The Greatest Guitar Solo Ever Played
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 เม.ย. 2024
- Was there ever any doubt?
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What makes a great guitar solo? How do you transcend beyond merely playing notes and create something truly sublime? Easy: Be Prince. The Purple One's guitar skills are legendary, but perhaps his crowning achievement came in 2004, when he joined an all-star tribute to George Harrison for the late Beatle's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Prince waited patiently for his moment, and as they reached the end of Harrison's iconic ballad, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, he stepped forward and made history, playing what is often described as the greatest guitar solo ever played. Let's talk about why.
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The original performance: • 2021 Remaster "While M...
Really Easy Guitar Lessons tutorial on playing this solo: • While My Guitar Gently...
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Some additional thoughts/corrections:
1) This solo was a huge pain to transcribe, so I wanted to shout out Jon Chorba of Really Easy Guitar Lessons, who had by far the most accurate transcription I could find: th-cam.com/video/lPL4KfA1kg4/w-d-xo.html I still double-checked everything myself, and my transcription differs from Jon's in some places (Although who knows, maybe he's right and I'm wrong. there's certainly some parts I'm not confident on, and a few outright mistakes that I caught after filming, although nothing that would significantly affect my analysis.) but having such a good starting point made this process go a lot faster than it would have otherwise.
2) When I say Prince opted not to play the solo in rehearsal, that's glossing over a bit of nuance. Basically, Mann had been playing this song in other tribute contexts before, and so when they went to rehearse he basically assumed he'd be doing the same thing and played them by default. Gallen pulled Petty and Lynne aside to address Mann stepping on Prince's toes, but when he eventually talked to Prince himself about it, he told him not to let Mann take the middle solo. From what I can tell, it's not clear whether that had always been the plan or if he was adapting, and it's also not clear if Prince intentionally hid his solo or if he made that call once Mann interrupted him. I compressed that 'cause it wasn't the point of the story, but I wanted to acknowledge the fuller context.
3) Honestly there's not all that many F#s in the solo either: The major 6th clashes with the minor 3rd, and since the first five bars all have C in the harmony, he doesn't get a lot of space to use it. They mostly come as approach notes to G, until the octave section at the end where he does more clearly settle on the F# itself. Still, though, the complete lack of Fs makes it seem like he's thinking of the whole thing in Dorian, even if he's mostly drawing from a hexatonic pitch collection. (That is, minor with an added 2. I've seen some sources call this mainly pentatonic, but there's too much of an emphasis on B for me to feel comfortable with that analysis.)
4) Another difference between the two open-E 16th parts is that in the first one he does a really quick pull-off so you barely get the note, whereas here he lets it sit for a full 16th, giving it a clearer melodic shape. Didn't think of that 'til I was editing.
5) I realized after filming that the long gap in release between Godfather Part 2 and Part 3 might make the reference I made seem like I was saying Part _2_ was disappointing, but I was just really struggling to come up with a good pictogram for a bad sequel, and Godfather Part 3 is famously underwhelming. Sorry for any confusion.
6) In retrospect I wish I'd talked a bit more explicitly about his tendency to take an idea and repeat it over and over, and the impact that has in making his solo seem intentional and meaningful. I touched on it indirectly, but it's a really important point: A solo that's just one long string of unrelated ideas is less interesting than a solo that ties everything together, and those connections come from repetition. Sometimes this is really explicit, like that G-A bend or the lick he plays after the four-bar break, and sometimes it's more about playing around with a figure, like the pattern accelerations of that constant return to the A-B-A thing in different shapes, but the point is he's building something, and to do that he needs to acknowledge his foundation.
Irony...there was NOTHING gentle about the weaping of Prince's guitar. It was full throated sobbing and screaming in anguish. And we were here for every note of it.
Commented I read on one of the videos of this performance:
"Prince's guitar aggressively wailed."
The best part is him throwing the guitar in the air and it never landed
It’s in the skies
George caught it, and you cannot convince me otherwise.
You know it’s a good solo when the stage dive/lean isn’t the only thing mentioned
Ascend to the rafters.
He was putting it away for later.
