Beginner Guitar Solos: 15 First Leads, Graded from Easiest
Your first lead lines: the low-string melody of Peter Gunn, then pentatonic solos from Green Day, Oasis and Audioslave, and finally the double-stop rock and roll of Chuck Berry. Every pick here shows up on published beginner lists from guitar teachers, and the order moves from single-note melodies to bends, double stops and faster phrases.
- 1Duane Eddy · solo by Duane Eddy · 1959
- 2Elvis Presley · solo by Scotty Moore · 1956
- 3Green Day · solo by Billie Joe Armstrong · 2004
- 4Green Day · solo by Billie Joe Armstrong · 2004
- 5Oasis · solo by Noel Gallagher · 1994
- 6Audioslave · solo by Tom Morello · 2002
- 7The Beatles · solo by George Harrison · 1964
- 8Badfinger · solo by Pete Ham · 1971
- 9The Rolling Stones · solo by Keith Richards · 1969
- 10Foghat · solo by Rod Price · 1975
- 11Santana · solo by Carlos Santana · 1970
- 12The Ventures · solo by Nokie Edwards · 1963
- 13The Beatles · solo by George Harrison · 1969
- 14Queen · solo by Brian May · 1974
- 15Chuck Berry · solo by Chuck Berry · 1958
Quick answers
What should my first guitar solo be?
Pick something slow with no big bends, like Peter Gunn or Heartbreak Hotel, or a punk-pop solo like Boulevard of Broken Dreams. The goal is to get used to single notes and clean picking before you add bends.
Is Johnny B. Goode a beginner solo?
It often turns up on beginner lists, but teachers usually grade it as late beginner or intermediate because of the fast double stops. That is why it comes last here.
How is this different from the easy solos list?
The two lists share no songs. This one leans on the 50s-60s rock and roll and punk-pop lines teachers use for a first lead. The easy list gives you a second batch at about the same level.