The Greatest Guitar Solo Ever Played
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- čas přidán 25. 04. 2024
- Was there ever any doubt?
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What makes a great guitar solo? How do you transcend beyond merely playing notes and create something truly sublime? Easy: Be Prince. The Purple One's guitar skills are legendary, but perhaps his crowning achievement came in 2004, when he joined an all-star tribute to George Harrison for the late Beatle's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Prince waited patiently for his moment, and as they reached the end of Harrison's iconic ballad, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, he stepped forward and made history, playing what is often described as the greatest guitar solo ever played. Let's talk about why.
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The original performance: • 2021 Remaster "While M...
Really Easy Guitar Lessons tutorial on playing this solo: • While My Guitar Gently...
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Some additional thoughts/corrections:
1) This solo was a huge pain to transcribe, so I wanted to shout out Jon Chorba of Really Easy Guitar Lessons, who had by far the most accurate transcription I could find: czcams.com/video/lPL4KfA1kg4/video.html I still double-checked everything myself, and my transcription differs from Jon's in some places (Although who knows, maybe he's right and I'm wrong. there's certainly some parts I'm not confident on, and a few outright mistakes that I caught after filming, although nothing that would significantly affect my analysis.) but having such a good starting point made this process go a lot faster than it would have otherwise.
2) When I say Prince opted not to play the solo in rehearsal, that's glossing over a bit of nuance. Basically, Mann had been playing this song in other tribute contexts before, and so when they went to rehearse he basically assumed he'd be doing the same thing and played them by default. Gallen pulled Petty and Lynne aside to address Mann stepping on Prince's toes, but when he eventually talked to Prince himself about it, he told him not to let Mann take the middle solo. From what I can tell, it's not clear whether that had always been the plan or if he was adapting, and it's also not clear if Prince intentionally hid his solo or if he made that call once Mann interrupted him. I compressed that 'cause it wasn't the point of the story, but I wanted to acknowledge the fuller context.
3) Honestly there's not all that many F#s in the solo either: The major 6th clashes with the minor 3rd, and since the first five bars all have C in the harmony, he doesn't get a lot of space to use it. They mostly come as approach notes to G, until the octave section at the end where he does more clearly settle on the F# itself. Still, though, the complete lack of Fs makes it seem like he's thinking of the whole thing in Dorian, even if he's mostly drawing from a hexatonic pitch collection. (That is, minor with an added 2. I've seen some sources call this mainly pentatonic, but there's too much of an emphasis on B for me to feel comfortable with that analysis.)
4) Another difference between the two open-E 16th parts is that in the first one he does a really quick pull-off so you barely get the note, whereas here he lets it sit for a full 16th, giving it a clearer melodic shape. Didn't think of that 'til I was editing.
5) I realized after filming that the long gap in release between Godfather Part 2 and Part 3 might make the reference I made seem like I was saying Part _2_ was disappointing, but I was just really struggling to come up with a good pictogram for a bad sequel, and Godfather Part 3 is famously underwhelming. Sorry for any confusion.
6) In retrospect I wish I'd talked a bit more explicitly about his tendency to take an idea and repeat it over and over, and the impact that has in making his solo seem intentional and meaningful. I touched on it indirectly, but it's a really important point: A solo that's just one long string of unrelated ideas is less interesting than a solo that ties everything together, and those connections come from repetition. Sometimes this is really explicit, like that G-A bend or the lick he plays after the four-bar break, and sometimes it's more about playing around with a figure, like the pattern accelerations of that constant return to the A-B-A thing in different shapes, but the point is he's building something, and to do that he needs to acknowledge his foundation.
I would have to say this entire exercise is a practice in "how to destroy an intuitionist". And also how to dissect an intuitionist.
Irony...there was NOTHING gentle about the weaping of Prince's guitar. It was full throated sobbing and screaming in anguish. And we were here for every note of it.
Commented I read on one of the videos of this performance:
"Prince's guitar aggressively wailed."
The best part is him throwing the guitar in the air and it never landed
It’s in the skies
George caught it, and you cannot convince me otherwise.
