Beginner Guitar Solos: Songs That are Easier Than They Sound
Simple tips for awesome guitar solos!
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Beginner Guitar Solos: Songs That are Easier Than They Sound · Source: lisyl / Alamy Stock Photo
Beginner guitar solos don’t have to be basic. There are loads of songs out there that sound way harder than they actually are. Let’s look at a few iconic guitar solos that you can learn as a beginner.
Beginner Guitar Solos:
Beginner Guitar Solos: Core Techniques
Firstly, to improve your soloing abilities, you’ll want to brush up on a few fundamentals. Think of this as your primer before you apply paint or a clear coat.
Don’t worry though! All you’ll need is a healthy understanding of guitar TABs, maybe a couple of scales and a few techniques up your sleeve. Bending, vibrato, slides, hammer-ons and pull-offs can all help you master the world of beginner guitar solos and beyond.
Although, if you’re new to guitar, then welcome to the club! And worry not, as we’ll explore plenty of guitar techniques as we work our way through some classic rock solos.
Slipping Through My Fingers – ABBA
Our first look at beginner guitar solos comes from Swedish super group, ABBA! Less rock, and more trending. Learning this solo will definitely land you a few views on TikTok.
So, what makes this one so good to learn as a beginner guitarist? Well, we don’t have too many complex techniques, the tempo is relaxed, and it’s a cool track!
Regarding techniques, we’ve got some vibrato. This is the rapid shaking of a note, and we can see this on the tab thanks to those thick squiggly lines. I’d advise moving your fretting finger up and down, just enough to alter the note, but not enough to change the pitch.
Furthermore, we’ve also got a couple of slides. Whereby, we start at one note, and move a finger down to the next note. Two notes for the price of one!
Smells Like Teen Spirt – Nirvana
Next up, we’ve got some peak 1990s grunge. Arguably, one of the laziest guitar solos on this list. However, that’s great for us, looking at beginner guitar solos.
What do I mean by lazy? Well, just like with our ABBA TAB, this solo repeats the vocal melody from the verse. Typically, a guitar solo would introduce some new ideas and flavours to a piece of music. However, this Nirvana hit recycles the same ideas from before.
Nonetheless, it has survived the tests of time, and it suits the song perfectly. We’ve got a few whole-step bends, and watch out for the ghost notes in brackets on the TAB. We don’t want to play those!
Do you want to get even closer to that Nirvana sound? Then why not check out these guitar pedals? Combined, the *Boss DS-1 and *Electro Harmonix Small Clone gave Kurt Cobain the drive and chorus required to create this solo.
Nothing Else Matters – Metallica
Staying with the heavy 1990s stuff, we’re looking at this rock. Nothing Else Matters is a beginner guitar solo necessity. Well, sort of…
Potentially one of the most recognisable guitar intros of all time? And that’s the name of the game here. We’ll be looking at the opening bars of this track. Not technically a guitar solo, but there is only one guitar playing at this point. So, I guess it still counts?
Something to watch out for, we’re in the 6/8 time signature, rather than the traditional 4/4. This gives the piece a slightly different feel. When playing this beginner guitar solo, you’ll want to count along one two three, four five six. This is the pulse of the track.
Now, all you’ll need to sound more like the record is a *Fender Telecaster, along with a B bender. James Hetfield didn’t usually play Tele’s, but for this intro, I guess he made an exception.
Californication – Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Our next beginner guitar solo is one of the hardest on this list. Don’t worry, though, you can still get the hang of it pretty quickly! Down to the early 2000s for this R.H.C.P classic.
Starting with the melancholic intro and verse, rotating around an Am and F chord, the whole track keeps the same laid back vibe throughout. It’s only in the chorus that we get a memorable theme that’s good enough to sing along to.
This solo continues with that sad theme from the rest of the track. Regarding techniques, we’ve got some regular and passing bends. These passing bends mean that we want to bend one note, whilst keeping another where it is. Nothing that we can’t handle! I suppose what makes this one so fiddly is the length, so here it is in two halves:
505 – Arctic Monkeys
Concluding our look at beginner guitar solos is both our most modern track and easiest. From their 2007 album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, 505 is a great place for us to end.
We’ve also got a very simple chord progression. Simply work between Em and Dm, and you’re sorted! As for the solo, we do love a single-string riff. Along with plenty of slides to help us get between those notes. We want to repeat this solo four times ahead of the track gradually fading out.
Dripping in reverb, most of this track is played on a *Gibson ES-335. A big guitar for an even bigger sound. Realistically, though, any semi-hollow bodied guitar with humbuckers will help you get the sound for 505.
Beginner Guitar Solos: Practice Makes Perfect
There we have it, a look at five user friendly, beginner guitar solos. You wouldn’t think that some of those solos were so achievable, would you?
Naturally, the more you dig, the harder solos can become. But, it’s all about scale. At the moment, these may seem simple or could pose a challenge. Yet further down the line, what seems hard now will appear less of a challenge.
What was your first guitar solo? And what are you looking to learn next? Do let us know!
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2 responses to “Beginner Guitar Solos: Songs That are Easier Than They Sound”
I can’t believe you call this beginner, I’m screwed, I thought I was beyond beginner stage.. I guess not..
That sweet child is a fill, not a “solo”