O/T Who listens to guitar solos??

[PugNinjas]

I realized long ago that the guitar solo is basically the 'commercial' within the song

[73h Nils]

Well, considering people I know that don't play guitar, lots of them consider the Stairway to Heaven solo one of the hardest/fastest etc. solos.... So, I don't know

Probably not very important to them, at any rate.

[D.K.]

Well, considering people I know that don't play guitar, lots of them consider the Stairway to Heaven solo one of the hardest/fastest etc. solos.... So, I don't know

Probably not very important to them, at any rate.

What is wrong with me then - I do consider it nearly impossible to play that solo in the same league as it was recorded on the album (with a telecaster, BTW)?

I also do think about my father - he is very musical, but was unfortunate not to learn any instrument. He does care a GREAT DEAL about what is being played and how. And I know there are very many people like that, especially in countries, where live music (like choir singing, dancing...) is very popuplar with people.

[jamminjim]

the human vocal chords are an instrument.....

[Smellybum]

I listen to clever solos, like the solo from bonamassa's version of Stop - it goes round in my head, but by the same token I listen and love the hammond version of the original Sam Brown version.

I think it's the icing on the cake, the days of crowds going wild for the solo are gone? - the last one in my head that I can recall is bon jovi's living on a prayer - Kiss' crazy nights, - 3 note count in! - song hooks by proxy....

just my 2 cents....

[73h Nils]

What is wrong with me then - I do consider it nearly impossible to play that solo in the same league as it was recorded on the album (with a telecaster, BTW)?

I also do think about my father - he is very musical, but was unfortunate not to learn any instrument. He does care a GREAT DEAL about what is being played and how. And I know there are very many people like that, especially in countries, where live music (like choir singing, dancing...) is very popular with people.

Oh, nailing that solo isn't easy . It has lots of nuances in it, etc. I just meant from a purely technical standpoint.

[fogman]

Great topic!!!

I think the relevance of the guitar solo for non-guitar players greatly depends on the music type. U2 doesn't have any solos. But Deep Purple always does.
I think top 40 pop type music doesn't really require one, and the average listener wouldn't notice it one way or the other.
However, I think the heavier rock and metal requires a solo and is even expected from the non-musician.
I think the difference is if the song is strong in lyrics or not. Some songs only exist from their 'content' whereas some are hugely popular from it's sound regardless of the words.
How many times have you been to a party or bar and you see some guy playing air guitar at the solo??? I can guarantee they're probably not musicians. I've also seen women playing air guitar as well.
With that, the solo obviously does something for them and is therefore important to that particular song.

I know before playing guitar, the whole thing that attracted me to the instrument was either power chords or solos.
I don't find a drive in wanting to be a rythm player (not knocking it's importance).

to a non musician, guitar solos are more impressive when they watch it rather than just listen to it, and by watch i mean 'watch and listen' of course.

on a cd or on the radio, guitar solos are just in one ear and out the other, but in concert, they take notice.

It works for me too! There have been times where a certain guitarist/solo has never done much for me until I've seent it played, then I grow a whole new appreciation for it.

As ba2m said, the solo has to be a great part of the song. I know a lot of non guitarists will hum a riff like Black Dog by Led Zeppelin. They will also hum a signature melody, like American Woman by The Guess Who (from my home town, so I had to pick one from them ).

I think that guitarists, along with other music aficionados, appreciate the top players like Steve Morse, Vai. Metheny, etc. The non players will generally search for a hook of some kind. The opening drum beat of Walk This Way, the keyboards in Viva la Vida (sorry Satch!), the piano of Linus and Lucy etc.

agreed

and before I ever even touched a guitar, I could hum every single note to certain songs. Solos included.
There just some songs that wouldn't be what they are if not for their solos.
As mentioned already...Jump....Stairway to Heaven...

[Dizzy]

Absolutely,

From the time I was a kid I was captivated by the sound of lead guitar.
(I was obsessed with Sultans of Swing as a 4-5 yr old)

There'd be plenty of songs around that I can 'hear' the solos in my head, but wouldn't have a clue about the lyrics.

