How do you learn tough guitar solos?

General
1

I’m looking for some tips on how to learn tough guitar solos.

When it comes to easier solos, I can usually figure them out by ear or with tabs. For example, solos like the ones in ‘Wish You Were Here’ or ‘Wonderful Tonight.’ But when it comes to more difficult solos, like ‘Wake Up Dead’ by Megadeth, I often get frustrated trying to follow the tabs and end up turning to video tutorials on YouTube to get it right.

So, my question is: How do you all learn solos from bands like Megadeth or Joe Satriani using just tabs? Or do you use video tutorials too? Or does it get easier to pick up tough solos as you get better at guitar?

Thanks in advance for your help!

2

A lot of people still figure them out by ear. I’m not great at that though, I just don’t have the patience for it.

I usually mix using my ear, tabs, and videos. I find the original video and covers on YouTube really helpful. Especially since you can slow them down to 0.5x speed to see exactly what they’re doing.

Sometimes I’ll watch a video and think ‘Ah, I was so close!’ It’s definitely a learning process.

But that’s how I do it.

3

Try chunking and slowing things down.

I usually learn something that’s just a little above my level, that way I can progress faster and spend less time on the basics. It’s better to focus on muscle and sonic memory rather than just mechanics.

Also, sing what you’re trying to play before even touching your guitar. Sing it during the day too. Another trick is to visualize your hand movements before playing, even without the guitar. It really helps with memorization.

4

Here are some tricks for remembering rhythmic figures and note sequences. Try vocalizing the rhythm of the phrase while playing just one note. And to learn the notes, try playing the sequence without worrying about rhythm, just quarter notes in order.

Listen closely to the bass and drum patterns to keep track of where the phrase starts and ends. Counting the music helps too. It’s good to visualize the notes and rhythm as you learn and play.

5

First off, what key is the solo in?

Next, what scale are you using? Once you know that, you’ll have an idea of which notes are being used and which ones aren’t. (You might find some notes outside the usual scale.)

Then, slow it down. I usually play it at 75% speed on YouTube and pick it apart bit by bit by ear.

Also, where is the most efficient place on the neck to play it? That’s usually the right spot.

And finally, make sure you’ve mastered all the soloing techniques before diving in, so you’ll know exactly what the player is doing when you hit a tricky part.