5 Guitar Solos Every Player NEEDS to Know (with tabs)
- ryanboisselle
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Most guitar players learn solos in one of two ways:
They memorize a bunch of random licks and hope it magically turns into “improvisation.”
They chase difficult solos for ego points.
Both can be fun, but if your goal is to actually get better at soloing, there’s a more efficient way:
Learn solos that teach you reusable vocabulary.
Not necessarily the “hardest solos ever.”Not even the “best solos of all time.”
Just solos that are so well-written (and so commonly referenced) that if you learn them properly,
you’ll notice your playing leveling up almost immediately.
This list is built around that idea.
How to Use This List (So It Actually Helps)
Quick method that works:
Listen first. Really listen. Sing the phrases if you can.
Learn it in small chunks (2 bars at a time).
Copy the rhythm + articulation, not just the notes.
Steal one phrase and move it to another key (or another backing track).
If you do that, these solos stop being “covers” and start becoming part of your playing.
1. Hotel California — Eagles
This is one of the best examples of a solo that feels like a story.
Even if you don’t know theory, you can hear that the lines are connected. The solo isn’t just a bunch of licks stacked on top of each other. It’s melodic, it develops, and it moves through the harmony in a way that feels inevitable.
Why it matters
melodic solo construction
repeating motifs (ideas that come back)
“playing through changes” without sounding academic
]What to focus on
the way phrases are repeated and slightly varied
where the solo lands (the resolution notes are not random)
↓Download the tab here↓
2. Sweet Child O’ Mine — Guns N’ Roses
Melodic storytelling phrasing in the first half, rock attitude pentatonic madness in the second half. That's the sweet child o mine solo.
Slash’s phrasing is incredibly teachable: it has attitude, it has hooks, and it’s packed with bends and resolutions that you can reuse in a million other contexts.
Why it matters
core pentatonic language
bends that actually resolve convincingly
call-and-response phrasing
What to focus on
where the bends land (don’t just bend… land)
the rhythm: it’s not just notes, it’s placement and feel
↓Download the tab for the first half here↓
3. Stairway to Heaven — Led Zeppelin
This solo is basically a lesson in how to build intensity with the minor pentatonic scale.
It starts relatively simple and melodic, and then it gradually ramps up into faster lines without losing the thread. The whole thing has an arc. It’s not just “fast = exciting.” It’s a controlled climb.
Why it matters
how to shape a solo over time
mixing melody with faster runs
dynamic control and pacing
What to focus on
the “energy levels” as the solo progresses
phrasing that still sounds like a voice, even when it speeds up
↓Download the tab for the full here↓
4. Green’s Greenery — Grant Green
This one is here because it’s a reminder that great soloing isn’t always about flash.
Grant Green’s lines are clean, rhythmic, and full of real jazz language, especially the way he locks into time and lets chord tones pull the line forward.
If you want your single-note playing to feel more musical (and less “pattern-y”), studying Grant Green is one of the best moves you can make.
Why it matters
swing phrasing and time feel
chord-tone gravity (lines that actually outline harmony)
clear, melodic single-note logic
What to focus on
how often strong notes (3rds and 7ths) show up naturally
rhythmic placement: the lines sit in the pocket
↓Download the tab for first chorus here↓
5. Let It Be (Naked version) — The Beatles
This solo is the definition of “say more with fewer notes.”
It’s melodic, expressive, and it teaches something a lot of guitar players need to hear:
You don’t need a lot of notes to sound good. You need good phrasing.
This is a great solo for those who want to play a solo with no bending involved using the major pentatonic scale.
Why it matters
melodic soloing that feels like singing
space and timing
What to focus on
how long notes are held
where the space is
how the vibrato finishes a phrase
↓Download the tab for the song plus solo here↓
Final Thoughts
If you learn all five of these, you’re covering a lot of the core soloing universe:
melodic “through the changes” soloing (Hotel California)
classic pentatonic rock vocabulary (Sweet Child)
building intensity and pacing (Stairway)
jazz phrasing and chord-tone awareness (Grant Green)
expressive, emotional phrasing (Let It Be)
The goal isn’t just to learn them once and move on.
The goal is to steal ideas and make them yours.
That’s how solos stop being “things you memorize” and start becoming your vocabulary.
Want Help Learning Solos and Improvisation?
If you want help learning solos, phrasing, and improvisation in a way that actually carries over into your own playing, I teach private guitar lessons in Takadanobaba and online.
Lessons are available in English and Japanese, and we work on:
transcription (without it feeling like homework)
phrasing and rhythm
how to turn theory into real musical lines
how to build vocabulary you can actually use
If you’re interested, check out the trial lesson page here:
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