Greatest Guitar Solos?

[mickd1961]

A subject I’ve touched on previously.

My favourite all time guitar solo is Roger Walters in “Comfortably Numb”, a track I want played at my funeral.

I’ve never been into Pink Floyd in the slightest , it’s purely this track that captivated me.

From you guitar players such as Kets and Lloyd I’d be interested in your opinion on the track.

Just how good do you think that solo is and just how difficult is it to play?

Could your average guitarist learn it and play it to a similar standard or is it a piece of genius writing combined with a genius guitar player in Walters.

I’d be interested to know where you think he fits an the all time pantheon of guitar greats?

https://youtu.be/LTseTg48568

[boingy]

Hi Mick, great track and that’s a pretty straightforward guitar solo. It’s not fast, lots of effects but if you take it in stages you can pick it up quite easily. With any solo it’s more about your touch, than just playing notes.

[mickd1961]

Hi Mick, great track and that’s a pretty straightforward guitar solo. It’s not fast, lots of effects but if you take it in stages you can pick it up quite easily. With any solo it’s more about your touch, than just playing notes.

One thing I’ve noticed about great guitarist Boingy is the size of their hands and in particular the length of their fingers.

This must be a great help?

[boingy]

One thing I’ve noticed about great guitarist Boingy is the size of their hands and in particular the length of their fingers.

This must be a great help?

I think all my music mates have varying hand sizes Mick but small hands would struggle with reaching notes more on bar chords.
Here's a sample of my playing on a blues track I wrote some years ago, the solo comes in about 2:00 (The pace of this solo is similar to the floyd one)
https://soundcloud.com/jason-mark-ya...-time-is-right

There are so many styles so picking an all time great is highly debatable. I used to really like Dominic Miller (Stings guitarist) but Gilmore like everyone really has his own style.

[BaggieSingh]

One thing I’ve noticed about great guitarist Boingy is the size of their hands and in particular the length of their fingers.

This must be a great help?

Not really an expert on music in any way so won’t know very obscure tracks or guitarists

But gotta say I’m always astounded when watching or listening to Hendrix
I guess some mainstream fella are damn good - Knopfler, Brian May, Gary Moore, Slash, BB King (can’t bring myself to say Clapton due to his bigoted views)

But I also remember seeing Prince play while my guitar gently weeps and was taken aback especially as the company he was in, so glad I got to see him live too before he passed
https://youtu.be/6SFNW5F8K9Y

[mickd1961]

I think all my music mates have varying hand sizes Mick but small hands would struggle with reaching notes more on bar chords.
Here's a sample of my playing on a blues track I wrote some years ago, the solo comes in about 2:00 (The pace of this solo is similar to the floyd one)
https://soundcloud.com/jason-mark-ya...-time-is-right

There are so many styles so picking an all time great is highly debatable. I used to really like Dominic Miller (Stings guitarist) but Gilmore like everyone really has his own style.

Jeez Boingy is that you singing as well as playing? 😲😲

I’m not a Blues type when it comes to music but that is simply stunning and fantastic lyrics so did you write those as well?

It’s got that “Road To Hell” by Chris Rea feel and quality to it.

You deserve to be a household name with that quality my friend, I’m posting that on my FB page now!

It somewhat sums up my mood tonight as well to be honest with you.

Thank you, an absolute gem.

[boingy]

Jeez Boingy is that you singing as well as playing? 😲😲

I’m not a Blues type when it comes to music but that is simply stunning and fantastic lyrics so did you write those as well?

It’s got that “Road To Hell” by Chris Rea feel and quality to it.

You deserve to be a household name with that quality my friend, I’m posting that on my FB page now!

It somewhat sums up my mood tonight as well to be honest with you.

Thank you, an absolute gem.

It’s just something I’ve stuck with since I was 5 Mick. Funny you should mention Chris rea, At gigs people often said that, plus others, depended on the song. I started off on drums, then Bass then rhythm guitar then lead guitar then finally had singing lessons. Got into producing about 15 years ago. It’s a long story but I can just do everything now. Keeps me sane to be honest. (When I recorded that song I studied Chris Rea’s EQ on the track road to hell to get a similar feel)

[kettering_baggie]

The solo is played by David Gilmour, who is a very good musician indeed. I think it is impossible to single out a greatest guitarist or a greatest solo, styles are so different. Clapton, is of course one of the most outstanding, almost too good! His playing live is usually very close, if not identical, to the studio album versions. Others, improvise a lot in live performances, which what I particularly enjoy. Jerry Garcia of Grateful Dead was a great improviser. I am a big fan of Albert Lee, who during an interview was asked how to play a particular solo, he replied that he couexplain it as he played it differently every time! You can play a pretty decent sounding solo by playing the minor pentatonic scale in the appropriate key, but the professionals play the notes all along the fretboard, not just a simple scale, and they do it very quickly; it’s all about instinctively knowing your way about the fretboard. I have short fingers and it is more difficult to play but some adapt very well; Angus Young of AC/DC has small hands and he has said that you have to learn how to play given whatever limitations you may have. There’s always more than one way to play any given chord; F, for example, is usually played as a barre chord but Fmaj7 is much easier, even sounds better in some contexts and when alternating with C, only requires you to move two fingers one string up! I find playing bass a tad easier but you still have to be very exact.

[mickd1961]

It’s just something I’ve stuck with since I was 5 Mick. Funny you should mention Chris rea, At gigs people often said that, plus others, depended on the song. I started off on drums, then Bass then rhythm guitar then lead guitar then finally had singing lessons. Got into producing about 15 years ago. It’s a long story but I can just do everything now. Keeps me sane to be honest.

Mate.......your Albion’s version of Jeff Lynne😎

Talking of which, I’ve always loved ELO and their concert at the NEC in around 2017 was one of the best I’ve ever been to.

I heard Jeff Lynne telling the story of his musical career and until then I hadn’t known that his own father was a classically trained musician and highly critical of his son’s early efforts.

He told him there was no point in writing banal/bland songs and that he needed to tell a story and mix it with great musicianship.

Jeff basically then started making each track a stand alone masterpiece.

I’ve never written as song but ever since I was very young I’ve been told by many people that I’m good with words and I’ve often thought about trying to pen a song.

The problem for me is that I haven’t a clue when it comes to music, I’d need to do a “Bernie Taupin” and hand the words over to an “Elton John” to do the other side.

I’ve always enjoyed what Guy Chambers did with Robbie Williams as well, a genius pairing for a period.

I shall invest more time in listening to your stuff in the coming days Boingy and thanks again.

[kettering_baggie]

I think all my music mates have varying hand sizes Mick but small hands would struggle with reaching notes more on bar chords.
Here's a sample of my playing on a blues track I wrote some years ago, the solo comes in about 2:00 (The pace of this solo is similar to the floyd one)
https://soundcloud.com/jason-mark-ya...-time-is-right

There are so many styles so picking an all time great is highly debatable. I used to really like Dominic Miller (Stings guitarist) but Gilmore like everyone really has his own style.

That’s really nice, I enjoyed listening to that.

My ‘singing’ is not good, perhaps I should cheat and buy an autotune box!