You know it’s a good solo when the stage dive/lean isn’t the only thing mentioned
Ascend to the rafters.
He was putting it away for later.
Prince told them "don't worry about it." Around the 5-minute mark of the song he smiles at the rest of the band as if he was saying "see? I told you!"
Jeff Lynne insisted Prince not to play the second solo. Prince looks at him and the other guitarist with that look for that reason.
Watching this, I'm mostly just heartbroken that we've lost Harrison, Petty, and Prince.
Totally. I agree.
Me too! I get very sad to know it would have taken only one true friend to save Prince. 😢
he did not throw the guitar in the crowd. he threw it up, there was a stage hand who had to catch it and keep it from falling down. making the impression it just disappeared. the solo is fantastic, but this final surprise move makes it unforgettable.
seeing it thrown up without a fall actually made it feel like the guitar was an offering, wasn't sure if it was an editing trick, glad to know it was actually good stage work
It was an editing trick indeed. The same guy that held him on his back bend caught the guitar right in front of the stage.
The original live cut of the performance (through a quick cut to Prince walking offstage) made it appear that the guitar disappeared.
The “official” hall of fame cut totally ruined the illusion by showing the guitar being caught.
Personal opinion: They should have NEVER released to 2nd edit…
CHEERS!
When it cuts to the wide you can see the guitar falling back down
Nah it’s with him in heaven. It just got a head start.
Also, it wasn't just that he threw the guitar up in the air... It was on a strap. He lifted it up and over his head *and* his giant red hat *without touching his hat!*
I was watching this live on TV as it happened (or as it was broadcast), and I did an immediate 180 on Prince. I was 12 and had only known Prince as the guy from that weird movie that was played on cable constantly. As I type this, I'm suddenly realizing I started playing guitar that same year. I might have started playing because of Prince, and never realized it.
He's an easy guy to underestimate. If you had only heard his radio hits, you could be forgiven for thinking that he's just a talented pop musician.
But he's also one of the best guitarists of all time, with a thorough understanding of how to express himself on the instrument that I'm not sure anyone can match. He sung on a guitar just as surely as he did with his voice.
@bronsoncarder2491 the underrated part a lot of the mainstream didn't know about Prince was just how good he was on other instruments. The man was a virtuoso on the piano and played a mean set of drums.
I remember watching this on tv, too. I was 18. Being freshly familiar with both the song and Prince in general, when he first showed up on stage I knew to buckle up.
I’m not sure if it’s his very best solo. Something like When Doves Cry is hard to beat. But for people whose ears aren’t tuned to 1980s R&B and Pop, this was the moment when his talent was on display in a way Beatles fans could immediately understand. Crazy that a Hall Of Fame performance the year you are inducted can actually garner you more recognition.
I’m a little fuzzy on the timeline, but I had the same experience with one difference: I had heard (I think before this performance) that Clapton said in an interview that Prince was the greatest living guitarist. I think it must’ve been in response to Rolling Stone’s recent list of 100 GOAT guitarists that snubbed Prince with Eric at the top. This performance wasn’t just a tribute to George, it was also a middle finger to RS (who would correct this error in their revision of the list years later)
@@bronsoncarder2491 I think it's because Prince played all the instrumentals (in the recordings) that most people don't know he's a great guitarist. The whole songs are his show. Whereas in most bands, it's like the singer and lead guitarist are a bit in opposition - singers don't sing when the guitarist gets to go off and vice versa. But each individual wants a moment to shine. Prince only had to cater to himself, so he created his vision instead of making way for somebody else.
There will never be another Prince.
He was a goddamned miracle, and a gift to the world.
Rest in peace, you absolute legend.
God I hope there will be another Prince that'd be lit
theres certainly been musicians just as brilliant but no not another Prince
As someone who grew up obsessively playing Guitar Hero as a kid, I've always had a fixation on guitar solos, but I noticed that a lot of music analysis videos hardly ever devoted much time to breaking them down. I always wondered if the generally fast and chaotic nature of solos just didn't really lend themselves to detailed analysis, and perhaps they were simply better enjoyed "from a distance" instead of under the microscope of musical theory. Actually seeing a bar-by-bar breakdown of a guitar solo like this is genuinely fascinating to me.
