. This attack, coupled with thesaturated tube-amp tone and signal processing, creates semi-harmonics throughout the solo.

sound: Homemade "Red Fireplace" guitar with three reworked Burnssingle-coil pickups; overdriven vox AC-30 amps; homemade treblebooster; custom pre-amp buirt by eueen bassist John Deacon;flanging/chorusing added to thicken the guitar sound.

46

Page 45: Greatest guitar solos of all time

eo

Featured Guitar:Gtr.3 meas. 1-9

Slow Demos:Gtr.3 meas. 1-8Fig. 1

Guitar Solo E5iModerateRockJ =72

Eb major (throughout)

EbTAAAAA/|/}

BblDt

^l4t{A^/wt(w

t/LAAfiA/t A^/fi tlttmmmm'r'r'r

IAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

tA^A/l|tttt|}ttttt^o

|A/|A/Yl|l/}

Rhy. Fig. l

w/ pick and fingers

xpiano m. for gtr.**Audio begins 6 meas. before Fig. 12

O 1975 B. FELDMAN & CO., LTD., Trading As TRIDENT MUSICAll Rights Controlled and Administered by GLENWOOD MUSIC COPR.

All Rights Reserved lnternational Copyright Secured Used by Permission

47

Page 46: Greatest guitar solos of all time

Fm CtEiAAA^ AAA^A,(} *+.D_

'\--.-------------..-

Ab/Bb

lAArylAA^ ^

f

.(n/l/l/l/l/l^/t/ta

*Played ahead of the beat

Do

full ,lA/h/lAA/!t

End Rhy. Fig. I

Bb Bb7tfl^ {^A/?r/wi'>

/--\-

grad. release

fulll^AAaaaaattt,

iAAAAAAAAA/I

iA.{AAAAAA/}

I J r' 3 |

,(} /yt

L- J ---llj'

L3l

{|AAAAAAAA/}

L- -l ----l

tlt^'i A/yr ^/)

W w-r-

48

W W

Page 47: Greatest guitar solos of all time

FM ClE Ab/Eb DO

'ArAf t!!to(-) f'

full .IAAA/i

Gtr. 1: w/ Rhy. Fill 1

DbC *J.IAAAAAAAT

.AAAAA/YI/}

l}i^ A/l/l3

i/yt /t/lt

B

!!!to^ih

L-:-J- steady gliss.

t^Aar) t^A'tit

@A

*Play this note slightly behind the beat.

49

Page 48: Greatest guitar solos of all time

WALK THIS WAYWords and Music by StevenTyler and Joe Perry

Figure 1 - Second Guitar Solo and Outro Guitar Solo

Aerosmith struck twice with this powerful, guitar-driven classic: first in1976 (#1) and a second time when guesting on the cover version with rappers

Run-D.M.C. (#4, August, 19BO). The defining track from Aerosmith's mastedul

Toys in the Attic album, "Walk This Way" personified the best of American hard

rock in the seventies, and remains a lavorite on everybody's classic rockplaylist. Sporting an ultra-funky main guitar riff and an inspired set of Steven

Tyler lyrics, it is further distinguished by some rock-solid Joe Perry soloing. A

song high point is the multi-sectional Perry guitar solo in the oulro.

This immortal Aerosmith solo is one of Joe Perry's milestone

moments of the seventies, and can be divided into three sections. The first is

the four-measure guitar episode in C, which is a second pass on the song's

internal solo. lt is played over the energetic verse groove. The eight-measure

segue to E and into the outro solo represents the second section. The third

section is the improvised outro solo which runs to the fade out. lt's played inE over a variant of the song's funky main riff.

Scafes used: Measures 1-4: C Mixolydian mode(C-D-E-F-G-A-Bb), C Dorian mode (C-D-eb-r-C-n-ab);measures 5-28: E Dorian mode (E-F#-C-n-g-C#-o), f Blues Scale(E-G-A-Bb-B-D), E Mixotydian mode (E-F#-G#-A-B-o#-D), E

minor pentatonic (E-G-A-B-D).

