TUTORIAL - The Prisoner: How to play Adrian's Guitar Solo 

Playing Adrian's solo over a blues grid is amazing 😀

Wow, the playing of Adrian's solo over a Blues jam is probably THE GREATEST expose of why his riffs, soloing and songs are so lauded amongst guitarists. Phenomenal work in your analysis!

One of the most memorable and distinguished solos in Iron Maiden. It gives us so much energy!

Wow! The way you put that solo over the blues was genius! We all know how his melodic playing is firmly rooted in the blues, but, I've never seen anyone else highlight it so obviously. The research you've done to present his technique and playing the way you have is very commendable. Also have to mention how when I first heard The Prisoner I was convinced Adrian was tapping for that solo introduction. My mind was blown when I finally realized he actually wasn't tapping. I had the same feeling I when found out he wasn't tapping for the beginning of The Road To Hell solo. I think that technique in particular of his is something that's very unique to his style of playing. Awesome video as always man! 👍Cheers!

Love seeing the Destroyer in use!

I've been an Iron Maiden fan for so many years and your videos help me to appreciate their music EVEN more! Great job again, Nico!

In a previous video you remarked on Adrian being your favourite guitarist in your favourite band…. So it doesn’t come as a complete surprise that you’re playing the Prisoner solo on a red Destroyer. Thanks! It’s such a treat… I think this is one of Adrian’s finest solos.

Licks, you are incredible, amazing for your perfection and talent to play Adrian solo's!!!!! Beautiful!!!!

Saw them open for the scorpions in 1982 Anaheim California. The number of the beast tour. Super energy! I was up front for the outdoor daytime stadium venue. They rip I had memorized the album and they played flawless. I’ve seen them in giant arena full light show and all. But that first time was awesome!

Nice! Love this song😎 The sound and vibe on this album is so special, brings me straight back to 1982 . Up the Irons💪

I'm just waiting for this channel to blow up

I love how not only do you have dedicated guitars for Adrian themed videos and for Dave themed videos. But to have an era specific Adrian Smith guitar for this video is an incredible touch. I'd love to see a gear tour video if you're up for that? Keep up the good work, always such fantastic content.

Holy shit man, that blues solo was insane to hear! You grow, and you grow really well :D Can't wait for your next videos! Watching them all!

My favorite 80's Guitar Player!

Magical breakdown Nico, something I really enjoy with your Licks of the Beast, the 12 bar blues section amazing. The interlude to the solo was also something i had down very close but never perfect, now thanks to you, IT NOW IS!!. My fondest memory of this was watching the original 1988 VHS Video Cassette (which we had to purchase again as we wore it out!!) with my Guitar friend & Adrian playing this song with his cut off denim jacket with big tassels & mullet, absolute first class!!. As ever, thanks for everything you do.

Im a simple man, I see a new Licks video, I click immediately Up the irons!

I did see Maiden on Number of the Beast tour on August 10, 1982 in Beaumont, Texas. Still have the tour book. The t-shirt is long since gone. I bought the Ibanez Destroyer II (like Adrian's) and put a Kahler on it. I still have this guitar today. Maiden's music had a huge impact on my life both personally and musically. Thank you for all you do on your channel. It's great to be here with all you beasts!

Amazing. First saw Maiden on the Killers tour. Also saw thr number & 7 sons tours.

I'm a big fan of Adrian Smith. Thanks for the insight into one of his best solos. Great video Nicko.

I just discovered your channel: Licks of the Beast. Just dropping a quick msg to you that you’re pure genius & awesome - love your teaching ability - Lick number 1 brought tears of joy to my eyes. Could finally play the “deciding tune” of Adrian Smith’s as I like to call it. Thanks to you. Everything follows from there on in the arpeggio.

I got to see them 3 times during 7 son tour in England, The Prisoner is a stand out live track, powerful, I was ecstatic to have them play it again for Maiden England tour 2012, got to see them 3 times again

Nice demo!!! I like how you explain his riffs and theory behind it. Another video well done!! Keep it up or should I say ‘up the irons!!!’

That was so cool to see the solo played over a 12 bar. Subscribed.

Dude, you are epic with these Maiden licks! No one else nails it like you do and goes THAT in depth. Never ceases to amaze me

wow... that's when you really appreciate the intricate composing (and playing) genius of Adrian & Co. Very good job... Thanks Nico!