I wish there were more solo breakdowns.
I highly recommend you guys go check our Polyphonic here on CZcams. He has stepped away for mental and health reasons. But before he did, he did a 5 or 6 video series on the history of the guitar solo... and it is fantastic. Stretching all the way back to the 1910s and 20s. All the way to current day.
@@ag7898 Polyphonic's guitar history series has some real flaws, though. So be aware. For one thing, he focuses on Nirvana as the pinnacle of grunge, as a rejection of traditional guitar rock, which is...Certainly a take. Cobain definitely was refining Jesus Lizard and Mudhoney, but you also had major bands like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden and others that had multiple guitarists. hell, Nirvana brought in Pat because Cobain was kinda bad at guitar, even when sober, and they needed another who actually could reliable play. It's not a BAD history. But it is flawed.
I would also say, if you're interested in solo breakdowns, look at videos focusing on jazz. Even if you aren't a jazz musician, the forms are basically the same. This is across instruments, too, for the fundamentals.
@@ag7898 Thanks for the tip. That sounds great.
This is coming from someone who used to play Jazz. I figure guitar solos are to a degree improvised, so whereas the verse is written out, the solos have chords and scales that should be followed but no specific notes. Which is why you'll see some variation in live performances and different takes. In terms of what's written, you're just breaking down the chords. In terms of what's played, you're putting to paper something that was improvisation.
Also, because solos are largely improvisation, each solo is different-sometimes minor, something major.
I agree with the comment above on taking a look at jazz, because jazz is all about improvised solos. A lot of sheet music for jazz will have the chord changes written on top of the bar, as a guideline for what chords this part is and what notes to focus on for that part in a solo (though we were at a low level, so we were allowed to just make sure we were in the right scale). Though we were told those were added after the fact, and most of the greats just had an ear for knowing how to do it.
22:25 "How can you possibly bring this to a conclusion without disappointing?" Draws a House Stark crest.
"He's more painting a picture of A Dorian..."
Oh man, I don't know whether to give you a standing ovation or a hearty Bronx cheer for that one. So bad and so very good!
Oh dang I completely missed that while trying to figure out why he drew a fish before remembering that Finding Nemo exists 😂
@@emilyrlnoh wow
I listened to this on Nebula, and had to come here to find out what listeners had to say about that line.
THE BRONX MENTIONED 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
When I worked at the House of Blues Sunset Strip, we had Prince come play a full 2 hour set in the concert hall, then do an hour acoustic set in the restaurant, then play another 2.5-ish hours of jazz-fusion jam session with his band in the upstairs bar/lounge area.
Over the course on the night he played literally every single instrument on every stage better than almost anyone else I’ve ever seen.
It’s one of my fondest memories of my time there, and really cemented him for me as probably the greatest single musician of all time. Dude was a fucking legend.
Yeah, that is not surprising, ha
If you go to the Rock hall, they have a show designed to give you the feel of attending an induction ceremony using archival footage. The solo is so legendary that it's what they use to close the show. If I had a nickel for every time Prince did a mic drop moment, cementing himself as the greatest to do a show ever, I'd have two nickels. It's not a lot, but it's weird that I have two; one for the Rock Hall and another for the Superbowl. The man was legend.
He certainly has more spots in the top 10 list of best live performances ever than anyone else
I remember the Super Bowl halftime show! I was really looking forward to his performance, amd when he started, some of the guys I was watching the game with started making rude comments. (How weird he looks, what a wacko he is, how this show was going to suck, etc.) I finally turned to them and said "If you don't mind, SOME of us want to hear this! I guess you have no idea how good he is live?" Then, when the rain started, I took it as a sign from above! Just an AWESOME performance from a master showman!
Prince was a goddamned fucking genius and we lost so much with his death.
