Single Notes
Single Notes
Single note parts. Could be a riff, solo, vocal melody, picked chord, etc.
Tennessee Whiskey
- Chris Stapleton -
Parts to try:
Intro solo
Ligature Marks
- Meshuggah -
Parts to try:
Guitar Melody at 4:15
Very simple, as long as you pay attention to the slides. You can also try the second melody that comes in at 4:41, although it is slightly more difficult.
Somebody Else
- The 1975 -
Parts to try:
Chorus Vocal Melody, at 3:56
Musically simple, although has some rhythms that might throw people off.
Shallow
- Lady Gaga, B. Cooper -
Parts to try:
Verse vocal melody, at 0:15
Very simple, loud, and repeats a bunch. The chorus melody is also fine to try, although slightly more difficult as it is more notey.
You can also try the intro picked guitar part, however that is more difficult than the vocal melody.
Stir It Up
- Bob Marley -
Parts to try:
Main Riff/bassline
Simple part, entirely based on the progression.
The Zephyr Song
- RHCP -
Parts to try:
Solo, at 2:07
Very loud, clear, simple note-wise, and repeats. Keep your ears open for bending, vibrato.
Play That Funky Music White Boy
- Wild Cherry -
Parts to try:
Main Riff
Might be slightly fast for some people, but pretty straight forward. It's also the only thing happening in the intro, so super easy to hear.
Holiday
- Green Day -
Parts to try:
Solo at 2:01
Relatively simple, more of a melody than a solo.
Do You Right
- 311 -
Parts to try:
Intro Riff
This is the actual first thing I ever learned on guitar. I was probably 11.
Cake By The Ocean
- DNCE -
Parts to try:
Intro Riff
Short part, but has a few very slightly tricky things like the rhythms, dynamics and a cute chromatic note.
Californication
- RHCP -
Parts to try:
Intro picked guitar part, starts at 0:00
Keep in mind that this part is guitar AND BASS. The bassline is a separate part, which you might actually confuse with the guitar part.
Solo, starts at 3:19
Ramon Ayala
- Giovannie & The Hired Guns -
Parts to try:
Intro single note riff
Slightly down in the mix and competing with the acoustic part, so will train you to ignore parts and focus on others.
Dammit
- Blink 182 -
Parts to try:
Intro riff
Clear, easy to hear, and somewhat of a pattern. Might be a little fast for some people.
Fat Lip
- Sum 41 -
Parts to try:
Intro riff, starts at 0:19
Clear, easy to hear. Pay attention to how it is played and the tone
Verse riff , starts at 0:39
This will be more difficult as it's under the vocal line. There are also some moments that aren't single notes.
Pink Pony Club
- Chappell Roan -
Parts to try:
Solo 1 at 2:47
Simple but might be somewhat fast for some people
Solo 2 at 3:51
Not as fast as the first one, but longer, more notey, and more varied.
Comfortably Numb
- Pink Floyd -
Parts to try:
First Solo, at 2:03
Slow with long notes, but of the many times I've taught this, people seem to always miss some of the smaller details like bending/sliding/etc.
H.O.P.E
- Triston Harper -
Parts to try:
Solo at 1:16
Simple stuff, but there is a sound that might throw you if you don't know what it is.
Last Night
- Morgan Wallen -
Parts to try:
Main Riff
Starts at the beginning of the song. Very easy part to play once you figure out what is going on.
Let It Be
- The Beatles -
Parts to try:
Solo, at 1:57
Pretty loud/clear, simple musically. Has some articulation that might make it sortof tricky for some people.
Sadda Haq
- from movie "Rockstar" -
Parts to try:
Solo at 3:06
Simple solo with simple phrases, and very loud/easy to hear. Keep in mind however, a few of the sections can be a bit notey and there is a decent variety of articulation to pay attention to.
The Count of Tuscany
- Dream Theater -
Parts to try:
Intro picked chords, specifically from 0:00 to 1:04
Musically pretty straightforward, although the chords can sound fancy to some people. Simple once you figure out the constant that is happening.
