Gravity
John Mayer, 2006, from Continuum. Solo by John Mayer.
Space between the notes.
Mayer's lead playing on 'Gravity' is built on space, restraint and a big, round Stratocaster tone. He plays slow, blues-derived phrases with plenty of silence between them, letting each note ring before moving on. The influence of players like Stevie Ray Vaughan and B.B. King is clear, but the delivery is quieter and more intimate, fitting a song about resisting what pulls us down. It has become a modern standard for guitarists learning how to play with feel. Listen for how he lets notes decay almost completely before the next phrase, and how a single well-placed bend can carry as much meaning as a flurry of fast runs.
Gravity by John Mayer is ranked #118 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by John Mayer and the song was released in 2006. It appears on 5 lists, placing as high as #4 (Far Out Magazine).
In our lists
- See Them Live — #42
- The Modern Canon: Best Since 1990 — #26
- The 25 Greatest Blues Guitar Solos — #23
- The 25 Greatest Pop Guitar Solos — #6
- The 2000s — #7
- Ballad Solos — #15
- The Best John Mayer Guitar Solos — #1
Sources
- Far Out Magazine: The 10 best guitar solos of the 21st century — #4
- Kobalog: ギター好きが選んだ、歴史に残したい最強のギターソロランキング、トップ２０！！【完コピ必須】 [The strongest guitar solos worth preserving in history, chosen by guitar lovers: Top 20] — #5
- Guitar World: The 50 greatest guitar solos of all time — #47
- Rolling Stone: The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — #85
- RAG Music: ギターソロがかっこいい洋楽の名曲まとめ
- Megarock.se: Rockens bästa gitarrsolon genom tiderna
Who played the guitar solo on Gravity?
John Mayer played the solo on John Mayer's Gravity (2006).
What guitar was used on the Gravity solo?
A fender stratocaster, according to widely reported accounts.
Where does Gravity rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#118 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 5 of them.