I've never been a particular fan of Prince, not that there's anything wrong with his work its' just not my thing, but whatever else you want to say about the man, could certainly play the dang guitar. RIP
He played everything well. Really well. Drums, bass, keys etc
It always amazed me how few of my rocker friends failed to recognize Prince's guitar genius even when they were fans of Prince. The man murdered on guitar.
when all the legends are staring at you with their mouths open...
i think thats proof you are the best guitarist they've ever seen !
RIP Prince Rogers Nelson. an amazing force for music.
He's no Yngwie
Saw this live and I remember thinking "well that was probably the greatest live solo I've ever seen, and of course it was prince. This human is an enigma."
Thank you for this analysis. I watched this solo so many times over the years. Not only because of Prince's playing, but also because of the looks of delight and disbelief on Dhani Harrison's face; that's priceless.
I’m not a musician, but I know this solo by heart. I watched it live and it felt like I was watching the moon landing (which is similar to how I felt watching Prince’s halftime show). I’m so glad to see it get the attention it deserves!
Prince is by far one of the most underrated musicians in rock and pop history. Thank you for giving him his due.
For beginners and intermediates just know Prince did not improvise this solo. It’s ok to have a plan….
The moral of the story: Contrasting flavours are the spice of a good solo.
Knew it would be this performance. I love how Tom Petty and Steve Winwood go from annoyed to stunned while Prince shreds on
Yeah. They were stunned that Prince decided to make the moment about him.
@@mjt5576 And the solo is all about his technical ability and totally misses the point of the song, Clapton's original solo is far superior as it really compliments the song.
@@mjt5576 yeah it was about him he was inducted that night...He reminded YOU ALL the reason you love the guitar is because Hendrix showed YOU the light. Clapton is average at best.
@@mjt5576garbage take
I thought it would be this too, but also thought the superbowl performance may have been the pick too
Really just par for the course for Prince, most people just never realized it because he mostly saved guitar lead cathartic extravaganzas for his live shows and not as much on singles or albums. If you didn't go, then you didn't know...
To throw another reason on the people not realizing is due to listening to classic rock stations that cut off songs like Purple Rain right before the solo because the lyrics are done or the outro solo in Let's Go Crazy. Pains me everytime. Those solos are so iconic.
The guitar toss at the end btw
Prince is a very underrated guitar player. As soon as I clicked the video I knew you was gonna mention this performance. Real fans know this performance. R.I.P Prince.
Honestly believe he is slightly overrated..one good solo don't make you an elite player
@@chrismiller5875 good thing he has multiple good solos
@@chrismiller5875 he has more than one solo. Many, and when I mean many I mean stuff ranging from his studio work to the bagillion live shows he did over his career. From the big Stadiums, small clubs, and even the recorded jam sessions he had with all the people he worked with over the years. whether it was electric and/ or acoustic.
@@Panda_man.. I have heard him extensively over 40 years, have heard him play awful too...better than me for sure but not elite, compared to most guitarist he has a small library
Prince is just underrated generally as a musician. You never hear anyone going on about him, even his fans are just like ‘yeah, he was alright’.
Nearly 20 years later and I'm still processing that performance.
Can’t believe you didn’t mention his awesome hat.
I had never heard this tribute song.
I'm in tears after listening to it for the first time.
Don’t you just love it when you happen upon a treasure?
Another note to put the solo in "historical context": A few months prior, Rolling Stone magazine had published its first list of "100 Greatest Guitarists". As is par for the course with these lists, there were some real head-scratchers: Eddie Van Halen at #70 but Kurt Cobain at #12. Joan Jett was on it, but one name totally absent? Prince. Of course Rolling Stone and the RRHoF are (were) both controlled by Jann Wenner. So there's no doubt in my mind that part of Prince's motivation to empty his entire bag of tricks onto that solo was to send a message to Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone.
Yeah, Prince effectively wrote his message in Sharpie on the camera lens.
I can understand commenters saying Prince hijacked the occasion, but that provides the perfect reason to fly that plane wherever the eff he wanted... with incredible power and finesse at that.
God, this cover is like a yawn! the second I even think about it I have to immediately go listen to it at least twice!
