# Guitar Solos for Beginners: 15 First Leads

> Guitar Solos for Beginners: 15 First Leads: #1 is Peter Gunn by Duane Eddy, then Heartbreak Hotel and Boulevard of Broken Dreams. 15 solos, ranked.

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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.

1. [Peter Gunn](https://greatestsolos.com/song/duane-eddy-peter-gunn/) — Duane Eddy · solo by Duane Eddy · 1959
2. [Heartbreak Hotel](https://greatestsolos.com/song/elvis-presley-heartbreak-hotel/) — Elvis Presley · solo by Scotty Moore · 1956
3. [Boulevard of Broken Dreams](https://greatestsolos.com/song/green-day-boulevard-of-broken-dreams/) — Green Day · solo by Billie Joe Armstrong · 2004
4. [American Idiot](https://greatestsolos.com/song/green-day-american-idiot/) — Green Day · solo by Billie Joe Armstrong · 2004
5. [Live Forever](https://greatestsolos.com/song/oasis-live-forever/) — Oasis · solo by Noel Gallagher · 1994
6. [Like A Stone](https://greatestsolos.com/song/audioslave-like-a-stone/) — Audioslave · solo by Tom Morello · 2002
7. [I Feel Fine](https://greatestsolos.com/song/the-beatles-i-feel-fine/) — The Beatles · solo by George Harrison · 1964
8. [Baby Blue](https://greatestsolos.com/song/badfinger-baby-blue/) — Badfinger · solo by Pete Ham · 1971
9. [Gimme Shelter](https://greatestsolos.com/song/the-rolling-stones-gimme-shelter/) — The Rolling Stones · solo by Keith Richards · 1969
10. [Slow Ride](https://greatestsolos.com/song/foghat-slow-ride/) — Foghat · solo by Rod Price · 1975
11. [Oye Como Va](https://greatestsolos.com/song/santana-oye-como-va/) — Santana · solo by Carlos Santana · 1970
12. [Pipeline](https://greatestsolos.com/song/the-ventures-pipeline/) — The Ventures · solo by Nokie Edwards · 1963
13. [Something](https://greatestsolos.com/song/the-beatles-something/) — The Beatles · solo by George Harrison · 1969
14. [Killer Queen](https://greatestsolos.com/song/queen-killer-queen/) — Queen · solo by Brian May · 1974
15. [Johnny B. Goode](https://greatestsolos.com/song/chuck-berry-johnny-b-goode/) — Chuck 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.

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