Easy Guitar Solos to Learn for Beginners

For anyone learning to play guitar, the ultimate goal is often to be able to play a solo, especially for those musicians that prefer lead over rhythm. While solos may seem hard most of the time, they are easier once you break them down and actively listen to the song. When practicing your solos, start slowly and make sure everything is working and sounding right before speeding up. The feeling of learning and playing lead is amazing.

Learning Solos by Ear and Utilizing Online Resources

While you are learning these solos, the best thing to do is to find as much by ear as possible. There are tons of guitar tabs and guitar chords online, and many user-made videos on how to play them, try and get as far as possible without looking! The great guitar Gods of rock, progressive, metal, and jazz are so awesome because they started out by playing records and copying.

The Role of the Guitar Solo

When a band plays, the rhythm section is made up of the bass, drums, and other percussive techniques. Then you will often see two guitars as one plays backing chords while the other plays the lead riffs. One reason guitar became such a huge instrument in the 50’s was because the new electric distortion made for great leads; it can cut through a mix and be heard. So it’s not just the right notes and techniques that matter; when you play a solo, it needs to rise above and cut through the other instruments. If you are playing with others, you may need various pedals and effects units to achieve that effect. Your solo is when the spotlight is on you, so make it both fitting yet unique.

Understanding Scales and Modes

Solos are just another form of melody, so you will mostly be playing the guitar scales and modes of the song you are in. Some players are confused by modes, but they are just scales in specific orders and with their own vibes. If you want to find a song solo by ear, it first helps to find the key and chord progression; once you have that, it is those notes that will mostly make the solo up. Once you know the scale you are working on, put the song on repeat and start the trial and error process of finding the right note. Use a guitar tuner to tell exactly what notes you are playing, as this will help you memorize the fretboard.

Examples of Easy Guitar Solos

Here are some examples of easy guitar solos to get you started:

"Enter Sandman" by Metallica

This Metallica tune is in A minor and is mostly played on the G string starting at the second fret (the A note). There are some ghost notes and bends, but otherwise the solo is very easy.

"Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes

This song is in E minor and so is the solo; it is a very simple but rocking beat that is great practice and most people love it. It starts on the 9th fret of the G string (at note E for the scale) and riffs between the 11th and 12th fret along with a quick jump to the 10th fret of the B string.

"Paint It Black" by The Rolling Stones

Another E minor scale is on The Rolling Stones “Paint It Black” plus this solo follows the main melody of the song so that helps. It starts at the 5th fret of the B string (an E note) and moves up to the E string on the 2, 3, and 5 frets, all we do is repeat the main riff off the song with these notes.

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana

Grunge bands are known for playing rather easy power chords and simple solos, in fact you can be sloppy in your playing and the distortion will usually hide it well.

"Song 2" by Blur

Here we have F minor and we start on the 10th fret of the D string, which is the C note, solos don’t always start on the root!

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"The Man Who Sold the World" by Nirvana/David Bowie

Whether you play the Nirvana or original David Bowie version of this song it is relatively easy and is in both D and Dm. We start on the second fret of the G string and stay on that string for the entire time.

"What’s Up?" by 4 Non Blondes

4 Non Blondes wrote this easy song and solo, many new guitarists like this song as it only has 3 simple chords over and over. It uses the A pentatonic and blues notes and is a little harder than the rest so far but for the most part you are simply copying the melody and main riffs.

"Pour Some Sugar on Me" by Def Leppard

This is an easy 80’s rocking guitar solo for those that have whammy bars, there are a couple notes here that will give a little bend to. It is in E major as opposed to the more common minor in rock songs we have seen so far.

"Sleepwalk" by Santo & Johnny

This early rock hit was done on a slide guitar to give it that laid back and melancholy vibe. It is mostly in the key of C and Am and it is great practice for pulling more out of notes.

"Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak

This Chris Isaak tune may be the easiest and hardest on the list? It is in B Dorian and barely uses any notes, but with the vibrato and heavy bends it sounds like so much more.

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"When I Come Around" by Green Day

Most of our solos have been single notes to keep them easy, but great riffs often involve playing more than one note at a time. Here Green Day occasionally uses double stops or two strings at once.

