18 Intermediate Guitar Solos Every Improving Player Should Tackle
These are the rock solos that two separate teacher-written intermediate lists (Guitarfluence and ArtistWorks) agree on: Stairway, Comfortably Numb, Hotel California, Sweet Child O' Mine, Sultans of Swing and Crazy Train. It runs from melodic, mid-tempo solos (While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Sunshine of Your Love) to the long, fast outros that sit on the edge of advanced (Free Bird, Crazy Train). Each video starts at the solo.
- 1The Beatles · solo by Eric Clapton · 1968
- 2Cream · solo by Eric Clapton · 1967
- 3Queen · solo by Brian May · 1975
- 4Led Zeppelin · solo by Jimmy Page · 1969
- 5John Mayer · solo by John Mayer · 2006
- 6Pink Floyd · solo by David Gilmour · 1979
- 7Guns N' Roses · solo by Slash · 1991
- 8Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett · 1991
- 9Gary Moore · solo by Gary Moore · 1990
- 10Jimi Hendrix · solo by Jimi Hendrix · 1967
- 11Led Zeppelin · solo by Jimmy Page · 1971
- 12Guns N' Roses · solo by Slash · 1987
- 13Eagles · solo by Don Felder & Joe Walsh · 1976
- 14Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett · 1984
- 15Deep Purple · solo by Ritchie Blackmore · 1972
- 16Dire Straits · solo by Mark Knopfler · 1978
- 17Lynyrd Skynyrd · solo by Allen Collins & Gary Rossington · 1973
- 18Ozzy Osbourne · solo by Randy Rhoads · 1980
Quick answers
What makes a guitar solo intermediate?
Steady bends in tune, expressive vibrato, position shifts across the neck and short bursts of speed. These solos need all four, but none of them ask for sustained shred technique.
Is Stairway to Heaven an intermediate solo?
Yes, and both teacher lists we cite put it at intermediate. Most of it is minor pentatonic phrasing, and the hard parts are the fast repeated licks near the end and keeping it in time.
Which intermediate solo should I learn first?
Start at the top of the list. While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Sunshine of Your Love and Bohemian Rhapsody are melodic and fairly slow, which leaves your hands free to work on tone and bending.