I was watching this live on TV as it happened (or as it was broadcast), and I did an immediate 180 on Prince. I was 12 and had only known Prince as the guy from that weird movie that was played on cable constantly. As I type this, I'm suddenly realizing I started playing guitar that same year. I might have started playing because of Prince, and never realized it.
He's an easy guy to underestimate. If you had only heard his radio hits, you could be forgiven for thinking that he's just a talented pop musician.
But he's also one of the best guitarists of all time, with a thorough understanding of how to express himself on the instrument that I'm not sure anyone can match. He sung on a guitar just as surely as he did with his voice.
@bronsoncarder2491 the underrated part a lot of the mainstream didn't know about Prince was just how good he was on other instruments. The man was a virtuoso on the piano and played a mean set of drums.
I remember watching this on tv, too. I was 18. Being freshly familiar with both the song and Prince in general, when he first showed up on stage I knew to buckle up.
I’m not sure if it’s his very best solo. Something like When Doves Cry is hard to beat. But for people whose ears aren’t tuned to 1980s R&B and Pop, this was the moment when his talent was on display in a way Beatles fans could immediately understand. Crazy that a Hall Of Fame performance the year you are inducted can actually garner you more recognition.
I’m a little fuzzy on the timeline, but I had the same experience with one difference: I had heard (I think before this performance) that Clapton said in an interview that Prince was the greatest living guitarist. I think it must’ve been in response to Rolling Stone’s recent list of 100 GOAT guitarists that snubbed Prince with Eric at the top. This performance wasn’t just a tribute to George, it was also a middle finger to RS (who would correct this error in their revision of the list years later)
@@bronsoncarder2491 I think it's because Prince played all the instrumentals (in the recordings) that most people don't know he's a great guitarist. The whole songs are his show. Whereas in most bands, it's like the singer and lead guitarist are a bit in opposition - singers don't sing when the guitarist gets to go off and vice versa. But each individual wants a moment to shine. Prince only had to cater to himself, so he created his vision instead of making way for somebody else.
Prince told them "don't worry about it." Around the 5-minute mark of the song he smiles at the rest of the band as if he was saying "see? I told you!"
Watching this, I'm mostly just heartbroken that we've lost Harrison, Petty, and Prince.
Totally. I agree.
Me too! I get very sad to know it would have taken only one true friend to save Prince. 😢
There will never be another Prince.
He was a goddamned miracle, and a gift to the world.
Rest in peace, you absolute legend.
God I hope there will be another Prince that'd be lit
theres certainly been musicians just as brilliant but no not another Prince
he did not throw the guitar in the crowd. he threw it up, there was a stage hand who had to catch it and keep it from falling down. making the impression it just disappeared. the solo is fantastic, but this final surprise move makes it unforgettable.
seeing it thrown up without a fall actually made it feel like the guitar was an offering, wasn't sure if it was an editing trick, glad to know it was actually good stage work
It was an editing trick indeed. The same guy that held him on his back bend caught the guitar right in front of the stage.
The original live cut of the performance (through a quick cut to Prince walking offstage) made it appear that the guitar disappeared.
The “official” hall of fame cut totally ruined the illusion by showing the guitar being caught.
Personal opinion: They should have NEVER released to 2nd edit…
CHEERS!
When it cuts to the wide you can see the guitar falling back down
Nah it’s with him in heaven. It just got a head start.
Also, it wasn't just that he threw the guitar up in the air... It was on a strap. He lifted it up and over his head *and* his giant red hat *without touching his hat!*
"He's more painting a picture of A Dorian..."
Oh man, I don't know whether to give you a standing ovation or a hearty Bronx cheer for that one. So bad and so very good!
Oh dang I completely missed that while trying to figure out why he drew a fish before remembering that Finding Nemo exists 😂
@@emilyrlnoh wow
I listened to this on Nebula, and had to come here to find out what listeners had to say about that line.
As someone who grew up obsessively playing Guitar Hero as a kid, I've always had a fixation on guitar solos, but I noticed that a lot of music analysis videos hardly ever devoted much time to breaking them down. I always wondered if the generally fast and chaotic nature of solos just didn't really lend themselves to detailed analysis, and perhaps they were simply better enjoyed "from a distance" instead of under the microscope of musical theory. Actually seeing a bar-by-bar breakdown of a guitar solo like this is genuinely fascinating to me.
