Far Beyond The Sun
Yngwie Malmsteen, 1984. Solo by Yngwie Malmsteen.
Yngwie Malmsteen's instrumental showpiece is a defining statement of neoclassical metal. Drawing on Bach, Paganini and harmonic-minor scales, he plays blazing runs, sweeping arpeggios and dramatic melodic themes with remarkable precision. His scalloped Stratocaster lets him apply wide, expressive vibrato even at high speed. The track helped launch a wave of shred guitar in the 1980s, influencing countless players who followed. Listen for how Malmsteen alternates between the song's main melodic theme and furious technical passages, showing that his speed is always in service of melody and structure, not just flash, and how the keyboard lines shadow him.
Far Beyond The Sun by Yngwie Malmsteen is ranked #148 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Yngwie Malmsteen and the song was released in 1984. It appears on 4 lists, placing as high as #13 (Guitar Tricks).
In our lists
- The 25 Greatest Guitar Instrumentals — #14
- The 25 Greatest Shred Guitar Solos — #9
- Instrumentals — #20
Sources
- Guitar Tricks: 200 Best Guitar Solos of All Time — #13
- DigitalDreamDoor: 200 Greatest Metal Guitar Solos — #35
- Radio Beat: 88 kytarových sól na Beatu — #74
- Digital Dream Door: 250 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos — #86
- Musician Tuts: The 51 Best Guitar Solos Of All Time
Who played the guitar solo on Far Beyond The Sun?
Yngwie Malmsteen played the solo on Yngwie Malmsteen's Far Beyond The Sun (1984).
What guitar was used on the Far Beyond The Sun solo?
A fender stratocaster (scalloped), according to widely reported accounts.
Where does Far Beyond The Sun rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#148 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 4 of them.