How this SIMPLE, PERFECT solo taught me lead guitar 

George Harrison was SO UNDERESTIMATED ❤

The solo for Til there was you is a good one too.

The first time I heard Let it Be, it literally changed my life. My next door neighbor had just bought the single, so it was the more mellow solo. I then begged my dad to take me to Sears to buy the album. I first heard that scorching solo on the album, and I still think it’s the greatest solo ever!

George Harrison’s guitar playing always intrigued me. Because he knew so much at an early age!

Mapping chords onto scales is GOOD ADVICE and it works. George Harrison was a brilliant guitarist who felt every note.

"Easy as a Sunday Morning", whoever played that is my hero! Love that lead!

Cool story, Mark! I'll share mine: I was 10 when Let it Be came out. My older brother was 20. One day, just after release, I was on my way out the door back to school from lunch, when my brother called me into his room. "Here, put the headphones on! You gotta hear the new Beatles' album!" Told him I'd be late, but he sat me down, gave me the headphones. Let It Be came out, in all it's glory. When the chorus winds down to the bridge before the solo, I thought the song was over. I was about to take the cans off my head, when Billy's organ and George's guitar blew my head off, and me away. It's a great solo, redone in January, 1970 after Lennon had officially left. Let it Be has a lot of sentimental value for me.

George had been working on the lead part , after several days working it out Paul was happy with what George had come up with. Three days later when it came to putting it down on tape George turn to Paul said I have a new solo. The rest is history

Turkey In The Straw is Great Riff based tune

I love his solo in you’re gonna lose that girl. It doesn’t require a virtuoso to play it, but it takes a good guitar player to compose it. I find it a lot more memorable than many shredder-type solos.

That’s a nice one. For me though, the solo in ‘Something’ is melodic perfection. That’s my favorite George solo.

"Long cool woman in a black dress!" The Hollies ... The song that made me pick up a guitar.

The Mel Bay chord book was my bible! When I started playing in bands (Wayback Machine!), rhythm guitar was literally an internship. That meant you had to know your chords. My friend Carl, who was a lot better than I at that point, gave me that book and said, “Here it is. Learn your chords.”

I was expecting George Harrison’s something was the perfect solo you’re gonna talk about

I learned to play guitar by learning the chords in the Mel Bay book. Taught myself.

A lot about the solo in "Something" here. Agree - but he did so many good solos and interjections. He wasn't like the other fashionable players of the time, he was probably the only lead guitarist that could fill those shoes. Very underrated technically and very knowledgeable musically.

I love the solo in Bob Marley’s No Woman No Cry. That’s a solo that that you can just hear the chords in it. This was a great video as always.

George Harrison guitar solo on Let It Be is absolutely great. One of the best of all time.🧑‍🦯🎸

Me too! I remember telling my guitar teacher back in the day that Let It Be was a lead that made me want to play - he gave me a funny look but taught me the solo.

I have no idea what you're talking about but now I want to find out. That's one of the sure signs of a talented teacher.

Yes, a great solo by a great artist. It's very hard to pick my one Beatle's influence, but they truly were the reason I started playing 60 years ago and are still the reason I still play today. As far as George's solos though, I'd have to go with the solo performed in "Something". Just outstanding!!!!!

George is completely under-rated.

For me his best solo was Something. Paul's bass lines play the male character of the song and George plays the womans parts. That's why the motif is played in sync obly for the two instruments to start playing their own melodies. What they did the instruments was created a conversation. The solo is the woman's plea to the male character to stay with her. Because of this, it has a unique blend of slides and vibrato. Paul's bass playing sounds much like a dribbling man having an existential crisis. I love how Paul wrote bass. Let it Be is a great solo to me but it's not as unique as Something.

Great lesson Mark. Always prefer these less is more melodic solos versus the shred. George was masterful. Very helpful for my practice to hear the tones within the progressions.

Mel Bay! Me too! 😂😂😂

Absolutely one of my favorite guitar solos is let it be. To me the most perfect solo is the one in Nowhere Man. So simple yet so lyrical and beautiful

For me , George's solos on "Someplace else" and "Free as a bird"

Early Beatles songs when George was still 19 & throughout 1964 when he was just 20 years old are so tasteful for a buddy lead player ! George was outstanding coming up with parts on the spot on those great power pop classics ! ...

Great lesson and story Mark. Don't forget the solo to Something. It might be the Perfect solo. Thx keep up the great work 🎸

Good one Mark. Have a great holiday .

Robert Fripp's solo on Eno's Baby's on fire was always my favorite.

