# Whats the first song you ever learned to solo on?



## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

The first song I ever learned to solo on was "Hit the Road Jack" in 1979. A buddy showed me a blues scale and showed me how I could play just about any of the notes in random order over the progression. Felt like I discovered plutonium.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Probably House Of The Rising Sun, but I'm not certain. Hit The Road Jack was an early one as well, but a bog standard 12 bar blues was the big one.


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## Guest (Oct 22, 2018)

Sabbath - Wheels Of Confusion


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## Distortion (Sep 16, 2015)

Aerosmith Dream On was the first solo I learned as I recall.


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

Doobie Brothers - Dark Eyed Cajun Woman


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## johnnyshaka (Nov 2, 2014)

B.B. King - The Thrill Is Gone


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Distortion said:


> Aerosmith Dream On was the first solo I learned as I recall.


Wow you started high for a beginner song. I learned the intro for it a few years ago just for the heck of it. Never played it on stage. I probably couldn't remember it now.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

What motivated me to start this thread is that I filled in with a band this past weekend, that I ended up joining that pulled "Hit the road Jack" out of the hat to play and its probably the first time I played it since I started out playing lead and used it for practice. Definitely the first time I played it on stage. It was fun to do some "JoeBesque" indulgent wanking.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Do you mean the first solo I learned, or the first song I played over? Because I dont remember the second haha. Probably "smells like teen spirit" in high school.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Quite probably _House of the Rising Sun_, which was de rigeur for my birth cohort. The 2nd song was probably _Kicks_, by Paul Revere and the Raiders, or maybe one of the Kinks' early pentatonic masterpieces, which weren't all that much different than Kicks.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I honestly don't remember, other than it was some blues song.


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

Blue Rodeo's Five Days in May.


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

cboutilier said:


> Blue Rodeo's Five Days in May.


 I bet you did it 100 times better. Isn’t that the one where he’s attempting to do harmonics? Is he playing lousy on purpose? It’s right up there with Dr. Hooks cover of a rolling stone for me. Nails on a chalkboard


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

Scotty said:


> I bet you did it 100 times better. Isn’t that the one where he’s attempting to do harmonics? Is he playing lousy on purpose? It’s right up there with Dr. Hooks cover of a rolling stone for me. Nails on a chalkboard


I never really understood what he was going for there, but I always dug it.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

guitarman2 said:


> The first song I ever learned to solo on was "Hit the Road Jack" in 1979. A buddy showed me a blues scale and showed me how I could play just about any of the notes in random order over the progression. Felt like I discovered plutonium.


Similar experience but it was over Clapton’s Sweet Home Chicago.


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

Moonage Daydream, nailed it the first take


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

The first 3 notes of Mick Ronson's solo at the end are 3 of the greatest notes ever recorded.


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## SaucyJack (Mar 8, 2017)

The solo in Living after Midnight.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I used to turn on the AM radio and noodle/solo over whatever came on.

I think it was helpful.


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## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

For me it was Cream's Sunshine of Your Love... what a feeling to be actually playing music! LOL


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## Guest (Oct 23, 2018)

How about Cinnamon Girl?
Sedated?


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Milkman said:


> I used to turn on the AM radio and noodle/solo over whatever came on.
> 
> I think it was helpful.


I did the same. Good ear training, though I was thinking less of that and more of being cool at the time...LOL.


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## fretzel (Aug 8, 2014)

Same. Lots of playing over whatever was on. Door-Weird Scenes Inside the Goldmine. Jimi-AYE. Black Sabbath-first. Steppenwolf-16 greatest hits. 

Just thought if one that I lived to play over. Suzie Q!

First real solo I figured out. Living Loving Maid. 

First solos someone taught me. 
Crazy Train
Fight The Good Fight
Eruption

I’m sure they all sounded like a train wreck but all part of the process.


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

Wildwood Flower was a favourite of my Uncles, who were my first influence in all things cool. There’s something about an old Harmony acoustic and Brylcreem slicked hair that defined cool in my pre teen years.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

SaucyJack said:


> The solo in Living after Midnight.


Same here!


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

ronmac said:


> Wildwood Flower was a favourite of my Uncles, who were my first influence in all things cool. There’s something about an old Harmony acoustic and Brylcreem slicked hair that defined cool in my pre teen years.


A little dab'l do ya.


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## Guest (Oct 23, 2018)

ronmac said:


> Wildwood Flower was a favourite of my Uncles


Was it this version? lol.


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## ed2000 (Feb 16, 2007)

Nothin' - by Ugly Ducklings


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Twinkle Twink.....no wait.....

First solo for me that I took seriously for my High School band was Lynyrd Skynyrd's What's your name. Think I might learn it again properly this time!


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Scotty said:


> I bet you did it 100 times better. Isn’t that the one where he’s attempting to do harmonics? Is he playing lousy on purpose? It’s right up there with Dr. Hooks cover of a rolling stone for me. Nails on a chalkboard


Oh my god I hate that solo when the song is already over. I actually loaded the song into reaper and cut off that part.

That song should end at 4:15.

Bad Neil impersonation.


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## Distortion (Sep 16, 2015)

Dorian2 said:


> Twinkle Twink.....no wait.....


 I forgot about that one. But they called it sparkling stela in Mel Bay lesson book 1. My first attempt at guitar long time ago.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Happy Birthday


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

Gloria by the Shadows Of Knight.


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## Gavz (Feb 27, 2016)

Stray Cats - Stray Cat Strut

Fun song to play. Cool solo.


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

First solo attempted was (probably) the 2nd solo from the Black Crowes cover of _Hard to Handle_. Never did get it, but it was very ambitious at the time. Haven't tried it since... hmmmm, I should revisit that one. 

First one I actually did, and it sounded correct to the people I played it for, was Floyd's _Mother_.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

I've thought about this for a week and can not come up with an answer. It was a long time a ago and my CRS kicks in going back that far. Hell, half the time I can't remember why I went downstairs.

WAG would be something from Nazareth or the first Rush live album or Zeppelin or The Who. Those were bands that I was listening to when I first picked up the guitar and I remember playing to a lot of that stuff. I was listening to Yes and a few other proggy bands as well, but I'm pretty sure I wasn't that ambitious or capable at the time.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I don't know the first one I learned to solo on--but something never clicked until I tried Albert King's Crosscut Saw.
I played the first 4 notes and something clicked


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## Johnny Spune (Sep 15, 2014)

Another thing coming-Judas Priest


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## John Fisher (Aug 6, 2017)

Shine on you crazy diamond


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

Most likely one of the CCR tunes. It feels like we covered them all, cause that's what you played way back then. Possibly "All Right Now", maybe Jumping Jack Flash. I can't remember who came first.


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## Guest (Dec 2, 2018)




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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

Probably Wipe Out by the Safaries.


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