Five guitar solos that need to be seen to be believed
There are a number of factors that make up rock music, but one of the most important elements that people look for in their favourite songs is a great guitar solo that sounds so extreme, we question whether a human could even play it. From Jimmy Page to Slash, who doesn’t look forward to a face-melting guitar solo in a song every now and then?
Guitarists are well aware of how much people look forward to a good guitar solo, and therefore, they look for opportunities to really show off their skill. This doesn’t mean just playing well, but also implementing various styles of playing which increase speed and contort sound. These include tapping techniques and sweep picking.
Equally, there are some guitarists who are incredibly skilled but have had to overcome huge adversity in pursuit of that skilful sound. Both of these styles of innovation are welcome by music lovers around the world, and it’s about time we took a moment at Far Out to celebrate them.
These are five outstanding guitar solos; they’re not just good, but they sound so out of this world that they need to be seen to be believed.
Five simply unbelievable guitar solos:
‘The Sheik of Araby’ – Django Reinhardt
It wasn’t really a case of picking if Django Reinhardt should go on the list and was more a case of deciding which song. If you haven’t heard of him, he’s certainly somebody worth reading into. He was an improvisational jazz guitar player, responsible for making the genre a lot more fluid. He did this using exciting solos and great guitar technique.
The thing you need to see to believe is the fact that Reinhardt only played the guitar using two fingers. After suffering life-changing injuries from a fire, he had to relearn the guitar, only using his index and middle fingers. This didn’t stop him from being a revolutionary player, to the extent that you need to see him play to believe he’s real.
‘Eruption’ – Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen is often celebrated as one of the greatest rock guitarists in the history of the genre. He took a guitar sound that was well established and altered it in a bid to increase the speed at which people play without sacrificing melody or rhythm.
He did this by using a tapping technique where, instead of picking strings, he would tap them using his picking hand to add another note. He received acclaim from the likes of Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath, who went on tour with Van Halen and couldn’t believe what he was seeing as he watched in the wings. The best example of this kind of soloing comes from the track ‘Eruption’.
‘Fire and Ice’ – Yngwie Malmsteen
It’s difficult to describe what sweep picking is. It’s a style of guitar playing where, instead of just picking a string, you follow the downstroke in a bid to hit the string below it as well. This all happens in one movement, and when done correctly, in succession and with the fingers on the left hand moving just as quickly to add notes to the strings being played, you create solos that sound too fast to be humanly possible.
There are plenty of songs in hard rock and heavy metal that use sweep picking effectively, but one of the best songs where it can be heard is ‘Fire and Ice’ by Yngwie Malmsteen. The introduction and solos throughout the song display sweep picking very well, and it creates a sound that simply comes across as impossible.
‘Tender Surrender’ – Steve Vai
Hear me out: this is the best instrumental song ever written. Before we even get to the solo, we hear Steve Vai play beautifully on his guitar, a clean sound dabbling with various octaves and runs that come across as both peaceful and impressive. Then, we get to the solo, and it is transformative in its majesty.
Everything we have celebrated above, such as the improvisation of Reinhardt, the tapping of Van Halen and the sweep picking of Malmsteen, is displayed throughout this whirlwind of a solo. You could be convinced that the video of Vai playing is AI-generated, given how impossible it looks, but rest assured, he is playing every single note.
‘A Day in the Life’ – Jeff Beck
Finally, we need to address the beautiful versatility that comes with a good guitar solo. While speed, pitched harmonics and sweep picking are all impressive, when a guitarist champions melody, they can create something equally extraordinary. You can hear this on Jeff Beck’s cover of ‘A Day in the Life’.
The original by The Beatles is often considered one of the greatest songs ever written, and Jeff Beck does the song justice with his wholly instrumental take on the song. If you ever want proof that Beck is one of the most emotive guitarists out there, look no further than this song.
