Watching guitar solos for the first time can be surprising. The musicians move their fingers so comfortably, and the way they just flawlessly hit the right note at the right note is truly mesmerizing.
The solos seem to look difficult, too fast, and much more complicated. If you think learning the guitar solo is out of your league then we’ve all been through that stage. We all have felt that, but after starting your solo journey through some basic solo you can also upgrade your level.
If you want to call yourself a proud “lead guitarist” then you have to start from the basics and make a stable surface for yourself. To sharpen your skills, here are some easy guitar solos you can learn!
Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton
If you want to call yourself a ‘lead guitarist’ then you have to start with the basics first, and the first song to start your solo journey can be by trying to learn the classical ballad by Eric Clapton ‘Wonderful Tonight.’
The song is counted as Eric’s ‘prettiest and mellowest’ tunes which is just the right thing that beginners should look after. The song is easy and has a melodious tune to learn. It is played at slow 92bpm and this tempo helps players to give attention to the phrasing of their solo.
You can carefully see how to need, slide, and place your fingers through the song. If you ask most guitarists which was their first solo, Wonderful Tonight has to be on their list. This song was the first solo of many guitarists, it might be to impress their girlfriend as Eric Clapton did with this song.
Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
Another perfect song that you can practice to make your base in solo is by learning the psychedelic song, ‘Wish You Were Here’ by Pink Floyd. There are numerous things that happen in Wish You Were Here. From bending and sliding with distortion, there are numerous things you can learn from it.
Well, another impressive thing about this song is that its solo was actually played on acoustic guitar. You can use your electric guitar but trying on an acoustic will be much more challenging and it will take you out of your comfort zone.
There are just so many things you can learn from this song. If you want to learn the original solo by playing it on acoustic guitar then your fingers might feel the sourness at first, but remember, nothing can be achieved when you take the wide road.
Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers
This alternative rock song will not only push you out of your comfort zone but will help you to be a much better solo guitar artist in the future. This is also an awesome song to play, I mean who doesn’t want to learn Californication by Red Hot Chilli Peppers!?
Californication has some of the best and cool riffs you can find in easy guitar solos. Just like Wish You Were Here, the song offers you rooms full of improvements. There are bending, sliding, speed, and every other essential thing you need to learn in solo.
This is an important lesson for beginners. The solo will teach you many things and once you master Californication you can believe in yourself that you are ready to step up through basics.
Come Together by The Beatles
‘Come Together’ is one of the famous opening tracks of the Beatles from Abbey Road. This is one heck of a song to learn in the basics. When you hear the original recording of the song, there are actually two guitars played to record the song, but it doesn’t mean you will need to have two as well.
If you are bad with bends then learning Come Together by the Beatles is the perfect task you can do to sharpen your skills. When you carefully notice the song, you can find that the entire song was played on a single guitar, in a specific key, A minor.
Another reason why this is the perfect lesson for beginners is that it will keep you guys engaged all the time and you’ll be putting more time into playing your minor pentatonic shapes. It’s not even as challenging as other classic Beatles songs, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
Holiday by Green Day
You might be surprised to see ‘Holiday; instead of ‘American Idiot’ but there is a reason. The song Holiday was written to be stronger and harsher than American Idiot, so this is going to be much more helpful to create a bass in your solo lesson.
It is easy and just the perfect song for beginners. After mastering the solo, you can even look at other solos of Greenday because they sound similar in various ways, and their technique is also familiar.
The song was directed toward American Conservatives, and when you look at the lyrics of the song you can find political messages. Besides that, the song also has a catchy pop-punk tune within it and also possesses a catchy guitar solo. The technique is even simple, it shouldn’t be hard for you to try this one out.
Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns N Roses
Sweet Child o Mine has the best guitar riffs that have been ever written in the industry. The legendary guitarist, Slash just didn’t write the lightning-fast guitar solo just for fun, he created and focused more on phrasing, feel, and a stellar rock guitar tone.
The performance of Slash is a portrayal of what perfection looks like. This might be a challenging lesson for you but after some trial and practice it daily, it won’t be much of a problem for you, and you can show off the skills of Slash in front of your friends.
The song is iconic, and a must-learn. It might take some time to learn the lesson at first, but after giving it a few tries, you’ll learn to sharpen your skills and within no time you’ll be a great solo guitarist.
High and Dry by Radiohead
When it comes to delivering alternative rock songs, we know that Radiohead is always at the top. They have the perfect solos that will bring you a feeling of melancholy with all those sad melodies. When we add every element that Radiohead do with their music, we get a piece of art.
If you want to learn to play the same melody as Radiohead do with their music then trying to learn ‘High and Dry’ by them will be the perfect choice for you. It is the perfect choice for beginners, it is exceptionally simple to play and there are multiple rooms to sharpen your skills as well.
It has simple lessons but remembers not to touch the high ‘E’ string by mistake or you’ll have to do the whole song once again. This might seem like a challenge to beginners, but after a few practices, you can hit the solo with perfection.
Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes
When it comes to ‘Seven Nation Army; we know it has some of the best distinguish riffs on the verse. They have uncomplicated, raw, and stripped-downs. They really embodied ‘garage rock style’ with such type of music.
Their riff is easy to learn but powerful at the same type. You can play the track at clubs, parties, events, or on any occasion you want. We mean it has won a Grammy for being the very best rock song, so it’s obvious that it’s a powerful song.
When you try to learn the solo for the first time, remember that you need to take a look at the sliding part. It is an essential part while doing the solo and helps to result in the epic melody of the song.
Can’t Stop by Red Hot Chilli Peppers
One of the coolest things about Red Hot Chilli Peppers is that never forget to add some insane catchy main guitar riff. RHCP have made some of the best riffs and we can see a glance at their work at ‘Can’t stop.’
The song has instantly recognizable riffs and at the same time, it is also pretty simple to play it on your guitar. The solo is followed by vocals so mastering that will not be much of a deal for you. The song peaked at 57 on the billboard hot 100, no wonder why everyone is in love with this song.
For this one, you have to give your whole focus on bending because that’s where the magic actually happens. When you play the lesson for the first time, it might seem like bending is too hard because they are pretty challenging but after some practice, you can master one of the iconic songs of Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
We Will Rock You by Queen
Decades have passed since the iconic song ‘We Will Rock You was released for the first time, and to this date, it still gets played in many people’s playlists. The song is insanely powerful and well-written by Freddy Mercury and surprisingly it is also easy to play.
The duration of the guitar solo in the song is for about 30 seconds and during that duration, you can find many interesting things going on. When you’ll listen to the song more carefully, you can find melodies being picked, notes being left out to ring, and so many other elements interacting with each other to make a complete masterpiece.
The song is much more easier to learn than it sounds, so why waste time? Go and learn We Will Rock You right now!
Ain’t Talking About Love by Van Halen
There is an interesting story behind ‘Ain’t Talking’. We all know that Van Halen is a talented individual, and despite being such a perfectionist artist he didn’t consider the solo good enough to present for his teammate.
He wrote it by using only two chords, making it a parody style of the generic pop-punk song, but we all know what happened after the release. It went on to become one of their most known single, and a lesson that every beginner should learn.
Most of the solos of Van Halen are in fast tempo which makes it difficult for beginners to learn, but this one is just the perfect one because it has all the easier ones and is completely easy to learn, even for beginners. It goes a but fans in the final moments, but that’s not even a big problem.
Let It Be by The Beatles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LMSOfs10mA
‘Let It Be’ by the Beatles is another recognizable song with an incredible solo that is played on C major scale. When the song was released for the first time, there was a heavy atmosphere among the members of the Beatles because the song was released during a tumultuous time during the Beatle’s career.
The song would have made a huge impact on their career, and the song was announced after the official announcement of their breakup. The song was an important part of their history, and you can make that alive again by playing it on your guitar.
The solo is very easy to play and you don’t even need to put too much effort while learning the solo. They have used loads of techniques in this song, so it also is a fair chance for you to learn more about it.
American Idiot by Green Day
‘American Idiot’ has to be one of the very best of their song. The tempo of the song is really fast, and that’s where the beginners have to put their most focus. Well, if you’re worrying if the chords of the song are going to be complex, then that’s not a problem either.
The chords of the songs are really easy and it picks up the perfect theme of general media and overall social instability and dissolution. The solo of the song is filled with energy and the fast tempo will make you try to engage more with the original.
It is a perfect song to play and managing time to learn this lesson will surely be worth your time. The music is from such a popular artist, who wouldn’t want to try out their solo right?
Nothing Else Matters by Metallica
Back in the era where it sued to be loud and rock music, Metallica came up with “Nothing Else Matters” which mellowed out a bit, and unlike their usual songs, it was slow, which was just the perfect thing that beginners needed.
The beat might be slow and might contain lots of ballads but when you start to play the solo on your guitar, it is one heck of an experience. The song is the perfect example that you can learn and gain lots of experience from slow melodies.
You can try it yourself and find out why it consists of so many things to learn. Although the melody of the song is played by a single tone, there are numerous minor pentatonic double stops that you have to take care of. The song came out back in 1992, but it is still one of the most-watched music videos on YouTube. What are you waiting for?
Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day
Green Day is just filled with energy and they inspire punk-rock music. But when we take a look at ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams, we can fund that things aren’t exactly going similarly to ‘American Idiot’.
The song is broken down into mellow sounds and it is written in more of a ballad style than usual. Don’t you dare try to underestimate the song because it was a huge success for the band. They sold over 5 million copies worldwide and earned the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and the MTV Award for Video of the Year.
The best part of the song is, it is really easy to play and with a little bit of hard work, everyone can play this song with perfection. The solo isn’t done in single-note passages which are played high up the fretboard. Moreover, it is played as a supporting role, which is essential to make a base for your electric guitar.
