# Cool Guitar Solos/Playing **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 9, 2012, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165 "2012-10-09T02:37:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/1 "2012-10-09T02:37:00Z")
Show me your best geetar solos/licks/riffs I like early Steve Vai for these discussions. [Steve Vai - Call It Sleep - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZXHbeBHgKU) ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/2 "2012-10-09T02:40:14Z")
Two cool ones that are not usually mentioned in these threads. Brian Eno Babys On Fire Aphrodite’s Child Four Horsemen ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/3 "2012-10-09T02:46:26Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Two cool ones that are not usually mentioned in these threads. > > Brian Eno Babys On Fire > > Aphrodite’s Child Four Horsemen Links? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/4 "2012-10-09T02:54:54Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/U85Eeh1_hcc/hqdefault.jpg "Jeff Beck Group - Let Me Love You") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U85Eeh1_hcc) **Jeff Beck Group, Let Me Love You**. Listen to it; it’s like writing Shakespeare using only one-syllable words. Best I’ve ever heard. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/5 "2012-10-09T03:02:12Z")
Too late to add: ETA: Dude, you start a few Rock/guitar threads. You play? Remind me. If not; well, we need to correct that 😉 In the meantime, listen to that track - it’s a Master Class that Steve Vai can’t touch - Beck’s approach trumps Vai’s technique every day - and Vai would be the first to agree with me - and Beck’s vibrato work on other tracks out-techs Vai anyway. It sucks to not be Jeff Beck in a thread like this 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mustardseed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mustardseed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mustardseed)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/6 "2012-10-09T03:47:09Z")
some of my favorites [Brian Eno - St. Emo’s Fire](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B807CcVxW9U) - Robert Fripp on guitar [The Residents - Hey Good Lookin’](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2CabbK5VJw) - Snakefinger on guitar [Zazen Boys - Weekend](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-ZjYq8-SHw) - Yoshikane Sou on guitar [凛として時雨 (Rin Toshite Shigure) - moment A rhythm](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3_M4Ekw93c) - Toru Kitajima on guitar As evidenced by this collection i dont usually look for flashy/virtuosic stuff but rather for unusual sounds/harmonies ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/7 "2012-10-09T04:17:20Z")
Three from the jazz-rock field: [Frank Zappa on his “Willie The Pimp”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr256gta2Qw) [John McLaughlin on Miles Davis’ Right Off](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEBKksupBVA) [Mike Bloomfield on the Butterfield Blues Band’s East-West](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaV-S5ivX3E) ---
**Author:** ![by-tor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/by-tor/32/266_2.png) [@by-tor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/by-tor)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/8 "2012-10-09T04:19:19Z")
Eat this Jeff Beck: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTX3nilwTlA) ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/9 "2012-10-09T07:51:04Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Two cool ones that are not usually mentioned in these threads. > > Brian Eno Babys On Fire > > Aphrodite’s Child Four Horsemen I’d go for [Aphrodite’s Child’s Aegian Sea](http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFChrJpCYrA) from the same album ‘666’. (The guitar starts at 2:55.) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/10 "2012-10-09T10:24:09Z")
> [@by-tor](#): > > Eat this Jeff Beck: > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTX3nilwTlA](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTX3nilwTlA) 😉 cool. Jimi is wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/11 "2012-10-09T11:20:36Z")
Anything by [Rodrigo y Gabriella](https://www.google.com/#q=rodrigo+y+gabriela&hl=en&safe=off&prmd=imvnsl&source=lnms&tbm=vid&sa=X&ei=DAh0UOW6HoOqyAHX_oFI&sqi=2&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAw&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&fp=1b1590835d9bc16b&biw=1600&bih=736) fits this description in my opinion, but I’m really partial to [Triveni](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0JFzfGeuy0&feature=relmfu). ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/12 "2012-10-09T12:31:11Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Show me your best geetar solos/licks/riffs > > I like early Steve Vai for these discussions. > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZXHbeBHgKU](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZXHbeBHgKU) Just noticed from the youtube artist info that Vai’s playing in November a 5-minute-walk away from my home. Sadly I can’t afford the ticket at the moment, but maybe I’ll bump into him while getting groceries. (the venue is actually in the same building). ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/13 "2012-10-09T12:52:21Z")
[Marty Friedman and Jason Becker](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9_CW-hRnLU). I love watching these guys just fooling around. [Jason Becker playing Paganini’s 5th Caprice](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jK978921Yw). That guy was better at playing guitar than I’ll ever be at anything. SRV, “[Leave My Girl Alone](http://youtu.be/7aleg9RgBe0?t=40s)” The tone on his guitar on this version is so… mean! ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/14 "2012-10-09T15:48:50Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > 😉 cool. Jimi is wonderful. I ran into[this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xnl1QHDZ8Y&feature=related)while looking for another link on you tube and instantly fell in love with it. Eric Johnson paying tribute to Jimi while adding his own style in at the end. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/15 "2012-10-09T15:52:30Z")
How about some John Cippolina? Try [“Mona”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjWGr-h8ETA) or ["Who Do You Love/When You Love](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2fiSfw4pZ8&feature=related)! God, I loved Quicksilver! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/16 "2012-10-09T15:56:53Z")
Under the subheading of “Fast and cool but without any Passion” is Al di Meola playing with himself on “Splendido Sundance.” I can’t link from work, but a search of YouTube should turn up a performance or three. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/17 "2012-10-09T15:58:31Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > I ran into[this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xnl1QHDZ8Y&feature=related)while looking for another link on you tube and instantly fell in love with it. > > Eric Johnson paying tribute to Jimi while adding his own style in at the end. And I totally forgot to add my original target link. Gary Hoey’s [La Rosa Negra](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oreciQxOc2g) which starts out as a mid tempo Latinesqe melody and then around 2:00 he builds it into a steaming solo with a tone that sits right on that sweet spot. ---
**Author:** ![dataguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eada6e/32.png) [@dataguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dataguy)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/18 "2012-10-09T16:06:15Z")
My favorite all-around guitar solo is: Jeff Beck [Cause We Ended As Lovers](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IriEq4H1XSU) It’s a masterpiece of taste and technique. It’s a tribute to Roy Buchannan, who can catch [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On5372UztI0). ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/19 "2012-10-09T16:20:23Z")
Not a guitar player, and not really a fan of show-off/masturbatory solos (or white blues) - I just like stuff that sounds cool. Probably none of these are technically impressive, but here are some I like: [Celebrated Summer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtCL1xq6hNU) (I like the whole thing; the solo at 2:53 is my favorite part) From the same band, just a simple riff that’s repeated throughout the song: [Divide and Conquer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suP2J-C8ek0) Doing a lot with very little: I love the tasteful 3-note “solo” here at 2:20: [The Flowers of Guatemala](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGI0v1Ul7eo) And similarly, these 4 seconds from George Harrison at 1:53 are perfect: [Got To Get You Into My Life](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqwxn8DzER8) ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165/20 "2012-10-09T18:21:01Z")
I went off to Youtube to find my favorite guitar piece and found he has posted some new videos. I like this one: [Spanish Harlem](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeconFupOxw) My favorite is still [Michael Chapdelaine – Come Together](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u55G1VGuTfs). Chapdelaine shows why the classicall guitar has been called an orchestra in a box. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-guitar-solos-playing/637165.md?page=2)