Three More Solos to Start With

To help you get started with solos, here are three more solos in different genres:

"Sunshine of Your Love" by Cream

"Sunshine of Your Love" by Cream is a classic rock staple with a simple and straightforward guitar solo. If you know your pentatonic boxes, this should be a lot of fun. And if you don’t know your pentatonic scale, this is a great song to practice the boxes with - it’s always more fun to learn scales/techniques with an actual song. This solo is a great intro to the blues-rock style and will help you develop your bending and vibrato techniques. Plus, who doesn’t love Cream-era Clapton?

"The Thrill is Gone" by B.B. King

B.B. King's "The Thrill is Gone" is a legendary blues song that every aspiring blues or rock guitarist should learn. B.B. always made these small box patterns soulful, and got a lot of mileage out of the handful of notes he used. The solo contains tried and true blues licks that are perfect for beginners. This song also helps beginner guitarists break out of E minor, as it’s in B minor. A good song to start learning that part of the fretboard.

"Say It Ain't So" by Weezer

"Say It Ain't So" by Weezer features a catchy solo that’s a blast to play. You can put on your favorite grunge tone, and make sure you learn the chorus section too - it’s great for learning bends. After this song, you can try Weezer’s “Buddy Holly”, which is also in the same vein, and has another killer solo and lots of great lead playing.

Additional Easy Guitar Solos: A List of 50

As you practice more, you will soon realize that there are way more than 10 easy guitar solos, even the difficult ones aren’t that bad. It’s all about looking at the notes of the song and solo and getting the feeling right. If you keep making mistakes then it is best to find a new song or just slow down more.

Here is a list of 50 easy guitar solos that every player must know:

The Early Rock and Roll Era (1950s)

Maybellene (1955) by Chuck Berry: Trademark Chuck Berry licks, bluesy pentatonic riffs, and chordal jabs.
Heartbreak Hotel (1956) by Elvis Presley (Guitarist: Chet Atkins): Double-stops with quarter-note bends that reflect the song’s melody.
Jailhouse Rock (1957) by Elvis Presley (Guitarist: Scotty Moore): Double-stops, sixths, Chuck Berry licks, boogie bass riffs, and sliding chords.
Johnny B Goode (1958) by Chuck Berry: The epitome of Chuck Berry licks and flashy blues runs.
La Bamba (1958) by Los Lobos (Guitarist: Cesar Rosas): Flashy, open-string runs based on the C major scale with hammer-ons, pulloffs, and tremolo picking.
Peter Gunn (1959) by Duane Eddy: Lead guitar on the bass strings with a twangy sound.
Sleepwalk (1959) by Johnny & Santo Farina (Versions by Larry Carlton and Brian Setzer): Beautiful melody that lends itself to double-stops, chord melodies, and bluesy pentatonic licks.

The Early 1960s

Apache (1960) by The Shadows (Guitarists: Bert Weedon and Hank Marvin): A guitar instrumental influential to many British guitarists.
Hideaway (1961) by Freddie King: The main melody is a perfectly constructed blues solo with a main theme and variation, using a call and response.
The Stumble (1961) by Freddie King: Similar to “Hideaway” but uses an AB blues form, starts on the IV, and has some variations with the licks and techniques.
Pipeline (1962) by The Chantays (Guitarist: Bob Spickard): An easy melody that uses arpeggios and scale tones.

The British Invasion and Beyond (1964-1969)