Late to the show but I saw Iron Maiden play Prisoner at Donnington in 1988. Prisoner was always one of my favorites, so when they started playing it as part of the set, I almost lost my mind. Thanks for the great tutorial.

I saw maiden on the Beast On the Road tour 1982 Glasgow Apollo. They were amazing.

Spot on! Love the solo over the blues progression...very cool! I've see maiden in the years 82-85 all in Buffalo NY. The Beast on the Road, World Piece tour and the World Slavery tour. I've even had the rare privilege to see Clive Burr play in The Beast on the Road in July 82. Sadly, The Prisoner was not in any of the setlists.

Saw them on the 7th Son tour at Wembley. Blew my 13 year old mind.

Very well taught and wonderfully played.I had related this Adrian's solo not only with Blues but with Flamenco too.Thank you ! I will try it.

Top notch once again. Love it slowed down over the blues groove.

They played this song when I saw them in Tacoma Washington USA. So epic.. thanks for these videos im a theory guy an still am confused by their songs an when I try to figure them out I’m normally a lil off an your videos are the best for helping me get the rest of the way..

Cool! Great timing, I have been working on this one and bam your covering it. Thanks.

..same pattern through years in a brother song, wicker man..an extraordinary outstanding man he became the silent one! Adrian, he's the most important essential component for the greatness of Iron Maiden..great tutorial looking forward for more

Saw them on the SSOASS & Maiden England tours! I can't remember the details of them doing this song, entirely, but it is one of my favorites!! Another aspect of this song that I love is Adrian's backing vocals; where Bruce will lay out and just let H belt it out! Thanks for doing a video on this song, Nico!

6:43 loved the duellist lick

Saw them playing it in 88, though...mmm,that is Clive's land. Great idea to play that solo with that blues base, it showed some little nuances I didn't knew for years.

Nico, you are a beast! Another amazing video!

Fantastic video! And spot on tone as per!!!

Love your tutorials and style - I saw Maiden perform this classic track at Donnington 88 and also at the Maiden England NEC show later that year that was filmed - one of the best concerts I have ever been to

THATS AWESOME NIKO!!! thank you.....

Great video - one of my favourite Adrian licks, cheers 👍

Amazing tutorial (as always). If I can give am advice, they would be THE definitive tutorials adding in the video screenshot of the tablatures! Cheers!

Late to the party on this one, but I recently joined an Iron Maiden cover band, so your videos are really useful. The Prisoner has always been one of my favorite Maiden songs. I even loved the TV series that it was based on. I saw them play this live at the infamous Donnington 1988 festival. When the drums kicked it at the start, I went bananas. Thanks for the great tutorial. Smith's lead here is one of his (many) best!

Great job! Thx a lot for your enthusiasm

Absolutely great tutorial 🤘🏻

Fantastic lesson! I saw the Maiden England tour and Seventh Son tour, but not Number tour (I wish). First Maiden concert for me was Powerslave tour (so good!), I’ve also caught them on the Somewhere in Time, The Final Frontier, Book of Souls, and Legacy of the Beast tours. Your channel rocks!

Great job as always!Maiden are the reason I started playing guitar back in the 90s...and haven't stopped since.For those of you out there thinking of picking up the guitar, Just Do It.I promise, before you know it you will be jamming Fear of the Dark along with the track! Up the irons!

Splendid presentation ! ( Thumb up )

The Number of the Beast album has (almost) reached the age of 40, but it still has beautiful wares to show! (Sorry, couldn't resist.) This is way beyond my level, but I'm sure it and the other tutorials will be great for when I get there. I really like how you break down each part and play them slowly. Cheers! 🤘🎸

I love your videos Nico. I love Iron. I wish I could play guitar, but your videos make me like more the songs. Thank you.

I saw them play The Prisoner in both 1988 and 2012. I don’t have any specific memories except that the entire set in 1988 was played very fast and Bruce really had the challenge of keeping up. It was interesting to hear years later that they all felt the songs were played too fast on that tour, especially Adrian. Sadly, 2012 was the last time I saw Maiden live. 😔

You are my idol||||| thank you for this magnificent lesson!

Sounds similar to the Gangland interlude . Excellent man. Nice to see it played correctly 👍🏻

Always loved the opening to this solo, played it in my school band many many moons ago but no where near accurately. Defo re-visiting this. What I love about your videos is how you explain the musicality as well, the solo over the blues passage, brilliant. Would be really interested to see what your background is, you obviously have a great musical knowledge.

Thanks a lot MAESTRO!!