Prince was the most phenomenal musician anyone I know has ever experienced. His guitar mastery and technique is belied by what I have come to call “Prinsimplicity”. Keep Bustin’ We miss you 💜
I’ve been a guitarist for many years, I’ve seen all the greats, Prince impressed me the most.
“Because he’s Prince” words that say a lot.
I feel so lucky to find this analysis. The depth of observation and analysis is amazing.🤩
The first time I heard this solo was a life-changing experience; there were chills, goosebumps, the whole 9 yards. Sadly it was after Prince himself had passed, as well as Petty, so the experience was poignantly bittersweet. Thank you for doing this passionate cry justice.
I've always loved this solo, but I never realized just how appropriately the notes in it were chosen. This is instantly one of my favorite videos you've done.
I like the points you make about the rests/pauses. Silence and the space between notes were important to Prince/his music. He's mentioned how Miles Davis' music had that.
3:30 I love that when he says “is gonna pop up a lot” he draws a zubat.
Prince's legacy is a touch weird to me, the man famously refused parody whatsoever until relenting somewhat in his later years, though he maintained an almost petty relationship with Weird Al. His estate is also infamously controlling and litigious of his music and image. Which is a shame because the man also did some incredibly selfless philanthropy he would keep anonymous about just because he wanted to. And he was such a god damn showman, as evident by this performance and the Super Bowl halftime where he ascended above everyone to ever do that gig.
We really did lose the man too soon.
This guitar solo is about half as good without the choreo and stunts. It was at least as much of a show as it was a piece of music.
Dog I already KNEW what solo it was gonna be. I just already knew.
Me too. Legendary freaking solo.
Reads the title/
"This better be Prince at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame"
Reads thumbnail: "It's Prince."
"YES!"
Me too! First thing that sprang to mind. Says a lot about that solo doesn’t it?
This solo is one of the best pieces of content that CZcams has to offer, period. I think more should see it.
I'm surprised but so grateful you made this video on it!!!
I think over 150 million views on CZcams satisfies your wish that “more should see it”!
I only needed to hear that opening guitar note and I knew what performance we were going to be hearing about.
What an amazing video. Thank you for introducing me to this.
Brilliant analysis. Thank you
Wasn't a large part of Prince's performance that night based on the act of his getting snubbed on the Rolling Stone's top Guitarists of all time list? I don't recall if that was the exact situation off the top of my head, but I remember learning about the solo myself from that
Correct 👍
This is definitely a big part of the legend, for sure, and a likely culprit. He's been acknowledged as asking friends why his guitar playing was never acknowledgedin reviews. It's never been 100% confirmed.
Dude I needed this analisis. TY
Analysing this performance with anything approaching accuracy, is an achievement in and of itself. You should be proud.
Insane how many people are down here just to comment that 12tone is somehow wrong about that title. Art is subjective y’all. I could argue that 4’33” has the best guitar solo of all time and no one could ever prove me wrong. And of course it’s clickbait, you’re on CZcams and your comments disagreeing are only feeding the interaction algorithm.
A video called “Why Prince’s Guitar Solo Is Musically Incredible” wouldn’t get as many clicks as “Why Prince is the Guitar GOAT”. It’s the same reason that Rolling Stone had a “Greatest Guitarists of All Time” list and not a “Here’s Some Guitarists We Think Are Swell” list. The first provokes emotional conversation about why someone’s favorite guitarist, for example, Prince, was left off the list. And it leads directly to Prince proving Rolling Stone wrong by playing the best guitar solo of all time.
The smile that Dhani gives Prince partway through the solo is one of the best parts for me. You can reinforce your solo with all the theory and technique you want, but the son of the man you're paying tribute to grinning ear to ear at you is the ultimate impact.
I'm an old school "metal head" who spent high school (late 80s) and beyond listening to lots of thrash metal, speed metal, death metal, etc. Even back then, Prince was one of my "guilty pleasures", before I had ever heard that phrase. His musical IQ was so far ahead of the pack, and his feel was just mind blowing! The fact that he could take such an ICONIC song, make it his own, all without ruining the original song, just shows his mastery of his trade!
We will never see his like again, and the world is poorer for it.
