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!
@@Bogeyman19DidNotScareMyAss Well George's "not so much" knowledge of the guitar sure produced a lot of amazing/tasty guitar solos none the less. And on his own compositions he produced quite a few very interesting chords progressions. He obviously wasn't a top notch shredder type or a studio type guitarist. But he certainly was very gifted in his own unique way. I don't think he was simply lucky in this.
@@Bogeyman19DidNotScareMyAss Throughout his career George did plenty of recording sessions as guest guitarist. And Tom Petty said he was the best slide guitarist he ever knew.
@DaPoopIsInDaPudding The Beatles recording sessions are well documented, and it seems that you’ve made an inaccurate comment. George knew what he was doing. He was the one who did it.
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.
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!!!!!
As a life-long Beatles fan, and the only person I know that wrote a fan letter to Mr. Harrison, I must concur. George's solo in "Something" is totally inspired. It follows most of the same rules as his "Let It Be" solo, but because the chords are more complex than simple triads, the opportunities for a more sophisticated solo abound. And the non-diatonic Eb chord lends itself to even further exploration - in this case, those glorious opening bends.
"Something" is probably one of the best solos ever. I used to know a guitar player who was convinced it was Clapton. A solo you can whistle or hum will always beat "diarrhea of the fingers" any time.
That was a solo, that came out of his mind, I read an interview in the guitarplayer magazine where he played that song for Duane Eddy, and Duane said, you play very well George! But then George said, oh no that is not me that's Eric. But I think they mixed stuff apart, While my Guitar Gently Weeps was played by Eric Clapton, but I think he only played the solo, the intro parts and fills were done by George himself, on the concert for George Clapton played only the solo, another guitarplayer played the intro (very well) and all the other fills. That intro fill after first chords is fantastic!
Yes "Something" is George's best Beatles solo - but the most amazing thing is Paul is also playing his best Beatles bass part! That the composition and the vocals and RIngo's drumming and the production are 1st rate (and 'Ole Blue Eyes - Frank SInatra called it one of the greatest love songs (and he knew a little bit about music) - My rating 1000 out of 10.
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.
@@MarkZabel Let It Be was also the first album I bought with my own money when I was 12. It still came in the box with the softcover picture book that disintegrated after a few looks. PJ's Get Back was amazing, imo. I had serious health issues at the time that came out in 2021, I wasn't sure I'd be here to watch it. The Beatles will always be my #1.
@@MarkZabel And thank You for a great vid. For Me "excessive hand-gestures " are distracting. Many people do this; it just bothers Me. G. Harrison sang a song about ...
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 still play a lot of the song transcriptions from those early Mel Bay books. "In the Hall of the Mountain King", "Hungarian Dance #5", "Mighty Lak' a Rose". They're challenging and beautiful.
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.
Great lesson, Mark. Excellent choice to help us understand matching chord tones for solos. Great song choice, extremely effective. And George certainly was great at soloing.
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
Thanks for sending the link. I was five years old and I saw a hard Day's night at the theater. My mother took me. Like anybody my age The Beatles are part of the fabric of my life.
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 ! ...
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.
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.
What a great lesson! This is the type of knowledge that is so important for writing and playing melodic solos that truly fit the song. Such a great example to use, and so well explained. You're a great teacher. Thank you!
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.
The solo to Something was awesome. I remember the first time I nailed it jamming with a bassist that played McCartney part to a T. It was a magical moment for me.
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.
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
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 UA-cam who explain these concepts so well. Playing a solo is a such a blast when you understand how to.
Mel-Bay books are fabulous! Those are a great collection you have there, Mr. Zabel. You’re a great guitarist! Mel Bay’s Complete Modern Drum Set is also a fabulous book for anyone who loves the drums. I’m glad I clicked on to this video. Thank you for sharing it. 😊
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
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.
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!
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
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.
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.
So cool to hear this because this solo is the archetype on which I base ALL of my solos. I often return to it to see if I’ve lost any of its nuances, which I often do. You offered new insight, thank you.
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.
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
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.
Yes. Excellent point! As is typical, we can't just be inspired by a particular work, we need to say what's "best" or "even better". All I can say is this is how I felt at the time - actually interested in playing guitar again. For this boy of that age (maybe 10 or 11), his solo on "Something" probably wouldn't have done it for me. I think it's exactly as you say - George was and is under-appreciated. His ideas were powerful. Even more importantly, they were simple so that they fit songs that communicated to the masses. "Nowhere Man", "And Your Bird Can Sing", "Octopus's Garden", "I Feel Fine", etc. ... all great guitar work. IMHO, if more people were inspired by George than by Eric or Eddie we'd have better music. (And this is coming from someone who LOVES Eric and Eddie!)
@@MarkZabel I too like Eric, Eddie, all the usual crowd but I have a bit of an appreciation too of Tony Hicks, even though I didn't like The Hollys, Dave Davies, the Kinks guy always played "exactly right" to the point of genius, Robbie Krieger........there are others. I agree that less is more. George was a very thoughtful, considered sort of musician. Not always sure about simple to play though - "And your bird can sing"..is a proper tour de force.
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!
Totally agree on Revolution. I remember buying the White Album and then being totally disappointed by Revolution ... and then doubly disappointed by Revolution #9, thinking that *must* be the one with the rocking opening. LOL! We didn't have Google back then! I came to like the White Album version quite a bit, but it's certainly different.