I grew up absorbing the essence of the beautiful 70s, my mom said I'd crawl to the mammoth sized radio/turntable that was popular and then attracted by the tunes fall asleep with head on the speaker. I swear it was the Ozark Mountain daredevils if it wasn't it was something similar, I'm playing more than ever now, helps me be stress free and using music to decompress, thank you for helping us fill our toolbox with the techniques to do it...Peace n Love

Heh, for everyone who grew up in the 60s and 70s, the Mel Bay books were the go to references. I learned my first chords from those books, but did most of my playing by ear.

One that gets me is "Right On Time" Lucinda Williams. Not sure who plays the solo.

OMG, those old Mel Bay books brought back memories of my first guitar instructor, Jim Woody, back in the early 70's! He thought rock music was Bill Haley & the Comets. RIP Mr. Woody of Metro Music.

Thanks. Everything Michael Schenker did from 1974-1979 for me.

The single to "Let it Be" was magic, every time I heard it on the radio. The album version wasn't quite the same, and the guitar solo was one of the reasons.

Having played electric guitar for last 3 yrs I had a lot of Eureka moments learning let it be solo,so Many solo's done similar shape

That Let it Be solo was the first one I learned when I started learning on RU-vid. I knew I had to play it.

My favorite George solo is the one on Something, a piece of genius...

I LOVE THIS VIDEO ❤️ LOVE IT...THANK YOU FOR UPLOADING THIS VIDEO..

I'm sure George did not think of all these pentatonic scales, he just followed his ears and mind

Harrison's solo is the only one that references the melody of the song.

George is the reason im learning guitar. He is my inspiration

George has been a favorite for a long time and like alot of others "Something" is most favorite.

Funny, that's the solo that grabbed me when I was 12. I had gotten the album and saw the movie Let it Be but was mesmerized by that solo. I still love playing it.

Good ole Mel Bay books! That's how i learned my chords too. Then I'd park myself in front of my parents 8track/stereo and learned how to play John Denver by ear. Good times and fantastic memories. Thanks for taking me down memory lane.

My favorite George Harridon guitar are the fills he plays on She Came in Through the Bathroom Window.

George blew me away at the age of 12 with his solo in Till There Was You. Keith Richards STILL can't play it, lol.

I also think that John Lennon’s beginning guitar riff in ‘Revolution,’ was just phenomenal! I feel exactly the same way I did the first time I heard it..makes me happy, and feel like dancing! Man, I miss that guy! I also liked Allen Collins Free Bird solo..Rossington Collins! What a band! Dale Krantz Rossington..what a singer! I saw them live in the 80s in a small arena in New York State..Unbelievable!

Something in the way he plays guitar attracts me like no other...

My first solo that I learned well from outside the Mel Bay books, was from "Wichita Lineman". Very simple, effectively ended on chords and so memorable. I was also eleven and learned it for my folks.

I just remembered, Reelin' in the Years by Steely Dan. Great solo there too!

It was Trower for me Daydream second solo live album. I said man I’ve got to get a guitar ! That’s right I can take you to the very note and we can look at it if you want!

That Les Paul looks the one i learned on. Gold top with mini humbuckers? So sweet and crunchy. Also Octopus Garden. That is one whacky solo. So much melody, but all over like a crazy man!! Tasteful like only George could do it.

One of Harrison's best!

Listening to Clapton play when I was a kid is what inspired me the most. I was listening to Clapton before Cream......such as when he played on John Mayall's " Looking Back" album. Those firey blues leads he was doing always caught my ear ! Here I was, as a young kid playing with plastic green army men on my living room floor listening to all this great music. I ended up being a career bass player but I still want to learn guitar too.

The solo on "Peg" by Steely Dan is pretty good too.😉

Mel Bay👍. George's let it be rocked and ended all the phases on the roots of the chord. Nothing like his later slide work!!!!!!

Here comes the sun was my favorite.

Anytime George Harrison is brought up in a guitarist conversation, I don't care who the other guy brings up, George Harrison always wins.

George harrison is the best.

"Ears and fingers in synch" And that my guitar friends is the goal.

Steve Stills solos on Carry On were my training ground.

Noone: "you can't always play pentatonic solos" Me: "Hey, just let it be!"

Always my favorite guitar solo too , glad you choose it

This was my favourite solo since I was a kid. I started playing guitar later in life, but learnt this pretty early in my guitar journey.

Great post Mark! I started taking lessons in 1966 at the age of 9. Like you, I began with the Mel Bay books, then graduated to the Gibson books. Then, my teacher thought I was ready to take on the Mickey Baker jazz books. Those chords were too much for my little fingers, so I gave up on lessons. I can't remember how to read music, but I've been playing for 57 years. The more I learn, the less I know!