Significant added tones: Eb (measure 1); E (measures 3-4);Bb (measure 26)

Solo signatures: Free use of scales and scale combining; typicallyunpredictable Joe Perry rock 'n' roll phrasing; blues-rock orientedstring bending and vibrato; prevalent use of hammer-ons and pull-offs.

Performance notes: The opening four measures are situated in theeighth and fifth positions and mix C dominant seventh and minorsounds in C. This is emphasized by the outlining of a C7 arpeggio inmeasure 2. The whammy bar is used for vibrato in the riffs ofmeasures 5-12. These are thematic figures in E which are played inthe second and twelfth positions. The bulk of the outro solo (measures

13-28) is played predominately in the twelfth position, and alternateswith first position open-string licks in measures 21-26. A chords areinserted into the lead parts in measures 14, 1 6, 22, 24, and 26. Theseplay off the accents of the background riff.

Sound: Gibson Les Paul and Fender Stratocaster; Marshall orFender amps; delay (tight reflection) probably added to the outroguitar sound in the studio.

50

Page 49: Greatest guitar solos of all time

E'7

|- -T--n 7 fr

ffir3(4)

A1

m'nFFH+I131241

oo

Featured Guitar:Gtr. 1 meas. 1-28

Slow Demo:Gtr.3 meas. 1-28

Fig. 1

Guitar Solo

ModerateRockJ =120C Mixolvdian mode

C Dorian mode

Copyright O 1 975 Daksel LLCAll Rights Administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, 8 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203

lnternational Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

51

Page 50: Greatest guitar solos of all time

Outro Guitar Solo

Gtrs. I & 2: w/ Riff B, till fade

E Dorian mode

N.C.(E5) N.C.(E5)

E Dorian mode

w/br

full t^1/2rAAo

*bend w/ fingers, add vibrato w/ bu

N.C.(Es) N.C.(Es) A5

\ryt ^ AA'i't

l)---{t/t/t A/t/t/t/}

ll12 !r!!lt

E blues scale

L r!iA/l/)iYc

w/ bu

rllltlmmm

w/ bar

r*\ t^trtr*

Gtr.4 r(dist.)

A7

,-

E]

,-mf

=b1i-)

RiIf BGrs.1&2

52

Page 51: Greatest guitar solos of all time

E Mixolvdian mode E blues scale

E7

,_

E, minor pentatonic

t/t/l/t/t^/!!s\/V Y- l-^j-\

1/2 full

)

*played ahead of the beat.

E Mixolydian modeE blues scale

E7

,_

A7

ht/ /--

N-^..'--\r-:: AA--.

E minor pentatonic (to end)

E7

,_

A7

\r/ /--

Page 52: Greatest guitar solos of all time

Begin Fade

E7

)lat f'-

vr AA/t{l

E7

,1,_

\t-/

a/tAAAmo

A]

7\l/ /--

A1

Fade Out

1 ) r._N l$i ^AA"

*]E

full r*lmmmmmrl

54

Page 53: Greatest guitar solos of all time

SULTANS OF SWINGWords and Music by Mark Knopfler

Figure 1 - Outro Guitar Solo

"Sultans of Swing" was Dire Straits'first hit. Seeming to emerge fromout of nowhere, the unorthodox British rock band exploded onto the pop

scene with the tremendous 1977 single, and a compelling debut album (DireStrails). "Sultans of Swing" also introduced the "alternative" approach of leadguitarist Mark Knopfler. Unique among rock guitarists of the day, Knopflereschewed the crunchy Marshall distortion and heavy metal-based approachof his fellow British fretmen, and fashioned his signature sound from acombination of esoteric melodic ideas delivered with a sparkling clean tone.Noted for exerting an enormous influence in the future, on both sides of theAtlantic, Knopfler's inimitable finger-style articulation, coupled with hisdistinctive Strat timbre, was immediately acknowledged and revered as the"Mark Knopfler sound."

No tune provides a better showcase than "Sultans of Swing" and nosection more ably demonstrates his uncommon solo style than itsextraordinary outro (4:58 to the fade out). The solo occurs over a four-measure vamp of the modal changes Dm-C-Bb-C, and skillfully balancesimpressive physical technique and song-conscious feel.

Scales used: D minor pentatonic (D-F-G-A-C); C major pentatonic(C-D-E-G-A); C Mixolydian mode (C-D-E-F-G-A-Bb).

