# How can you distinguish between good and bad guitarists/solos? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 18, 2006, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254 "2006-05-18T13:26:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/41 "2006-05-19T17:13:59Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > **All Day and All of the Night** by the Kinks has a lead in it that is pretty horrendous, but that is more of a technical thing than a tasteful, melodic issue - the lead just sucks. I agree with this, BTW. It always sounded to me like someone trying to play way faster than he was able to. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/42 "2006-05-19T17:18:00Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > **All Day and All of the Night** by the Kinks has a lead in it that is pretty horrendous, but that is more of a technical thing than a tasteful, melodic issue - the lead just sucks. Yeah, the Kinks probably have a lot of examples of bad solos. Sometimes the bad ones work, though. “You Really Got Me” (a more interesting set of notes than “All Day and All of the Night” because the notes complement the chords rather than shadow them), is not technically good, but it works because Dave Davies _can just barely_ play it. The whole record sounds like the band is holding on to the song for dear life, and a cleaner solo wouldn’t work. But lots of their stuff - “Don’t Ever Change” - is just bad. > [@](#): > > Lennon was a great rhythm guitar, an undervalued category for sure. If you put a gun to my head, I’ll allow he was probably the single greatest talent in the band (on other days I’ll pick Paul). But he wasn’t a great soloist. “Get Back.” ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/43 "2006-05-19T17:25:30Z")
> [@Wee Bairn](#): > > Cool responses! Can someone give examples of a “bad” solo- i.e. one that does not fit with the rest of the song? Most of the time, if someone is playing lead on a professional recording, by definition it will be competent. There are few “train wrecks” like “All Day and All of the Night.” For the most part, bad solos are just formulaic and / or forgettable. ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/44 "2006-05-19T17:27:54Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Sure - he was amazing. But I don’t think of him within the context of this question, because he mostly played acoustic guitar, often individually. I assume this thread is more focused on standard electric lead guitar playing - very open to being wrong here… I saw Hedges play live a few months before his death. He _was_ amazing. And he played both acoustic & electric in that show. He’ll always be in my top 10 list, along with Knopfler. What about Brian May? I’ve always been able to recognize his style, and he did some amazing work on certain Queen songs (_Good Company_ especially comes to mind). ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/45 "2006-05-19T17:32:50Z")
> [@bup](#): > > “Get Back.” Hmm. Love the song (and the album and the film). Do you think it’s great guitar work? My first guitar teacher played _Abbey Road_ for me, so I could hear the guitar solos on “The End.” Was more than thrity years ago (man, I’m old). My teacher was a real virtuoso–he was great. He loved the phrasing, the sound, the exchange–until it got to Lennon’s part. Lennon (or “shitman,” as he called him) caused him to roll his eyes. He didn’t think he belonged with the other two. Now, John is probably my favorite Beatle. He just wasn’t a great soloist. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/46 "2006-05-19T18:08:10Z")
[QUOTE=Stratocaster] Hmm. Love the song (and the album and the film). Do you think it’s great guitar work?[/qupte]Well, I like it. > [@](#): > > My first guitar teacher played _Abbey Road_ for me, so I could hear the guitar solos on “The End.” Was more than thrity years ago (man, I’m old). My teacher was a real virtuoso–he was great. He loved the phrasing, the sound, the exchange–until it got to Lennon’s part. The trade-off jam part of the song, right? I honestly don’t know whose parts are whose (except for Ringo and Paul). I’ve never thought any one of those solos really stank, or was particularly greater than the others. Which runs are John’s? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/47 "2006-05-19T18:36:26Z")
Oh - I got another one: **Enter Sandman** by Metallica. I love Metallica - Master of Puppets and Sad but True are two of my all-time favorite metal songs, as is, frankly, Sandman. But the lead - pointless dweedling. Hammett moves from lick to lick with no discernable (to me) emotional point to make - he is just going through the motions over the chord changes. And about 3/4 of the way through the lead, he does this repeated lick that sounds like a person on helium laughing that is just discordant with the intent of the song. It’s kind of a wah-wah sort of lick - and the song is this menacing, dark “be scared” song…no fit at all… ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/48 "2006-05-19T18:53:09Z")
> [@bup](#): > > The trade-off jam part of the song, right? I honestly don’t know whose parts are whose (except for Ringo and Paul). I’ve never thought any one of those solos really stank, or was particularly greater than the others. Which runs are John’s? Paul plays first, then George, then John, then repeat. John actually plays a “rhythm solo,” just chugging on a chord, which actually serves as a nice contrast with the other two’s squealy leads. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/49 "2006-05-19T19:27:53Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > Paul plays first, then George, then John, then repeat. John actually plays a “rhythm solo,” just chugging on a chord, which actually serves as a nice contrast with the other two’s squealy leads. Yep, it’s Paul’s song, and he wanted to be first, so the other two deferred. And I agree, Lennon’s solo is a nice contrast, my former teacher’s reaction notwithstanding. But Paul and George’s solos are _sweet_. ---
**Author:** ![Godfrey\_Daniels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Godfrey\_Daniels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Godfrey_Daniels)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/50 "2006-05-19T19:39:07Z")
Any Hellecasters fans in here? ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/51 "2006-05-20T22:53:22Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > :smack: 🆒 Santana was omitted in my post only because his inclusion on the list is self-evident. The other guitarists listed merely rebreathe the vapors of greatness exhaled by my man Carlos 🆒 We’re square then. Good! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/52 "2006-05-21T04:57:47Z")