Phenomenal video. Thank you for this. What a great breakdown of a beautiful musical moment.
Great piece of analysis. Love it!
Ingenious illistration & explanation coupled with an understanding I wish I could one day have. Kudos!
This video is both magisterial and majestic. Well done
As a recording studio owner and music producer who is, ultimately, just a slightly-reformed drummer, this is an epic video. You're illustrating theory over emotional moments I had, watching Prince play, with additional context. Thanks man!
I love CZcams. You've obviously been around for a while, but just found you tonight (through a rabbit hole involving Big Country and Level 42). This is the most brilliant, imaginative format for music/audio channels I've ever seen. Congrats on being THIS talented! Insta-sub.
Great video as always
This is just incredibly good content, thank you
Awesome. I knew the guitar solo you are talking about! I'm on my knees! Thank you!
knew what this was when i saw the thumb and title lmao
i have this fender calendar with important dates in music marked on it, march 15th was the 20 year anniversary of this performance :)
What I do remember from watching Prince is that he just made it look so casual. Like he could have thrown in making a coffee at the same time or signing autographs. I think when you're at that level of musical genius - you are the music, the instrument. I think you could've given him a melody he'd never heard or seen before and he could've improvised it note perfect, changing keys, rhythm, time and then come straight back in line.
Please examine something by Björk some day. There’s plenty there to analyze with her vocal melodies alone and you’d be one of the only people outside of David Bennett to make a video on her
There's a CZcams channel called Augusto that has done some videos analysing Björk's music.
I just watched this on Nebula. Helpfully, it included a link to the performance on CZcams, which of course I had to play immediately. And this here was at the top of the Recommendations in the right margin! Perfect!
I know Prince did that end part in Let's Go Crazy and the intro part to When Doves Cry, but I had no idea he was such a serious rock guitarist until I heard this, and that was shortly after his death. Yeah, I came late to the game, but I'm glad I didn't miss it. I knew he liked classic rock, but I never heard that in his music. This solo was breathtaking!
It sort of feels cliché praising Prince’s talent as a performer, but he just embraces this historically meaningful moment and hits the ball clear out of the stadium with the bases loaded. Some might think of him more as a songwriter and singer, but here he is the embodiment of the quintessential rock star/guitarist, completely at ease holding everyone’s rapt attention as he confidently scorches the earth with burning lead guitar lines that unfold as a perfectly structured instrumental solo in a song about what else? A weeping (electric) guitar. It wasn’t just great - it was truly…nay, it was F***ING awesome!
I've always felt that this was the best someone ever got to play the guitar, I showed all my friends it. Now I can show them this video!
25 or 6 to 4... same descending bass line over Am so D9/f# etc
which is why the Am focus works throughout
Your intrinsic jokes are killing it! The Dr Manhattan when playing loose with time, the Dire Wolf of Game of Thrones while talking of a disappointing ending? Savage. I love it!!!
thanks for explaining all this!
Dhanis orgasmic glee at every moment of this solo is the best
Unfortunately Dhani's comments since the event have made it clear he didn't appreciate the solo. Disappointing.
@@solipsismworld Prince made the whole thing about himself, and though technically brilliant the solo didn't fit the song at all, Clapton's original solo really complimented the song, Prince's didn't.
I read the title and immediately thought of this solo!!! I completely agree! Love this video 🎉
What a great breakdown of a perfect guitar solo. Time to watch that performance again! 🔥
Prince returning to the rhythm part with that huge distortion but short staccato mutes is just so iconic.
This is the most masterful editing display I've seen in YEARS on CZcams. What NLE are you using?
A month late to the party but youtubee finally gave me this gem today and I enjoyed your analysis, in particular contrasting the speed vs the quiet and the ramp-up. But along the way I kept thinking of the Tim Reynolds solo in the video "Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds - Lie In Our Graves - LIVE - Canandaigua, NY 7.6.16" - in a song so closely tied to living and dying, I see that second solo as the journey of life, with Tim starting by getting his legs, expanding, stumbling, coming back later and shredding those stumbling blocks, and steaminrolling to the end. It is so emotive throughout with moments of virtuoso billiance as he plays off the D major chorcs vs the E minor chords. A four minute solo that takes you on a journey of a lifetime - and afterwards Dave gives him that look. I've never seen a greater solo. Prince here is my #2. :D
This is a brilliant video !!!!!!