Significant added tones: Bb (measure 11)-though part of the CMixolydian mode, the use of Bb in this line is so melodically strikingthat it's particularly worth noting.

Solo signatures: Use of arpeggios, diatonic and pentatonic melody;pedal steel-style string bends; ostinato riffs (measures 7-8); melodicsequences (measures 3-4 and 20-21); virtual absence of standardrock guitar clich6s.

Performance notes: This signature, predominately single-note MarkKnopfler solo is played fingerstyle on electric guitar. ln addition to his

very personalized plucked/picked attack, Knopfler favors the "in-

between tone" of a Fender Strat-which adds much to the overall

character of the guitar sound and his solo lines. The famed cascadeof sixteenth-note arpeggios in measures 13-17 has become a

hallmark of his style. This passage requires considerable dexterity topull off at tempo. One of the keys to mastering this phrase is tovisualize the three physical shapes of the Dm, Bb and C arpeggioswhich comprise the section, and to note the commonalities. Noticethat all three are situated on the top two strings, and are constructedof two notes on the first string (which are played legato with a pull-off)

and one on the second string. This pattern is continued through theeight-measure phrase, though subtly altered to fit the changing chordprogression.

Sound: Fender Stratocaster; Fender Vibrolux amp; delay-either viaan MXR Analog Delay or added in the studio.

55

Page 54: Greatest guitar solos of all time

oo

Featured Guitar:Gtr. 1 meas. 1-25

Slow Demos:Gtr. 1 meas. 1-8; 9-12;

13-16;18-21

Fig. 1

Outro Guitar SololZsdl

DmRhy. Fig.4

BbC

D minor pentatonic C major pentatonic

/t'4^AAAA'r IAAAAAA/IAAAAAAAAAI

xAudio begins 8 meas. before Fig. l4

Gtr. 2: w/ Rhy. Fig. 4, till fade

C major pentatonic D minor pentatonic

BbDmEnd Rhy. Fig.4

rTr)^fTT)

C major pentatonic

D minor pentatonic

D minor pentatonic

C Mixolydian mode

Copyright @ 1978 Straitjacket Songs Ltd.lnternaiional Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved56

Page 55: Greatest guitar solos of all time

D minor C Mixolvdian mode

C Mixolydian mode

Begin Fade

C Mixolydian mode D minor pentatonic

I)C

\tl_i-+

D minor pentatonic C major pentatonic

c a^^a

full !V|}!Vt,{},i^At

^At{l

Page 56: Greatest guitar solos of all time

I

I

l

.l:Irli!l

il,l

YOU REALTY GOT MEWods and Music by Ray Davies

Figurel-GuitarSolo

Modern rock guitar was born on this 1978 remake of the Kinks' classictune. Eddie Van Halen and company turned the already-driving, mid-sixtiesnumber into "a jet airplane" on the debut album, and produced one of the mostmomentous paradigm shifts in rock guitar music. Eddie pioneered many of themodern "shred" techniques, which would prove so dominant in the nextdecade, on the early Van Halen albums-particularly the groundbreaking firstrecord, van Halen Today his legacy is assured. He is universallyacknowledged as the most innovative and stunning player since Jimi Hendrix,and has generated a sphere of influence accorded to only a select handful ofguitar players in history.

"You Really Got Me," a prominent cut from Van Halen, was an earlyVan Halen hit which introduced several of Ed's blazing signature licks to agrateful musical world. Eddie's brief but event-filled solo takes place over asimple vamp on A. lt contains many of the trademark elements of his influential

-guitar style and, for most musicians, auspiciously marks the birth of "shred."

Scales used: A minor pentatonic (A-C-D-E-G);A major pentatonic(A-B-cf-e-rx1

Significant added tones: Eb, F, and Ff, (measure 4); B (measure 6),as a result of extreme string bends; G (measure 7-8); C and D(measure 9).

solo signatures: Free mixture of minor and major pentatonic scales;tap-on technique; string bending with tap-on technique; extreme stringbending (major third and fourth intervals!); standard rock guitarcliches mixed with mind-boggling guitar "tricks."

