Many of you know I play guitar. As such I have a particular fancy for the so-called guitar solo, also widely known as the “electric” guitar solo. This beauty was a staple of 80′s hair metal, but it’s musical role is a device that transcends all styles and genres of music.
Today the term guitar solo is commonly taken to refer specifically to the idiom of rock music. Although solo passages for guitar are found in many musical genres, the ‘guitar solo’ has an almost iconic place in rock, and particularly in the subgenres called hard rock or heavy metal.
Although in principle any kind of guitar can be used in a rock guitar solo, and counter-examples abound, the characteristic solo sound is created using an electric guitar with the timbral effect known as distortion…
- Guitar solo, Wikipedia.org
All music undergoes various movements and shifts of energy and rhythm. There needs to be highs and lows, louds and softs for the piece to be able to accentuate the finer qualities of tonal and vocal communication.
The guitar solo helps the development of most rock and harder pop pieces by serving as a break from the main lyrical content and often offering opportunity to incorporate a new chord progression or rhythm breakdown. The guitar solo is like the month of March… it can come in like a lamb and go out like a lion, or vice versa, or be all lamb or all lion.
Probably most important, a good guitar solo will emote a significant and tangible message to a song. Great solos are extensions of the lyrical and musical intent of the song itself and are tailored to fit the overall composition. A given solo would not have the same effect if lifted out of one song and placed into another.
Here are just a very few of my favorite guitar solos that I think are nearly perfect examples of form, expression, and song fit. Keep in mind that this is just a tiny smattering of the list I could generate and that these are not necessarily my favorite songs… this is a list for the solos (guitarist — song — artists/group — album):
- Zakk Wylde — No More Tears — Ozzy Osbourne — No More Tears
- Marco Sfogli — Pretender — James LaBrie — Elements of Persuasion
- John Petrucci — Pull Me Under — Dream Theater — Images & Words
- Chris DeGarmo — Silent Lucidity — Queensryche — Empire
- Phil Collen — White Lightning — Def Leppard — Euphoria
I'm a Christ-follower, compelled by my faith toward reason, which points directly toward conservatism. This world's daily onslaught of lunacy offends my intellect and senses, so this is my venue to blow off steam.
None by Bob Dylan, Britney Spears, Newsboys, or Poison? Can’t wait for the drum solo issue………
Was that a knock on C.C. DeVille?
Are you equating Newsboys and Britney Spears? That’s just wrong. And C.C. is the best BAC 5% guitarist around.
If I had included Kurt Cobain then you should’ve been getting worried.
Kirk Hammett – Damage Inc. – Metallica
(it’s my obligation to add this
It is onterested how the guitar solo is such a part of rock. I love them. A great solo to me can define whether a song is good or great!
I also love no more tears by Ozzy!
If I could add anything to that list, it would be “Paradise City” by GNR…but that’s just me!
You could add Audioslave’s Like A Stone, Pantera’s Cemetery Gates, Van Halen’s Jump. If you just wanna have guitar solo’s aplenty, You cant beat Steve Vai and his Passion And Warfare album, Untouchable in my books
hi there. nice post. i really need more advice to play my guitar better. keep rock!
Canto by Five Finger Death Punch… Old school solo with an awesomely new twist.
freakin’ eddie van halen on beat it! Brilliant solo. Took me ages to learn, back in the day on my cheapo strat. It went out of tune evertime I pulled on the wang bar but it was worth it! Good choice, MJ!
Thanks for this article. Good one. Im sharing this.
No More Tears has a really great solo, I really love it. The obvious solo to include would’ve been Stairway to Heaven, but I guess its a bit cliche.
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I was so sad that my friends know how to play guitar. I’m the only one among my friends don’t know how to play acoustic or electric guitar. I want somebody guide me.
I’d like to add a few to the list! I’ve always loved David Gilmour’s solo in “Time”. Of course he has many great solos with Pink Floyd. Neil Young tears it up in “Like a Hurricane”. Let’s not forget Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits either. Just a few of the masters!
I have been wanting to play the guitar for so long. Just with work commitments I keep puting it off. Reading this article has really inspired me to get off my backside and learn once and for all.
Great collection of solos. I am just starting to learn the No More Tears solo by Ozzy.
Finding it hard but it will be worth it.
Nice collection! Respect! Can you show me an example of GUUS MEEUWIS gitar solo? That’s a dutch singer.
Great piece bro