I wish there were more solo breakdowns.
I highly recommend you guys go check our Polyphonic here on TH-cam. He has stepped away for mental and health reasons. But before he did, he did a 5 or 6 video series on the history of the guitar solo... and it is fantastic. Stretching all the way back to the 1910s and 20s. All the way to current day.
@@ag7898 Polyphonic's guitar history series has some real flaws, though. So be aware. For one thing, he focuses on Nirvana as the pinnacle of grunge, as a rejection of traditional guitar rock, which is...Certainly a take. Cobain definitely was refining Jesus Lizard and Mudhoney, but you also had major bands like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden and others that had multiple guitarists. hell, Nirvana brought in Pat because Cobain was kinda bad at guitar, even when sober, and they needed another who actually could reliable play. It's not a BAD history. But it is flawed.
I would also say, if you're interested in solo breakdowns, look at videos focusing on jazz. Even if you aren't a jazz musician, the forms are basically the same. This is across instruments, too, for the fundamentals.
@@ag7898 Thanks for the tip. That sounds great.
This is coming from someone who used to play Jazz. I figure guitar solos are to a degree improvised, so whereas the verse is written out, the solos have chords and scales that should be followed but no specific notes. Which is why you'll see some variation in live performances and different takes. In terms of what's written, you're just breaking down the chords. In terms of what's played, you're putting to paper something that was improvisation.
Also, because solos are largely improvisation, each solo is different-sometimes minor, something major.
I agree with the comment above on taking a look at jazz, because jazz is all about improvised solos. A lot of sheet music for jazz will have the chord changes written on top of the bar, as a guideline for what chords this part is and what notes to focus on for that part in a solo (though we were at a low level, so we were allowed to just make sure we were in the right scale). Though we were told those were added after the fact, and most of the greats just had an ear for knowing how to do it.
22:25 "How can you possibly bring this to a conclusion without disappointing?" Draws a House Stark crest.
Lol brilliant!
The moral of the story: Contrasting flavours are the spice of a good solo.
I’m not a musician, but I know this solo by heart. I watched it live and it felt like I was watching the moon landing (which is similar to how I felt watching Prince’s halftime show). I’m so glad to see it get the attention it deserves!
Thank you for this analysis. I watched this solo so many times over the years. Not only because of Prince's playing, but also because of the looks of delight and disbelief on Dhani Harrison's face; that's priceless.
I've never been a particular fan of Prince, not that there's anything wrong with his work its' just not my thing, but whatever else you want to say about the man, could certainly play the dang guitar. RIP
He played everything well. Really well. Drums, bass, keys etc
Knew it would be this performance. I love how Tom Petty and Steve Winwood go from annoyed to stunned while Prince shreds on
Yeah. They were stunned that Prince decided to make the moment about him.
@@mjt5576 And the solo is all about his technical ability and totally misses the point of the song, Clapton's original solo is far superior as it really compliments the song.
@@mjt5576 yeah it was about him he was inducted that night...He reminded YOU ALL the reason you love the guitar is because Hendrix showed YOU the light. Clapton is average at best.
@@mjt5576garbage take
I thought it would be this too, but also thought the superbowl performance may have been the pick too
“Because he’s Prince” words that say a lot.
Prince was a goddamned fucking genius and we lost so much with his death.
when all the legends are staring at you with their mouths open...
i think thats proof you are the best guitarist they've ever seen !
RIP Prince Rogers Nelson. an amazing force for music.
He's no Yngwie
The guitar toss at the end btw
Prince is a very underrated guitar player. As soon as I clicked the video I knew you was gonna mention this performance. Real fans know this performance. R.I.P Prince.
Honestly believe he is slightly overrated..one good solo don't make you an elite player
@@chrismiller5875 good thing he has multiple good solos
@@chrismiller5875 he has more than one solo. Many, and when I mean many I mean stuff ranging from his studio work to the bagillion live shows he did over his career. From the big Stadiums, small clubs, and even the recorded jam sessions he had with all the people he worked with over the years. whether it was electric and/ or acoustic.
@@Panda_man.. I have heard him extensively over 40 years, have heard him play awful too...better than me for sure but not elite, compared to most guitarist he has a small library
Prince is just underrated generally as a musician. You never hear anyone going on about him, even his fans are just like ‘yeah, he was alright’.