Under The Bridge
- RHCP -
Parts to try:
Intro
Very clear, easy to hear. However is it a slightly notey part that might trick some people. As well as the high note that is happening at the same time as the lower riff.
Heaven Come My Way
- Abandon Kansas -
Parts to try:
Intro Bassline (0:00)
Probably happens in other sections of the tune as well
Solo (2:46)
Not particularly tough, but is in the middle of a somewhat thick arrangement which might make it tricky to hear.
More Than A Feeling
- Boston -
Parts to try:
Solo at 1:20
Loud, easy to hear, although a harmony does come in at times which might distract you. Note-wise very simple, but articulation (bending, hammer ons/pull offs) is key in this solo and cannot be avoided. Pay attention to the articulation as that will also determine the best fingering.
Before I Let Go
- Maze, F. Beverly -
Parts to try:
Intro Solo, at 0:07
Can be slightly quick for some people.
Jarmin In The Dark
- Young Monks -
Submitted by a Patron!
Parts to try:
Solo, at 3:11
Pretty simple note-wise, however there is quite a bit of articulation, and there are moments where another guitar part comes in to double the melody. Some effects and the mix might make this one a bit trickier to hear.
Thunderstruck
- ACDC -
Parts to try:
Intro lick
Might seem fast for some people, but a verrryyy simple pattern that makes it pretty easy to figure out once you know what's going on.
Santeria
- Sublime -
Parts to try:
Solo at 1:33
Some moments might be quick for some people and there are a few chromatic-ish moments, but musically simple. Buried in the mix, which increases the challenge a bit.
So What
- Miles Davis -
Parts to try:
Trumpet Solo, or at least parts of it, starts at 1:30
Very clear, not fast, but has some color notes that might throw people. And the key change. The fact that it's on trumpet also might throw people.
Lights
- Journey -
Parts to try:
Solo at 2:04
Kinda buried in the mix at moments due to the tone, but pretty simple musically. A few quicker parts that might be tricky.
Permanent Holiday
- Mike Love -
Parts to try:
Solo at 3:06
Just on the edge of "mildly challenging" due to it's length, some very articulation specific licks that must be played with a certain fingering, and a few out of key moments.
What It Is
- Amber Mark -
Parts to try:
Solo at 4:42
Mostly made up of classic minor pentatonic licks, but there are some faster sections that might be tricky if you aren't used to the sound. Also slightly lower in the mix
Hotel California
- The Eagles -
Parts to try:
Solo at 4:20
A little low in the mix, but decently clear. Not fast but has some color notes that might throw people. Pretty long and has some little intricacies that some people usually miss (including myself when I learned this 20 years ago). I would maybe just focus on the first one initially, from 4:20-5:13.
Versace on the Floor
- Bruno Mars -
Parts to try:
Solo at 2:56
It's a synth solo, and it is somewhat buried in the mix. Mostly pentatonic with some sliding and bends though.
Snow
- RHCP -
Parts to try:
Intro Riff
Musically very simple, but will be fast for some people. Also get's a little buried in the mix once the band comes in.
Larger Than Life
- Backstreet Boys -
Parts to try:
Very Buried Solo at 2:22
Had no idea this song had a guitar solo, but apparently it does. And it has some pretty technical/typical pentatonic runs that might be fun to learn. It is SUPER buried in the mix, almost like the producers were embarrassed to have it in. Good Luck!
The Count of Tuscany
- Dream Theater -
Parts to try:
Intro solo starts at 0:30
Musically pretty simple, although some moments are somewhat technical.
Kid Charlemagne
- Steely Dan -
Parts to try:
Solo at 2:18
Pretty clear in the mix, however might be slightly quick for some people, and will also contain notes that do not fit in a single scale. Knowing the underlying progression will make this easier.
Dignity
- Opeth -
Parts to try:
Solo at 1:13
The harmony shifts quite a bit, but once you learn the basic chords (there are 8 of them) and the general sound he is playing over each one, the actual parts will make sense. Although there are a few technical passages.