Performance notes: The tap-on licks in measures 3-5 are nowsynonymous with Van Halen's lead style. Eddie plays these tap-onswith his right-hand index finger, combining normal fretted notes withthe higher tapped notes. Eddie silences any unwanted notes with fret-hand muting. ln measure 4, the tap-on technique is used to create adescending, triplet-arpeggio effect with the higher tapped notefunctioning as a static pedal tone. ln measure 5, the high G note isproduced by bending the G string one whole step and fretting thetenth fret with tap-on technique. The wide string bending in measures6-8 includes minor and major thirds, and a perfect fourth. That's fivefrets distance!The "helicopte/'tremolo noise in measures 11-13 isgenerated by setting the neck pickup volume to 0 and the bridgepickup to 10, and flicking the pickup selector toggle switch in a specificrhythm. Eddie tunes all six strings down one half step (E flat tuning).

Sound: lbanez Destroyer (copy of Gibson Explorer)with twohumbucking pickups; overdriven late-60s "Plexi" Marshall 1OO-watt

Super Lead amp; voltage altered with an Ohmite Variac; homemadepedalboard fitted with MXR Flanger, MXR Phase 90, Maestro echoplex.

Before playing along with Fig. 1, tune down one half step with track 31.

58

Page 57: Greatest guitar solos of all time

Fig. 1

Tune Down l/2 Step:

@=nr @=or@=nt @=el@=o @=nt

ModerateRockJ -140

e0

Featured Guitar:Gtr. 1 meas. 1-13

Slow Demo:Gtr. 1 meas. 1-13

Guitar SoloA minor pentatonic

*Audio begins 6 meas. before Fig. 15

A minor pentatonic

a-..-\ :-- +:.,.-\ ]'\ t--\f +

tlt'u,r,r

t 6 -,

A minor pentatonicA major pentatonic

full

+'i/}lYYtA

hold bend

rl .vvt/)

=/Y,A

A major pentatonicA minor pentatonic

L--\,--. \--^ \(:):=

TAAAI \(-)

11/2

2

L-lJ

Copyright @ 1964 Jayboy Music Corp.Copyright Renewed

All Rights Administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, 8 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203lnternational Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved 59

Page 58: Greatest guitar solos of all time

A major pentatonic

i^/yr ^/yl^/)

+Flick toggle switch on & off. Setfront pickup volume to 0 md bridgepickup volume to 10. Rhythmshown is for "on" position sound.

rTT) W TT) I

60

Page 59: Greatest guitar solos of all time

CRAZY TRAINWords and Music by Ozy Osbourne, Randy Rhoads, and Bob Daisley

Figurel-GuitarSolo

lf "shred" was introduced with the first Van Halen record, then the antewas upped to higher stakes on the milestone Ozzy Osbourne release of 1981,The Blizzard of Ozz. Randy Rhoads, lead guitarist and collaborator wilhQzzy,epitomized the modern metal genre which was all-pervasive in the eighties,and defined dramatic new standards for guitar orchestration and technique.Though similar to Van Halen's playing in several superficial aspects, Randy'sstyle was a striking departure from the more straightahead, hard rock/blues-based jamming antics of Eddie and the legions of L.A. guitar clones he hadengendered. By contrast, Randy favored a thoughtful "neo-classic" approachin which his guitar solos were crafted as strong, often independent, musicalinterludes-compositions within compositions-for more complicated works.Fretboard virtuosity nicknamed "shred" still prevailed in the Ozzy malerial, butit had a substantially different setting, characterized by minor tonality, exoticscale choices, and larger-scale form.

"Crazy Train" is perhaps the most visible Randy Rhoads offering of hisbrief career. The song combines the power and crunch of heavy metal withthe pronounced melodic sensibilities of classical music and the floridpassagework of the shred school. Randy's dazzling signature solo in "CrazyTrain" occurs over sixteen measures of modal chord changes in Ffl minor.

Scales used: Ffl natural minor orAeolian mode (Ff-Gil-A-B-Cf,-D-E).

Significant added tones: Df (measure 15).

Solo signatures: Semi-classical metal approach emphasizing minormodality, baroque/classical melody, and integrated virluosity; legatotechnique (abundant use of hammer-ons and pull-offs); sectionalthematic structure with a strong climax.