Part of lick 3 sounds like the start of his Aces High solo. Awesome Lesson! Im wating for the day that Ibanez makes another destroyer like that, I normally don’t prefer shapes like Vs or explorers and just stick to stratocasters and les pauls, but those destroyers look amazing.

I saw the Beast tour here in Australia in November 1982 2 times Once at the Bruce(!) Stadium and in Sydney both amazing shows. The stage was awesome Clive Burr had his white Sonor kit and when they kicked off with snare intro to Murders in the Rue Morgue and the band came on at full steam it was one of the most amazing things Id to this day had witnessed as an into to a concert! Played all the cool tracks including my favourite The Prisoner.. Adrian on his IC300 has a Gibson tailpiece from what I can see not the Ibanez one. Great playing by you on this tutorial!!

This song is totally dominated by Clive. What a spectacular drummer.

I saw Iron Maiden play this song live on the Seventh Tour of the Seventh Tour back in 1988 in Omaha, Nebraska! First time I ever saw Maiden too.

I heard them playing this song in 1985, "somewhere on tour", Cascais LISBON, PORTUGAL 🇵🇹 before the show, as they did sound check! Bruce didn't sing. It was just for sound check and we all heard it from outside the venue... But even so, it was memorable!!

Another very good tutorial close ups great

Let's play the solo on a blues track: BRILLIANT! 🤩

Amazing 🤘🏻🎸🤘🏻

Good stuff. Dig this channel. Have a great weekend.

Great!!

Cool Destroyer

Excelente !!!!

God dammit, I was playing the interlude wrong all this time... Starting the progression on the D string instead... Thanks Nico

I loved the Blues Prisoner!

Good work !

I love this solo. Btw, maybe you can shed some light on the solo in Gangland and why it gets cut so short. There's 8 bars to solo over but he only solos for 4 and then just rhythm tracks for 4. Always seemed unfinished to me.

Let's talk Adrian's guitar tone for this period of Maiden. To me, it sounds like he had a mix of distortion and fuzz at the same time. I know the 'Life After Death' vinyl has a breakdown of amps, guitars and pedals he used for that tour, but I always wondered how he got that tone.

Nice 👩 in an interview Adrian said: " he thinks about his solos before he puts them together " David on the other hand doesn't think about what he's gonna play " from: Scranton, Pennsylvania

I just cant get the picking right for the interlude, when i use hammer on's it just goes messy and when I alternate pick im hitting the other strings. Whats the picking technique? your help would be so appreciated. Many thanks

sehr gut!

Nicko; I have seen Iron Maiden for the first time at Hammersmith Odeon in London, UK on December 06, 1988. Whether they played The Prisoner on that day, I can't remember but what I could remember very clearly is that Bruce Dickinson carried Dave Murray on his shoulders, maybe on Number of the Beast song. And the crowd just roared! I went to the concert with a Californian guy by name of Dean Clements who loved Maiden too. I saw them again in 2011 tour with my son in Toronto, and twice after that at the Budweiser stage in Toronto. You're right, it's rare for them to play The Prisoner, it's an Adrian specialty of course, I think he has to be the one to play it best. They're coming to Toronto October 11 this year, I just saw it thanks to you're posing the question. I want to see if I can purchase a ticket, will you be there?

I DID see them play it on the original 7th Son tour in 88! I was mainly a Live After Death and Somewhere in Time type Maiden fan at that point so I didn’t even know about The Prisoner! The crowd went nuts and sang every word, so I felt kind of lost. Course I went home and dug out The Prisoner on NOTB and it’s always been one of my favs since.

Great video mate !! Well i'm curous to know more about that ibanez destroyer , how did you get that amazing guitar ?

Any chance we could get the backing track to practice?

I had this exact same Ibanez Destroyer same color with a Kahler!

🙌🙌🙌

That third lock is really interesting.. open strings etc..

I've been always intrigued by drums underneath the solo, as it seems to be hittings toms instead of the snare.

Yeeeeesss!!

Great tutorial, 666 likes 😈 up the Irons from Italy 🇮🇹

Your playing is incredible. I just find these lessons are not very friendly to the watcher. I love your content though and wish I could play like you

Waiting for Dave's

my 2nd favorite cover of this solo after this guy: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ya027utc7bs.html

Can't play it. Pinky is too short. Can't hit 12th fret on a strat. But thx for the video.

Cool, son of Mr. Bean explain everything...

Waiting for Dave's