If you go to the Rock hall, they have a show designed to give you the feel of attending an induction ceremony using archival footage. The solo is so legendary that it's what they use to close the show. If I had a nickel for every time Prince did a mic drop moment, cementing himself as the greatest to do a show ever, I'd have two nickels. It's not a lot, but it's weird that I have two; one for the Rock Hall and another for the Superbowl. The man was legend.
He certainly has more spots in the top 10 list of best live performances ever than anyone else
Dog I already KNEW what solo it was gonna be. I just already knew.
Me too. Legendary freaking solo.
Reads the title/
"This better be Prince at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame"
Reads thumbnail: "It's Prince."
"YES!"
Me too! First thing that sprang to mind. Says a lot about that solo doesn’t it?
When I worked at the House of Blues Sunset Strip, we had Prince come play a full 2 hour set in the concert hall, then do an hour acoustic set in the restaurant, then play another 2.5-ish hours of jazz-fusion jam session with his band in the upstairs bar/lounge area.
Over the course on the night he played literally every single instrument on every stage better than almost anyone else I’ve ever seen.
It’s one of my fondest memories of my time there, and really cemented him for me as probably the greatest single musician of all time. Dude was a fucking legend.
Yeah, that is not surprising, ha
Can’t believe you didn’t mention his awesome hat.
Nearly 20 years later and I'm still processing that performance.
Really just par for the course for Prince, most people just never realized it because he mostly saved guitar lead cathartic extravaganzas for his live shows and not as much on singles or albums. If you didn't go, then you didn't know...
To throw another reason on the people not realizing is due to listening to classic rock stations that cut off songs like Purple Rain right before the solo because the lyrics are done or the outro solo in Let's Go Crazy. Pains me everytime. Those solos are so iconic.
I’ve been a guitarist for many years, I’ve seen all the greats, Prince impressed me the most.
I had never heard this tribute song.
I'm in tears after listening to it for the first time.
Don’t you just love it when you happen upon a treasure?
Saw this live and I remember thinking "well that was probably the greatest live solo I've ever seen, and of course it was prince. This human is an enigma."
I only needed to hear that opening guitar note and I knew what performance we were going to be hearing about.
Oh my gosh, I have spent the last few weeks pausing and playing that video trying to work out exactly what he does and when. This has just made my life soooooo much easier, in fact my fingers will be so very grateful as they have been weeping at the skin loss trying to work out all those bends. maybe it's easy for some, not for me though. I can now use this as a guide to the bits I can't get myself. Thank you so very much. doodles are a cool link too, they made me smile.
I've always loved this solo, but I never realized just how appropriately the notes in it were chosen. This is instantly one of my favorite videos you've done.
Dude I needed this analisis. TY
Brilliant analysis. Thank you
What an amazing video. Thank you for introducing me to this.
This video is both magisterial and majestic. Well done
Phenomenal video. Thank you for this. What a great breakdown of a beautiful musical moment.
9:18 "Interrupting cow" - genius. 😎
This is just incredibly good content, thank you
This solo is one of the best pieces of content that TH-cam has to offer, period. I think more should see it.
I'm surprised but so grateful you made this video on it!!!
I think over 150 million views on TH-cam satisfies your wish that “more should see it”!
This is a brilliant video !!!!!!
Great piece of analysis. Love it!
I read the title and immediately thought of this solo!!! I completely agree! Love this video 🎉
Analysing this performance with anything approaching accuracy, is an achievement in and of itself. You should be proud.
What a great breakdown of a perfect guitar solo. Time to watch that performance again! 🔥
Prince was the most phenomenal musician anyone I know has ever experienced. His guitar mastery and technique is belied by what I have come to call “Prinsimplicity”. Keep Bustin’ We miss you 💜
As a recording studio owner and music producer who is, ultimately, just a slightly-reformed drummer, this is an epic video. You're illustrating theory over emotional moments I had, watching Prince play, with additional context. Thanks man!
Awesome. I knew the guitar solo you are talking about! I'm on my knees! Thank you!