Performance notes: The solo is well constructed with logicalquestion-and-answer phrases, generally arranged in four-measuresections. Tap-on technique is used in measures 1-4. This producesFfi minor and D major arpeggios in measures 1 and 2. Tap-on

technique is combined with string bending and releasing in measure3. The legato phrases in measures 7 and 15 are Randy Rhoadssignature licks. The latter is played by hammering on groups ofthree-note-per-string scale patterns. Randy uses the technique tocreate an ascending climactic run. The entire solo is doubled by asecond lead guitar which accounts for the thick chorused sound.

Sound: Gibson Les Paul Custom; overdriven Marshall 1OO-watt

stack; MXR Distortion Plus.

61

Page 60: Greatest guitar solos of all time

Fig. 1

Guitar Solo

ModerateRockJ =138

Ff5

Or., )

cf5 Bsx xx xxxT-Trn 4fr aTTTn 7frffiffi133 133

E5openo]'gst+LLLL!FI+H]

11

Featured Guitar:Gtr.1 meas. 1-24

Slow Demo:Gtr.1 meas. 1-16

Ff5

IffiiT'*H+H]

133

E5

[Hii'*H+FH

133

D5r.-trrn 5 frFt#+lH+H]

133

ooA5

ffi5fr

fficf5

aTTTTI 4 fr

ffi;;

I

I/

Ff 5tt

D5

)

cfs

)F$ Aeolian mode

+ r*:=--- i\ l\

+i\ +i\

+Audio begins 8 meas. before Fig. I*+Gtr. solo doubled. Slight discrepancies between two gtrs. result in heavily chorused effect.

B5

I/**+.0------------

p$5"

)

+ This measure played sinile on demo+* Played ahead of the beat

A5

)

F#st-J---------.-tttr////f)^fTT)

cf5

)

Es Pl--t----------

)))))ti^ /},1/t^/t/tt

=,,1iAAAAA,iA,t./\^

cfs

)

t^A/t/yr/w

-,'1 .

t*tr**llrl

'J'rake- - a

c#s

)

'Jl

tl"ultrtr

B5

)8va

A5

))

Fil5II

iAAAAAA,i

Copyright@ 1981 Blizzard Music Ltd.lnternational Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

Used by Permission62

{/tf.(wytt

Page 61: Greatest guitar solos of all time

F#s E5 D5rTT) ) ) )

B5

) )n)i/yt/t/t/ttN>I ^

cfs

)

cfs

)

F$5 n

)

Ffs

) ) )

D5

)

E5

) )

E5 .p"n

))))

--t4

c+5

))

A5

)

B5

)

x Next 2 meas. played simile on demo.

>---r -!i

63

Page 62: Greatest guitar solos of all time

CROSSFIREWritten by Bill Carter, Ruth Ellsworth, Chris Layton,Tommy Shannon,and ReeseWynans

Figurel -GuitarSolo

Stevie Ray Vaughan reignited the blues fire in the early eighties. Bydecade's end, he had attained mythic proportions and was the leading forcein the genre. Stevie was a genuine bluesman straight out of the tradition. Hisguitar influences (he called them his "books") included B.B. and Albert King,Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Lonnie Mack, and Jimi Hendrix. He absorbed alltheir lessons and then some. His self-professed goal was to "take the colorout of the blues." By the time of his death in 1990, he had accomplished thatmission decisively. ln Step (1989) marked a milestone lor Stevie-presentinghim and Double Trouble as recording artists as well as the country's top bluestrio. The album went gold in the first six months, won a Grammy for BestContemporary Blues Recording, and also won Austin Music Awards' Recordof the Year and Single of the Year, "Crossfire."

"Crossfire," a funky R&B/rock number, has since endured to becomea gigantic album rock hit and represents some of Vaughan's finest playingever. Stevie's primary solo in "Crossfire" is twenty-four measures long. lt takesplace over a heavy, Stax-inspired vamp in E, based on a riff rather than a 12-bar blues, during the first sixteen measures. ln measures 17-24, Stevie playsover the bridge changes: G7-A7-G7-A7-E.

