10 Best Songs to Learn Your First Guitar Solo
Ready to tackle your first guitar solo? These 10 solos range from simple to moderate and will build your lead playing skills.
Ready for Your First Solo?
Once you've got riffs and chords down, it's time to step into the spotlight. These 10 guitar solos are chosen specifically because they're musical, iconic, and achievable for intermediate players. They'll teach you essential lead techniques without overwhelming you.
The 10 Best Starter Solos
1. "Back in Black" - AC/DC
Why: Uses simple pentatonic bends and double-stops. Angus Young's phrasing is all about attitude, not speed.
Key techniques: Bending, vibrato, pentatonic scale.
2. "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath
Why: Short, sweet, and mainly pentatonic runs. Tony Iommi keeps things melodic and repeatable.
Key techniques: Pentatonic runs, basic bending.
3. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana
Why: Kurt Cobain's solo literally follows the vocal melody. If you can hum it, you can play it.
Key techniques: Melody playing, simple bends.
4. "Nothing Else Matters" - Metallica
Why: A beautiful melodic solo that uses wide bends and emotional phrasing rather than speed.
Key techniques: Slow bending, sustain, phrasing.
5. "Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd
Why: David Gilmour's intro solo is all about feel. Simple bends with incredible taste.
Key techniques: Bending in tune, vibrato, dynamics.
6. "Highway to Hell" - AC/DC
Why: Built on the A minor pentatonic box shape. Classic Angus Young — flashy sounding but achievable.
Key techniques: Pentatonic box position, pull-offs.
7. "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" - Guns N' Roses
Why: Slash's solo is melodic and uses standard blues scale patterns with great vibrato.
Key techniques: Blues scale, vibrato, slides.
8. "Fade to Black" - Metallica (Intro Solo)
Why: The clean intro solo is hauntingly beautiful and mainly uses simple legato patterns.
Key techniques: Legato, hammer-ons/pull-offs, arpeggios.
9. "Comfortably Numb" (First Solo) - Pink Floyd
Why: Often called the greatest guitar solo ever. The first solo is slow, melodic, and mostly in one scale position.
Key techniques: Bending, sustain, emotional phrasing.
10. "Sweet Child O' Mine" (Intro) - Guns N' Roses
Why: The iconic arpeggio pattern sounds complex but is actually a repeating finger pattern. Once you get the shape, it flows naturally.
Key techniques: Arpeggiated patterns, string skipping.
Tips for Learning Solos
- Slow it down: Learn at 50% speed first. Speed comes last.
- Learn in phrases: Break the solo into 2-4 bar sections.
- Listen repeatedly: Know how it sounds before you try to play it.
- Focus on bending in tune: The #1 difference between good and bad solos.
- Use video tabs: See exactly where to fret while hearing the correct sound.