> [@bup](#): > > So I disagree with the notion that a great guitarist is one you can pick out with a blindfold on. It _could_ be a mark of a great guitarist, but there are guys who get overlooked who are fantastic guitarists, because their egos take a back seat. The “I can pick him out with a blindfold on” thing is not necessarily an ego thing. The personality of a great player, especially one with a distinctive tone, sometimes comes through even when he’s playing in an un-showy fashion. Some of the best lead guitarists were also great rhythm players. When I hear Hendrix’s latter-day studio stuff, I find that it’s actually restrained and tasteful and he doesn’t do more than he needs to. Duane Allman and Derek Trucks, to name two of my favorites, are fantastic rhythm and complimentary players - they can do great work while doing that or supporting someone else’s solo. ---
**Author:** ![seoulsoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@seoulsoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seoulsoul)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/53 "2006-05-21T16:54:28Z")
I think something about Bill Frissel was mentioned in one of these posts, but upon a slightly less then thorough glance, I can’t even convince myself. His playing is brilliant. How about Mick Goodrick? I like Kurt Rosenwinkle and Paul Bollenbeck. I think you can tell if a guitar player is good or bad based upon your own thoughts. Does it sound like bullshit? Then you think it’s bullshit. Does it MOVE you? Then it’s probably good. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/54 "2006-05-22T19:44:53Z")
_bump_ - just curious if others have examples of bad solos or comments on the songs I shared where I thought the solo wasn’t great… ---
**Author:** ![Othersider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cab0a1/32.png) [@Othersider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Othersider)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/55 "2006-05-23T01:41:43Z")
> [@RogueRacer](#): > > I will confess to being a little disappointed that Angus picks the intro to Thunderstruck (live anyway) instead of doing hammer ons and pull offs like in the video. I’m pretty sure the famous lick in “Thunderstruck” is picked. If you listen closely, you can usually tell the difference between two notes that are picked, and notes that are hammered-on, pulled-off, bent, or slid. The story goes that Angus recorded that part with only the B string on his guitar (presumably so he wouldn’t hit the other strings). As an aside, anyone with decent chops who thinks they can, try playing the lick with only hammer-ons and pull-offs, and see how long you can keep it going. Then try playing it picking each other note. Personally, I find it much, much easier to play picking each other note, and I think it sounds better, as well. I haven’t seen the video, but I can imagine that, like many other artists in their videos, he probably wasn’t playing exactly the same way the song goes when they recorded him for the video. ---
**Author:** ![JCorre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@JCorre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JCorre)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/56 "2006-06-09T22:16:49Z")
How would the guitar experts on this board weigh in on someone like Jack White? In my very amateur opinion he’s an awesome guitarist. He’s sloppy to say the least but I think he makes that part of his sound (especially live). i could pick out his playing anywhere. Plus the fact that he’s the only person on stage (besides the drummer) so he has absolutely no support if he screws up. To his advantage this also frees him up to improvise to his heart’s content during shows which he does often. So how would he rate to you guys? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/57 "2006-06-10T07:37:45Z")
Jack White doesn’t really go for guitar solos, at least from what I’ve heard of the White Stripes. (I have three of their albums.) But I think he’s a monster player. ---
**Author:** ![JCorre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@JCorre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JCorre)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/58 "2006-06-10T08:48:20Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Jack White doesn’t really go for guitar solos, at least from what I’ve heard of the White Stripes. (I have three of their albums.) But I think he’s a monster player. Perhaps on the studio albums he doesn’t but he really DOES go for guitar solos live. some cites: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/JGlL_W4J1zc/hqdefault.jpg " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGlL_W4J1zc) This is a piece from his cover of Son House’s “Death Letter” he is using a slide but it definitely shows how much he’s ‘feeling it’. About 2/3rds of the way in his eyes kind of roll back and he just leaves the planet for a few moments. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/lt33IMj2lwU/hqdefault.jpg " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt33IMj2lwU) From the same show. This is a song called “Ball and Biscuit” He shows more of his “chops” here. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/59 "2006-06-10T11:10:53Z")
Jack played more leads on Elephant than on previous CDs. As I have opined on quite a few threads previously, he is a a wonderful, wonderful guitarist. Stays locked into the groove while moving between chords, single-note bass lines using an octaver, leads, slide, etc. He’s the whole package and the real deal. Oh, and pertaining to this thread, his leads are tasteful and great. ---
**Author:** ![volvelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e0b2c6/32.png) [@volvelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/volvelle)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254/60 "2006-06-10T15:55:21Z")
I saw the Violent Femmes play a couple of years ago, and Gordon offered his advice on this very subject (only applies when seeing someone play live): If you see the guitarist check his watch at any point during the solo, you’re seeing a bad solo. Other underrated guitarists, who are not virtuosos, or generally even thought of in this category: Ricky Wilson from the B-52’s (_Rock Lobster_). Roland Howard from the Birthday Party, for being able to make absolutely unholy amounts of noise, but not soundling like he was just blindly thrashing away. I don’t know if anyone would count Kevin Shields from My Bloody Valentine, since it would be pretty hard to define a solo within their songs, but there might be one there. Sterling Morrison and Lou Reed. Check out _White Light/White Heat_ from _Live 1969_. Joey Santiago from the Pixies. Adam Forkner from Yume Bitsu and Surface of Eceyon. Porl Thompson from the Cure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-guitarists-solos/357254.md?page=4)