Scales used: E minor pentatonic (E-G-A-B-D).

Significant added tones: G#, eb-dmost all as a result of string bending;Cfi (measure 23).

Solo signatures: Blues phrasing and melodies in a rocl</R&Bconlext; Stevie's favored "Albeft King lick" throughout (indicated bysmall brackets); Stevie Ray Vaughan tuned all six strings down onehalf step (E flat tuning).

Performance notes: This unforgettable SRV solo is played in theprimary blues-box in E at the the twelfth position and the "Albert box".at the fifteenth position. The emphasis is on iraditional electric bluesmelody with string bending and finger vibrato. To perform the bendswith the same fluidity (especially with heavy strings), use reinforcedfingering to push the strings with more than one fretting finger. Thetwo-string bends in measure 13 are signatures of Stevie's lead style.These are played by hooking two strings at a time, in this case thehigh E and B, under the fretting finger(s), and bending both.

Sound: Fender Stratocaster with heavy-gauge strings; various ampsused during the /n Sfep sessions included Fender Super Reverbs andVibroverbs, a Fender tweed '59 Bassman and '62 Twin, MarshallJCM 800 and 200-watt heads into 4x15 and Bx10 cabinets; lbanezTube Screamer.

Before playing along with Fig. 1, tune down one half step with track 31.

64

Page 63: Greatest guitar solos of all time

Fig. 1

Tune Down 1/2 Step:

@=el @=ot@=nl @=er@=o @=el

Guitar Solo E58lModerateRockJ =116

e0

Featured Guitar:Gtr.1 meas. 1-24

Slow Demos:Gtr.1 meas. 1-8;

9-14;15-16;17-21;21-27

E minor pentatonic throughout

\----\ ,\^,\tAA ,i ^/yt

/yl

,i/t/t^/t/t/t/ytm

vt/t/w

fullt

ffu11

grad. bend

U2

grad. release

fullI a-----

xKey Signature reflects E mixolydian

i/t/t^Ao

O 1989 BLAME MUS|C/Administered by BUG and MANCHACHA MUSIC (administered by Copyright Management, lnc.)All Rights Reserved Used by Permission 65

Page 64: Greatest guitar solos of all time

,^- f- \- \- '\ 'if.i,i/i iaAll f --,a\

grad. releases - - - - - - - - - - - - rfull I/2

l3'

full full full full full

)))))1,/4

TA AAAAAAA T )

r-...-.-..------- :_\ /\ _-->\tttvwnt /L^

1/2

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)

grad. bend

tuil

t/t/t/t/t/t/t/t&t)

i A /t/yt/t/w

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a\. \ TAAAAAAAAAAAA'I

'i A/l /Yl,VYl.l /!

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full

)full fulltt full full

JJ

66

Page 65: Greatest guitar solos of all time

SWEET CHILD O' MINEwords and Music byw.Axl Rose, slash,lzzy stradlin', Duff McKagan,and Steven Adler

Figurel -GuitarSolo

Slash came to the forefront in the late 1980s with the iconoclastic rockand punk group Guns N' Roses. ln contrast with the over-produced pop metaland glam rock stars of the era, the Gunners were a tough, no-nonsense act-adopting and flaunting a decidedly "street" image and stripped-down sound.ldeally suited for the situation, slash pioneered and popularized a ,,new retro"guitar style with strong implications for the nineties. His approach, with itsroots in sixties blues-based hard rock and seventies metal, fit the GNRmaterial perfectly and was a large factor in the success of the band.

"Sweet Child O'Mine," from the 1gB7 Guns N,Roses debut albumAppetite for Destruction, is a milestone song for the band, and a career-defining moment for slash as a guitarist. The track-one of their longest-wasa colossal hit record, an MTV standard, and a perennial in-concert favorite,containing the quintessential Slash solo.

Scales used: E harmonic minor (E-Fil-G-A-B-C-Dfi); E naturalminor or Aeolian mode (E-F#-C-n-B-C-D); f minor pentatonic(E-G-A-B-D).

Significant added tones: Dfi (measure 17); Ffi (measure 20-21)andBb (measure 23), as a result of string bends; Ffi (measure 29).

