How to Break Down a Guitar Solo: Lead Guitar Soloing Lessons

Name: How to Break Down a Guitar Solo: Lead Guitar Soloing Lessons
Rating: 4.5 (11 reviews)

Understand HOW to Create Lead Guitar Solos by Studying the Greats: Improvisation, Music Theory, Phrasing, Context

Created byErich Andreas

Last updated 7/2024

English

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What you'll learn

Learn one of the most iconic guitar solos of all time: Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin
Understand the context of each lick as it applies to the chords
Learn how to break any large piece of music down to it's assets
Gain a vocabulary of killer rock/blues licks

Course content

1 section • 18 lectures • 1h 43m total length

Introduction6:13
Break down a guitar solo by sections in this lead guitar soloing lessons course, mastering Stairway to Heaven, and building lick-by-lick, note-for-note vocabulary to tackle any solo.
The Music Theory Behind the Solo4:35
Learn the music theory behind a lead solo in a minor key, using a minor pentatonic and blues scale with dorian flavor over the minor–G major–F major progression, and breakdowns.
Solo Played at 75% speed2:58
Slow down guitar solos to 75% speed to hear nuances and improve learning, using tools such as Riff Station, DJ Pro, Guitar Pro, or TuxGuitar.
Solo Played at 50% speed1:38
Break down a lead guitar solo by analyzing a solo played at 50% speed to reveal its structure and key techniques for lead guitar soloing.
Lick 18:37
Learn lick one from Stairway to Heaven, treat licks as complete musical sentences, analyze a whole-step bend to E in the A minor blues scale, and practice slowly with pull-offs.
Lick 28:43
Analyze lick two from the lead guitar soloing lesson, focusing on a whole-step bend, pentatonic ideas with a minor-scale note, and a sliding slur.
Lick 33:43
Explore lick 3 built on the minor pentatonic scale, focusing on note accuracy and the execution of hammer ons, pull offs, and picking, with attention to slurs in tablature.
Lick 46:20
Analyze a minor pentatonic lick with one note from the minor scale, using open G, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and ghost notes and grace notes to color the solo and improve accuracy.
Seaming Licks Together6:07
Unify your lead guitar solos by mastering the seam technique: connect the end of one lick to the start of the next in a looping, metronome-driven drill.
Lick 58:53
Analyze lick 5, exploring slides, vibrato, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and arpeggios over F arpeggio and minor pentatonic, seam licks into phrases, and emphasize accuracy over speed with economy or alternate picking.
Lick 69:41
Learn a minor lead lick with a full bend on the 15th fret and a phrase crossing measures, while muting to keep only the target notes audible.
Lick 79:02
Break down and master a fast minor pentatonic lick, bending the 15th fret to 17th, then picking and pulling off across strings, with practice tips and looping tools.
Lick 87:49
Slow down lick 8 and contrast tab with interpretation, featuring the 15–15 double stop in the pentatonic, a 17 bend, and pull-off/hammer-on choices for muscle memory.
Lick 95:27
Learn a scrunched-up minor pentatonic lick, understand how to split it into two ideas or motifs, and master bend and pull-off techniques in blues context through patient practice.
Lick 102:50
practice this pentatonic lick by bending 14th fret up one and a half steps to the 17th, choke the note, then slide 12th to 14th fret on the third string.
Lick 112:37
Learn lick 11 in this lead guitar soloing lesson, bending two full steps up to the 14th fret on the G, with slow, steady practice and tab-guided interpretation.
Lick 122:33
Master the final a minor pentatonic lick, featuring a 17th-fret pull-off from the second string to the 20th fret, a 22nd-fret bend with vibrato, and practice to finish the solo.
Conclusion5:56
Break down a classic solo step by step, learn to sew one lick into longer phrases, and use pentatonic, blues, and minor scales with expressive bends to emote.

Requirements

Basic picking and fretting skills are needed
A guitar
Practice cannot be avoided

Description

Have you ever wanted to delve into the mind of your favorite guitarist and uncover the secrets behind their legendary solos? Imagine learning one of the most iconic solos ever while enhancing your lead guitar skills with practical licks in context with music theory. What if you could break down complex pieces of music in an easy, fun, and rewarding way, allowing you to apply these techniques to any solo or song you encounter?

If you answered yes, you're in the right place! This course is meticulously designed with several key outcomes in mind. Breaking down a guitar solo is one of the most potent ways to build a robust vocabulary of guitar licks, understand the context of these licks over chord progressions, and master one of the most classic guitar solos ever created.

In this comprehensive course, you'll be guided step-by-step through learning the solo for "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin. This isn't just about playing the notes; it's about understanding the nuances and techniques that make this solo memorable. You'll learn how to dissect each phrase, understand the theory behind it, and see how it fits into the song's overall structure.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to play the solo confidently and gain invaluable insights into the creative process behind it. You'll understand why specific notes were chosen, how the solo builds and resolves, and how to apply these principles to your playing.

Just as we learn to communicate as children by mimicking others and understanding the context of what is said, this is how we learn to speak with our guitar, especially in lead guitar and improvisation. You'll develop the ability to break down any solo or song, making it easier to learn and more enjoyable to play.

Join me on this transformative journey that will leave a lasting impact on your lead guitar playing in profound ways. Whether you're a beginner looking to improve your skills or an experienced player wanting to deepen your understanding, this course will provide the tools and knowledge you need to take your playing to the next level.

Embark on this game-changing adventure and discover the joy of mastering one of the most excellent guitar solos ever. Let's make music together!

Who this course is for:

Rock guitar players
Blues guitar players
Guitarists looking to better their improvisation
Guitarists looking to increase their licks vocabulary
Guitar players looking to understand how to break down large pieces of music