A great breakdown of an iconic solo. One thing that goes unmentioned here is Prince’s incredible tone. Yeah, it looks like just any old Tele and I don’t know what kind of amp he’s playing through but the tone is just massive. Prince’s aggressive vibrato adds to the overall effect but I’ve just never heard a Tele sound like that.
My appreciation for Prince's talent went skyhigh after I saw this solo. I must've watched it a hundred times. The best guitar solo performance I've seen. Just unbelievable!!
Prince was never big in my country, but this will definitely get me to delve deeper into more of his music.
Also, I'm happy to be this early to a vid!
This solo is good, I wish it was on DSPs. It perfectly has all the flare, theatrics and build up of a guitar solo. Seeing the video is almost as important as hearing the solo itself
This cover is on spotify, if that's what you mean, on the album Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Volume 8
@@fox_power Oh wow, I wasn't aware. I'd searched for it before but couldn't find it. Thank you!
This solo is so much more than just the music too, the showmanship is easily the greatest ever.
Fascinating analysis of a wildly memorable moment in rock history. Would have loved to have seen Prince play this live with George…but hey, that’s for an alternate universe. Subscribed! 🎸
Wow, great analysis! Thanks! :)
That was a brilliant breakdown of a brilliant song. I recall that his first big gig was opening for the Rolling Stones in Los Angeles. He was literally booed off the stage. And a year later people got his music and he was a giant, and was until his unfortunate death. I never thought i could touch this masterpiece and /i never will. But I may be able to play some of his brilliant licks. One last thing: I was really touched by Dhani's obvious amazement and thrill at this magnificent solo
This rendition of While My Guitar...was a powerful musical moment, for which no music lover needs an explanation. But anyone who plays music wants an analysis of what went into making it so powerful.
I hereby declare you the most powerful music theorist ever. I don't know anyone who could have broken this great performance down in a better way. I can say that every bit of Prince's solo was While My Guitar Gently Weeps, and at the same time, entirely Prince.
Thank you for being entirely 12tone.
Heavily played in my playlist. What a performance from ALL on stage.
If you ever get a chance to go to The Rock and roll hall of fame there's a room with incredible speakers and incredible sound and they play this and it just blew me away
This is an excellent video.
The Greatest Romance That's Ever Been Soloed
This is the kind of solo that encourages me to keep practicing
I don’t think I’d ever heard this; brilliant bit of work, both in the original and Prince’s tribute.
The very first time I heard this solo it seared into my soul. Even though I was alone I yelled " And THAT is how you play electric guitar!"
My favourite cover of this song is probably the one by Jeff Healey. I'd love to see a video about some of his works
Unrelated to the video, but is any one else here who is also currently trying to more or less only listen to 3rd studio albums. For me that lead to a very different way of especially searching for the music I want to listen to and also I've made a list of the stuff I already discovered. So Cory, thanks for that idea, I love your videos and the podcast!
Since the mid-90s as a teen, I have been the biggest Prince fan, grabbing every bootleg concert and aftershow I could, and have been representing his stature as the best guitar player imaginable, and people have no clue, knowing only the sexuality and pop side. Thank you for giving him his due, and teaching me just how appropriate all his choices are in this epic solo.
I’ve been saying this is one of the greatest guitar solos ever since I first saw it years ago.
Hello... relatively new to your site, but I've watched several of your videos and have really enjoyed them, and have learned quite a bit. This breakdown of Prince's solo was incredible, as was the solo itself, but even as a Prince fan I still take exception to it being called "The Greatest Guitar Solo Ever", when Mr. Hendrix left us a little something called Machine Gun. Message, intent, intensity, and special effects... it's all there. I'd love to see and hear your analysis of that, especially to see how you'd notate the bombs and machine gun fire. Either way, thanks for all the knowledge!