Solo signatures: Two-part sectional structure with a song-orientedbalance of minor mode melody and blues licks; oblique string bends(measures 2a-25); sequences (measures 2B-2g); ostinato riffs(measures 30-31); Slash tunes all six strings down one half step(Eb tuning).

Performance notes: This landmark Slash solo is arranged in twosections with contrasting moods. The first is modal, and exploits chordprogressions and diatonic melodies based on E minor. The secondhas a more driving hard rock feel with a simpler power-chord vamp ofE-G-A-C-D-G, and is characterized by aggressive blues licks andstring bends. The long, ascending harmonic minor scale run in

measures 16 and 17 connects the two sections, and reflects theeighties "shred guitar" approach. Slash uses a wah-wah pedal duringthe second solo section. This is rocked in time with the phrasing ofspecific licks for a talking wah effect.

Sound: Gibson Les Paul Standard; 1O0-watt Marshall stack; wah-wah pedal.

Before playing along with Fig. 1, tune down one half step with track 31.

67

Page 66: Greatest guitar solos of all time

Fig. 1

Tune Down 1/2 Step:

@=el @=ol@=nr @=er@=cl @=et

Guitar Solo

ModerateRockJ =D2Gtr. 2: w/ Rhy. Fig. 2, 3 times

D5 GIII

ffi''' ffi

Featured Guitars:Gtr. 1 meas. 1-15Gtr. 4 meas. 15-34

Slow Demos:Gtr. 1 meas. 1-17Gtr. 4 meas. 15-17:

18-34;

00

B

F&FFHffi1333

C

iffiiH#t1333

C5xxxFTFIN

ffi133

E5 Em"--.s ogoffiffi

A5xo xxF]#Nffi

11

))

c5

)

C

)^)E harmonic minor

t-== r) ii ) ht/^/

Rhy. Fig.3

o.,). )^)

TAAAAAAAAAAAAI

fulaYl/lall,til/Yl{lil<l{|

FAudio begins 4 meas. belore Fig. l.

A5

)

C5GFf@@3fr 2ft

End Rhy. Fig.3

Gtr. 3: w/ Rhy. Fig. 3, 2 times

E5 Em

E Aeolian mode)^)

{l{ /t /rf

t /yt /y!

loco

,=Ei

Copyright @ 1987 Guns N' Roses Music (ASCAP)lnternational Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

Used by Permission68

Page 67: Greatest guitar solos of all time

E Aeoiian mode

i/l/l/l/l/lA ^----\^-a. ct I

\^/\Fil E5

t/2

E, harmonic minor

C5

Gtr. 2: il Rhy. Fig. 2, 1st 3 meas.

E5 Em

t\rGtr.4/. |'^/

C

) )) )E harmonic minor

Gtr- 4: w/ Fill 3

B

) n^) )

W TAAAAAry} ID

E harmonic rninor

t--Q

d wah-wah

P.M.- - r

E Aeolian mode

69

Page 68: Greatest guitar solos of all time

Gtr. 2: w/ Rhy. Fill I

A5 E5

Rhy. Fig.4

I \t/' / :-/

EF#@@open 2fi

f)o,,ff) TTT TTT fTTctr. r . f-

16

E minor pentatonic

Iriu'*r \ t^t f3r/t:L----- !r'-- iE i)

rlrr ulr Yml rlll

.1= \- T AA A AAA. /\> ^ \] li mmmmmr ,\1e^ ,. :E iE :E f). - =t =t i#E

G5

) )^) )

GtI. 3: w/ Rhy. Fig.4,3 times

E5

rftmm,ummr T\,,

A5

) )^)

C5 D5

fTT )

G5 ut

End Rhy. Fig,4

I/E minor pentatonic (cont. to end)

_

rittmmmmrm r:-!l

G5 .(lt ^t

i /l{/t(}

tAA /} t ^AA/}

70

Page 69: Greatest guitar solos of all time

D5 G5

=1\ fr'1\ F =1Y.-. =.^.

full full

>^ > r'-rr i?c -- c.c.;-\/: i;-ll

E5

I

Gt.+ |

/> :l. 'l./=\

Y I f Y I/-/

^fgrad. slidefull full

71