Actually, a very interesting backdrop tale to this song and solo, M.Z.! I wonder if John had anything to do with this classic but a ton of switching of guitars, producers, bass and vocals with two distinct recordings.........dueling producers/arrangers between Martin and Specter..........Tele and Strat (and even LP?) played through a Leslie speaker and Lennon's clumsy Fender VI bass lines perfected by one of rock's greatest bass players.........Paul!! Jim C.

I was thinking Let it Be for the same reasons. Let it Be and Revolution drew me to the guitar.

Thank you Mark, great and helpful . Blessings.

Great lesson 💪🎸 thanks very much 👍

There are so many incredible solos to choose from. One of my all-time favorites is 'Blue Sky' by The Allman Brothers. Dicky and Duane both played solos on that, and they played a few harmony parts together as well. That might be my #1 as far as perfection goes. Not to dis George's solo in 'Let It Be' - fantastic. I'd agree with others and say 'Something might be even better. I've never been big on ranking things, it's rare I can come up with a true number one for any category or band.

"TEARS" John squire. The stone roses

My solo was Willie Nelson’s Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain. So simple yet so full of expression.

James Williamson's flourishes at the beginning of "Search and Destroy" by Iggy and the Stooges, and the break later, were what really broke me out of mid-80s college rock. Finally something that said "follow me!".

Yes great vídeo gracias

I suggested through Mel Bay And Jaxx Lessons In retrospect the jazz has probably made my playing what it is But Michael Schrnker still ROCK'S

The first guitar leads that picked up my attention were earlier, Jimi Hendrix Purple Haze and his version of All Along the Watchtower. I didn't pick up guitar (I mainly play bass now, but play guitar too) for years. The main things I think are playing with feeling and a good tone within the scales, and the end being a resolved note. The solo in let It Be has all this qualities. George was always very melodic (which I really like).

Brilliant, and Let it Be also inspired me. GH was such a melodic player. His playing on Something blew me away, not to mention ‘And your Bird can Sing’ I still can’t get that one. Hey Bulldog also another tricky one. In fact Taxman too there were so many

Very well done !

This break-down is wonderful, thank you, Mark!!

Thanks Mark. Awesome content

Great video Mark! One of my favorite solos! Thanks!

I love this series, Mark. So much taught in such a short amount of time. I too struggled with the Mel Bay Method. When I was first learning guitar at age 8, my father (who was an accomplished musician) taught me using that first book in the series - it was how he had learned. I didn't last very long before quitting. For so many years I hated the fact that I couldn't play, and wished I could. MTV came along and I thought, "How did all these guys (and girls) do it?" About 10 years later, I couldn't take it anymore and started learning again. This time my father taught me how to read chord notation and it was a world of difference. I got pretty good at playing rhythm guitar, but for years I had no idea how to play lead/solos. I thank you and all the others on RU-vid who explain these concepts so well. Playing a solo is a such a blast when you understand how to.

That solo sounds even better with a Rotary or Univibe pedal that simulates the Leslie he used back then..

Geoge Harrison on Bluest Blues by Alvin Lee, all guitar player must ear it...

Really well encapsulated way to teach this. It’s often too techy. This rocks.

Great solo and video The Beatles did everything right!!! For me jimmy Lyons solo in Two tickets to paradise The build and climax He really got it on that one

… and it’s one of at least three he recorded - my preferred one.

wow just magical thanks

A not too well known band in the 1970's christian rock had a great solo, Jerusalem - Gentle Faith 1976 (Live) starting at 1:46.

I gotta tell you, man. That was one of the best several minute guitar tutorials I've ever seen. Maybe it's just that, at this time in my journey, I'm finally wrapping my head around how this stuff works, but this lent a tremendous level of clarity to the way things are coming together for me right now. Thanks

David Gilmour wasn't acknowledged as a guitar hero as much as many others, but he did his own thing and he did it well. Great feel, great tone, and he rarely let his solos leave the songs they served... very much the opposite, they lifted their songs.

You again! Cool.Earliest I can remember that made me want to learn was Beach boys "Surfin USA" intro. Then I heard "Voodoo Chile" which I thought was a very spicey Mexican dinner(really) but that's when I stopped and thought "What the fudge, a Guitar that sounds like a Saxophone being sliced to bits with a buzz saw while being played, I want somothat Chile"!

Ha! I am practicing this solo for a party in a few weeks. And it dawned on me that George was playing over the chord tones. So this was on my list to look into. And here we are. With a first class explanation. Short and to the point. Thanks

Thanks for mentioning the titles of the solos, you are playing. Wouldn't have recognized them otherwise :D

Outstanding video Mark, love George’s playing and you highlighting chord tones used in this solo was magic. Thank you!

Thank you, Mark, for reminding us of this great solo, song and lesson.

Thanks as usual, Mark. Beautiful Goldtop!