I was a tour guide at paisley park for a while and it was such a treasure getting to walk into work every day and see and talk about the madcat guitar he played this solo with. fun fact! it looks like a telecaster but it was actually a cheap knockoff that, according to himself, he bought in front of a gas station from a guy for 50 bucks when he was on his way to play a show and forgot his guitar
I've always felt that this was the best someone ever got to play the guitar, I showed all my friends it. Now I can show them this video!
God, this cover is like a yawn! the second I even think about it I have to immediately go listen to it at least twice!
thanks for explaining all this!
3:30 I love that when he says “is gonna pop up a lot” he draws a zubat.
I love TH-cam. You've obviously been around for a while, but just found you tonight (through a rabbit hole involving Big Country and Level 42). This is the most brilliant, imaginative format for music/audio channels I've ever seen. Congrats on being THIS talented! Insta-sub.
I just watched this on Nebula. Helpfully, it included a link to the performance on TH-cam, which of course I had to play immediately. And this here was at the top of the Recommendations in the right margin! Perfect!
Heavily played in my playlist. What a performance from ALL on stage.
Loved this
Prince - like many guitarists, possibly most of the other guitarists on the stage that night - couldn't read sheet music and really just played by ear. For many of us when we improvise like this, we don't even know what we're actually playing, but we know what we *should* play. I would confidently say here that Prince didn't really *know* which notes to go for, he wasn't looking for a specific note at any point, but it was more like walking around your house in the dark. He knew what his intentions were, he knew what he wanted to express, and he could *feel* his way around the fretboard to the right places. I think that's partly why blues, rock, metal, folk, any other guitar driven styles of music can be so powerful and moving. They're not written with calculated understanding and methodical measured harmonies, they're written with feeling, with an intuitive understanding, an intimate connection with the instrument that defies being written down in notation. So more power to you for making such an in depth analysis and for even attempting to write any of it down!
My favourite cover of this song is probably the one by Jeff Healey. I'd love to see a video about some of his works
This solo is so much more than just the music too, the showmanship is easily the greatest ever.
I like the points you make about the rests/pauses. Silence and the space between notes were important to Prince/his music. He's mentioned how Miles Davis' music had that.
Please examine something by Björk some day. There’s plenty there to analyze with her vocal melodies alone and you’d be one of the only people outside of David Bennett to make a video on her
There's a TH-cam channel called Augusto that has done some videos analysing Björk's music.
Wow, great analysis! Thanks! :)
Wasn't a large part of Prince's performance that night based on the act of his getting snubbed on the Rolling Stone's top Guitarists of all time list? I don't recall if that was the exact situation off the top of my head, but I remember learning about the solo myself from that
Correct 👍
This is definitely a big part of the legend, for sure, and a likely culprit. He's been acknowledged as asking friends why his guitar playing was never acknowledgedin reviews. It's never been 100% confirmed.
Greatest is quite a statement. Perhaps.
I'm not even a huge Prince fan, but this is by far my favorite guitar solo.
Prince was never big in my country, but this will definitely get me to delve deeper into more of his music.
Also, I'm happy to be this early to a vid!
This is an excellent video.
Prince returning to the rhythm part with that huge distortion but short staccato mutes is just so iconic.
The very first time I heard this solo it seared into my soul. Even though I was alone I yelled " And THAT is how you play electric guitar!"
My appreciation for Prince's talent went skyhigh after I saw this solo. I must've watched it a hundred times. The best guitar solo performance I've seen. Just unbelievable!!
Dhanis orgasmic glee at every moment of this solo is the best
Unfortunately Dhani's comments since the event have made it clear he didn't appreciate the solo. Disappointing.
@@solipsismworld Prince made the whole thing about himself, and though technically brilliant the solo didn't fit the song at all, Clapton's original solo really complimented the song, Prince's didn't.
This solo is good, I wish it was on DSPs. It perfectly has all the flare, theatrics and build up of a guitar solo. Seeing the video is almost as important as hearing the solo itself
This cover is on spotify, if that's what you mean, on the album Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Volume 8
@@fox_power Oh wow, I wasn't aware. I'd searched for it before but couldn't find it. Thank you!
I was so happy to experience Prince twice in a live concert. Once in 89/90 after Batman came out and then two years or so later on the Diamond and Pearls tour. He was such a great entertainer and I think he was the best musician we had in the last couple of decades.