[dwells]

Guitar slos what got me interested in guitar ,so yeah they have there place But it's all about a good song,a solo is the icing on the cake for me
a good leadtone usually comes from a good rythm tone.
November rain woul just benovember with out the solos:

[whitestrat]

"Still got the blues" is one song I can think of that made it big purely because of the guitar solo. The rest of the song was so-so.

[Nitrix]

From WhiteStrat:

"Still got the blues" is one song I can think of that made it big purely because of the guitar solo. The rest of the song was so-so.

Couldn't agree more. I don't mean to slag the song, that solo just seers into your head! I haven't heard that song in years! Good call.

[D.K.]

Just thought of this yesterday on a plane:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7JAq11LzPc"]YouTube- Roger Waters - What God Wants part 3[/ame]

From "Amused To Death" by Roger Waters, 1992. Guitar - Jeff Beck. If You have spare 4 minutes, listen to it, and try to tell me this solo is not the complete essence of the song .

[Ricman]

Great topic.

I think the best solos are the ones that anyone (ie non-musicians) can sing back to you, as they would the rest of the words.

I think Brian May is the master of this. His solos just seem like the next verse, but with the lyric played on the guitar rather than sung.

Ask anyone to sing you Bohemian Rhapsody, and they'll have a go at singing the guitar solo (wayne's world?).

[straycat113]

Well right up until the grunge movement rock songs always had a solo no matter how wimpy the song or artist. I believe the lack of playing skill was an easy out for most of them bands to say solos were not important. Just a few listens of a Kurt Cobain solo will prove that, but at least he tried.

Though I am not a huge metal or shred fan though I am a fan, I believe these bands and artist actually held the fort and saved the solo and also brought guitar playing back to a high skill level.

I always look at the solo as a seperate composition within a song. Imagine having the radio on and the DJ cutting out the solos to Bohemian Rhapsody or Sweet Child of Mine. it would totally kill the song. I am from the school of guitar solos in the middle or ride out of a song and the power it has. Watch a group of people listening to Free Bird and preparing for the solo, if you were doing a cover in a club and did not play it you would surely get booed off the stage.

But there are also good texture players like the Edge or Andy Summers who is an excellent jazz player for those who dont know in which it works. As far as total guitar instrumental albums those are probably 90% all bought by guys who more than likely play. When I saw G3 with Yngwie on the bill there might of been 10 girls in the whole place. And though I am not a big country fan after reading so many good reviews about Keith Urban in guitar magazines when he broke I bought his DVD and am now a fan . His audience was about 70% female but he let it rip on every song and is a terrific player and all those girls were screaming when he would solo so it is not just a guy thing.

[e.mate]

At first I thought, this would be totally boring....and now I see, this is an absolutely interesting thread There's a lot of different perceptions out there regarding solos. This is mine...of how non-musicians see guitar solos

1) Basically, most non-musicians I know, don't care about guitar solos....but they do recognize that somthing is missing, when they are missing. Moreover, we all know, that sometimes a solo just doesn't fit....do we

2) An ordinary audience might not know anything about structuring songs, but they definitely recognize when a guitar solo has the sole purpose of showing off. Therefore, there must be a perception among all those "listeners" about when a solo fits a song....or when it is overdone. Of course, I am not naive enough to know that this varies between different audiences (there are differences between Metal and Jazz audiences )

3) There is a visual aspect too, as you can literally "see" the expression if a great player goes for a solo.
A good example is the mighty Lucious himself. Though many of those non-musicians will have definitely heard him play a guitar solo in a song, but would not recognize him....or would not even care, as "after all, it's just a guitar solo". Watching him on stage is a different piece of cake, because when he's blasting off a solo, the whole audience can see and feel the energy of it. The sheer presence of the player himself during the solo process is something that changes the perception completely....provided the player is good