Can’t Buy Me Love (1964) by The Beatles (Guitarist: George Harrison): Carl Perkins-inspired pentatonic and blues licks.
Secret Agent Man (1966) by The Ventures (Guitarist: Bob Bogle): Features the iconic chromatic riff, single-note bass line passages, and cool arpeggiated fills.
Hey Joe (1966) by The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Guitarist: Jimi Hendrix): Cascading intro riff with unison licks, hammerons, pulloffs, and bends with trademark Jimi double-stops. The solo uses the E minor pentatonic scale while targeting chord tones.
Light My Fire (1967) by The Doors (Guitarist: Robby Krieger): An introduction to playing the Dorian scale.
Fire (1967) by The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Guitarist: Jimi Hendrix): E minor scale with targeted chord tones.
I Can See for Miles (1967) by The Who (Guitarist: Pete Townshend): A unison lick played using the 1st string open and the 2nd string, 4th fret with a half-step bend.
All Along the Watchtower (1968) by The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Guitarist: Jimi Hendrix): Intro lick uses a pentatonic scale while adding the 9th and the 6th degrees giving it a decidedly Dorian feel.
Born to Be Wild (1968) by Steppenwolf (Guitarist: Michael Monarch): A barroom and motorcycle rally staple with a very easy solo.
Come Together (1969) by The Beatles (Guitarist: George Harrison): Pentatonic licks mixed with targeted chord tones.
Communication Breakdown (1969) by Led Zeppelin (Guitarist: Jimmy Page): Chuck Berry licks on steroids, shifting between E minor and major pentatonic scales adding emotionally-charged bends.
Whole Lotta Love (1969) by Led Zeppelin (Guitarist: Jimmy Page): Based on the E minor pentatonic scale.
Proud Mary (1969) by Creedence Clearwater Revival (Guitarist: John Fogerty): Single-note pentatonic licks, double-stops and triad chord riffs.
Sympathy for the Devil (1969) by The Rolling Stones (Guitarist: Keith Richards): Uses the C shape of the E minor pentatonic scale with agitated licks and whole-step and quarter-step bends.

The 1970s

Mississippi Queen (1970) by Mountain (Guitarist: Leslie West): Features powerful playing, strong melody, not a lot of flash and pure attitude.

Other Easy Solos

Holiday by Green Day: Simple riff that makes use of power chords and repetition.
Voodoo Child by Jimi Hendrix: Iconic riffs and solos.
Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix: Classic riffs and solos with string bends.
Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley: Combines blues and rockabilly with power chords and single notes.
Slow Ride by Foghat: Chord progression that serves as its backbone.
On The Road Again by Willie Nelson: Single notes at varying tempos with string bends.
Pipeline by The Ventures: String bends, hammer-ons and pull-offs.
Oye Como Va by Santana: Confines the melody to just two strings, but uses hammer-ons and recognizable fret patterns.

More Solos to Explore

"Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison
"Wild Thing" by The Troggs
"You Really Got Me" by The Kinks
"Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen
"Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple (the main riff can be adapted into a simple solo)
"Iron Man" by Black Sabbath (similar to Smoke on the Water)
"Blitzkrieg Bop" by The Ramones
"My Girl" by The Temptations (the intro riff works well as a solo)
"Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan/Guns N' Roses
"Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd (the intro solo)
"Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day
"Californication" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Under the Bridge" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Otherside" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Dani California" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Brain Stew" by Green Day
"Basket Case" by Green Day

Tips for Learning Guitar Solos

When it comes to trying your hand at a guitar solo for the first time -- or even the first few times -- don’t feel intimidated. Everyone was a beginner once and even the greatest guitarists had moments where they struggled to play a solo. Here are a few tips for beginner guitarists who are starting to play solos:

Take it slow. There are no extra points given for trying to play a solo at top speed. Sometimes, you need to let the notes breathe and take things slowly. Before you start soloing, warm up a bit. Play a few scales or finger exercises to be sure you are hitting the notes correctly on your fretboard. This approach can also help to remove some of the intimidation factor of playing a guitar solo. Once you’ve had a chance to warm up, start to play the solo slowly. Accuracy matters more than speed. Learning to master the notes and allowing their full tone to ring out instead of playing them fast and sloppy can help you to build greater confidence. Keep practicing and you can eventually pick up the speed of your playing!
Learn the solo in small chunks. It can be tough to commit an entire guitar solo to memory in a single sitting. When you first start to play a guitar solo, don’t sit down for a practice session with the expectation that you will learn to play it in its entirety in just one day. Instead, break the solo down into small chunks and master each section a little at a time. It may take you a few days or even a few weeks, but you’ll have more of a chance to memorize and perfect each section.
Develop a strong foundation of techniques. When playing a guitar solo, it’s the little things that bring that section of music to life. While precision and accuracy are key in playing the right notes and making sure they ring out clearly, it’s applying different skills to those notes -- such as string bends, hammer-ons and pull-offs -- that can lend color, depth, and feeling to a guitar solo. Learning different techniques and how they can change the tone of a solo is a great way to experiment with putting your own stamp on a solo.

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