I'm still sad that I didn't went to his Musicology tour. Although his music didn't picked me up like before, I still enjoyed his performance and music.
We will never see his like again, and the world is poorer for it.
Fascinating analysis of a wildly memorable moment in rock history. Would have loved to have seen Prince play this live with George…but hey, that’s for an alternate universe. Subscribed! 🎸
I can't tell which I love more, the solo or everyone playing staring Prince down for showing them up lmao 🤣
Prince's legacy is a touch weird to me, the man famously refused parody whatsoever until relenting somewhat in his later years, though he maintained an almost petty relationship with Weird Al. His estate is also infamously controlling and litigious of his music and image. Which is a shame because the man also did some incredibly selfless philanthropy he would keep anonymous about just because he wanted to. And he was such a god damn showman, as evident by this performance and the Super Bowl halftime where he ascended above everyone to ever do that gig.
We really did lose the man too soon.
Your intrinsic jokes are killing it! The Dr Manhattan when playing loose with time, the Dire Wolf of Game of Thrones while talking of a disappointing ending? Savage. I love it!!!
FINALLY! Some Prince love 💜
I don’t think I’d ever heard this; brilliant bit of work, both in the original and Prince’s tribute.
This is the kind of solo that encourages me to keep practicing
My absolute favorite guitar solo ever. Thank you for helping explain why I like it so much!
(also love the dig at GOT)
Unrelated to the video, but is any one else here who is also currently trying to more or less only listen to 3rd studio albums. For me that lead to a very different way of especially searching for the music I want to listen to and also I've made a list of the stuff I already discovered. So Cory, thanks for that idea, I love your videos and the podcast!
Obv I don't disagree with any of this, but I think the renown of this solo is more because for a long time it was the only bit of Prince that didn't get aggressively pulled from YT. I'd love at some point to see a video on Joy in Repetition - my personal favourite of his lead guitar work, and possibly my 1st or 2nd favourite song of his overall (and which actually exhibits a bunch of the features you talk about here, too)
This impressed when I saw it, and it's in one of my playlists
Awesome video.
The breakdown i didnt know i needed
Absolutely agree.
A great breakdown of an iconic solo. One thing that goes unmentioned here is Prince’s incredible tone. Yeah, it looks like just any old Tele and I don’t know what kind of amp he’s playing through but the tone is just massive. Prince’s aggressive vibrato adds to the overall effect but I’ve just never heard a Tele sound like that.
Prince is an untouchable guitarist, but I have a pet theory that his control freak tendencies sometimes bit him in the ass. Like, "I'm gonna write my own songs, perform all the instrumental tracks and do the mixing myself" is impressive as hell, but he could have trouble being objective, sort of wanting to spotlight everything at once. The guitar solo on Little Red Corvette is fucking AMAZING but it's kind of buried in the mix, I guess because he didn't want the work he put in on the other parts to get lost or whatever. I really wish it came through better.
That solo is dez Dickerson
Sheila E. was one of the few musicians who could tell him off and he'd listen.
Truly, Prince would've conquered the world with a good producer (eg Jackson and Q). The production/engineering on a lot of Prince's early albums is horrendous, even from a basic gain/level standpoint
Was he really an 'untouchable' guitarist, though?
@luke5100 He brought contemporary hard rock ideas into a funk context in a way that was fairly unusual for the time.
I never heard of Prince outside of his song Kiss, but was a huge Beatles fan. When discovering more of the Beatles catalog in the early 2000s, I found this and at first was shocked that a cover would be done by anyone not touted as a classic rock legend. I quickly learned that this was one of the most incredible performances in history; I may not have known who prince was, but i certainly knew he was incredibly talented and had an aura about him.
This performance, and Prince’s SB Halftime Show, were just epic … ❤️🔥🎸
If you ever get a chance to go to The Rock and roll hall of fame there's a room with incredible speakers and incredible sound and they play this and it just blew me away
Thank You!❤
25 or 6 to 4... same descending bass line over Am so D9/f# etc
which is why the Am focus works throughout
The Greatest Romance That's Ever Been Soloed
Legend
I agree immediately
Absolutely