So you want to play some rock solos, but are unsure of where to begin? I have a few suggestions to get you going. I will say for a lot of these, knowing a few pentatonic shapes and barre chords will be helpful!
Mama I’m Coming Home – Ozzy Osbourne
I think this might be my favorite beginner rock solo. Not a ton of crazy fast licks but great lines that give you a lot of room to feel the space between phrases. It also gives you time to play with the notes to work on bends, vibrato and the like. Now the last lick is crazy with the switching strings, but you can skip that and everything else is within reach!
Oye Como Va by Santana
Another one where I don’t find the speed to be intimidating and that revolves a lot around tasty phrasing! This idea of repeating certain licks can really go a long way in developing any solo.
Knockin’ On Heavens Door – Slash’s First Solo
This is another one where the space is a really good way to get some solos underneath your fingers. The biggest thing with some rock solos is really developing your sense of time.
Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
I only put this last because it’s an acoustic solo and I don’t think of this as too “rocky”… but it is David Gilmore… and it is Pink Floyd so I do think it counts.
So there we have it, four solos to get the feel of some lead playing. Be sure to feel the spaces and really work on those bends!
Dig.