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.
Let It Be might be my favorite song of all time. Listened to it hundreds of times to learn to ply it on piano. This guitar solo was the one on the single. There was a different solo on the LP.
I believe it’s the other way around! The solo on the single I’m pretty sure was the one played through the rotary speaker. This more overdriven solo was the one on the LP version of the song.
@jakollee is right. This is the one on the album ... the first half of the solo anyway. The one on the single has the Leslie effect on it. Either way, we both love the song!
Sorry. My bad. I still like the one on the single better. Just the one I got used to and listened to first. Love George's guitar playing. Turned into a pretty good songwriter, too. Hard to compete with John and Paul, though.
I too learned the solo by ear to play on piano, and actually found it more difficult to learn than many more complex solos (whether originally on keys or guitar), so I'm not surprised you listened hundreds of times. It truly is a gem. I personally prefer this solo (the LP one) to the one on the single, but they're both great.
This was a great, simple lesson. Pausing on a chord tone keeps you from noodling. You can also learn phrasing. GH pauses on each chord during the 1st pass thru the progression. 2nd time through, he is adding more interest by being pentatonic up until the progression resolves. I saw a take from the Nagra reels where GH is still figuring it out. He's basically noodling but you can tell he's picking out which notes he's going to include. He's finding landmarks before building the pathways in between.
Thanks Angel! Yes, many people mentioned that too. I didn't have the stomach for doing it yet again! Stairway was enough! LOL! Just kidding, it's definitely a great solo.
Oh yes, all those fiddle tunes are great to learn. You'll find "Turkey In the Straw", "Arkansas Traveler", "The Irish Washerwoman" and many other fiddle tunes in ... you guessed it! Mel Bay!
Sure thing! That sort of song isn't to my taste - but ... Jake E. Lee kills it for sure. And it totally fits the song! Great solo! Maybe I'll do that one, just because I'll get to watch the video again. I remember thinking it was cool when it came out. Probably looks "hokey" today, but Ozzie gets credit for letting it all hang out!
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 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
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).
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!
I'm happy to say I know and use this little trick as well, although it's more by ear than targetting the specific notes on the fretboard or the notes in each chord (although I do know them). Like you said, if you've been playing long enough, you'll notice those notes just "fit" better!
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.
Yes. The solo that made the album was played on "Lucy" - the wine red LP. Also, Glyn Johns was in the producer story too I think. Crazy for sure. I didn't know any of that at the time, but I had the single - which has George's solo with the Leslie effect full-tilt and dialed back in the mix. That's part of why I was so taken aback by the solo on the album. It rocked as well as being melodic! My cousin told me at the time it was Clapton, but he was wrong - it's George. Great memories.
Es un gran solo. Cuando lo escuché por primera vez se me calleron unas lágrimas. Me resultó emocionante, y claro está que lo toqué incontables veces con mis guitarras de todo tipo.
Hey, thanks. I've been working on mapping chords to scales (I'm not a lead player) just to help me with melody and playing by ear. Doing this on bass - lol. Looks like it'll help me improvise, too. Nice!
You bet. And yes, don't buy into the "lead is all about scales." You'll do well and sound more musical if you also think about chords - on either bass or regular old guitar.
@@MarkZabel Well, I started with Bach, the Beatles, and piano, so to me melody is the queen. I love rhythm, which is an important part of melody. I don't care about pyrotechnics, whether literal or musical.
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"!
I was classically trained on trumpet and French horn but taught myself everything else which started with guitar and Mel Bay books lol. Same feeling. Learned stuff, but not how to rock.
Mapping chords onto scales is GOOD ADVICE and it works. George Harrison was a brilliant guitarist who felt every note.
Thanks for watching and for the kind comment!
"Easy as a Sunday Morning", whoever played that is my hero! Love that lead!
Thomas McClary - co-founder of The Commodores.
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!
Awesome! Your experience sounds similar to mine.
I remember when it came out.
Something in the way he plays guitar attracts me like no other...
Yeah!
George Harrison’s guitar playing always intrigued me. Because he knew so much at an early age!
@@Bogeyman19DidNotScareMyAss Well George's "not so much" knowledge of the guitar sure produced a lot of amazing/tasty guitar solos none the less. And on his own compositions he produced quite a few very interesting chords progressions. He obviously wasn't a top notch shredder type or a studio type guitarist. But he certainly was very gifted in his own unique way. I don't think he was simply lucky in this.
@@Bogeyman19DidNotScareMyAss Throughout his career George did plenty of recording sessions as guest guitarist. And Tom Petty said he was the best slide guitarist he ever knew.
@@Bogeyman19DidNotScareMyAssTell me you know nothing about The Beatles without telling me you know nothing about The Beatles.
@@Bogeyman19DidNotScareMyAsswell you are the expert.....
Troll that is.
@DaPoopIsInDaPudding
The Beatles recording sessions are well documented, and it seems that you’ve made an inaccurate comment.
George knew what he was doing. He was the one who did it.
George Harrison was SO UNDERESTIMATED ❤
by who? I see you are not using the usual internet go-to term 'underrated', to differentiate yourself.
@@damianb2374 By JOHN AND PAUL
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.
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!!!!!
As a life-long Beatles fan, and the only person I know that wrote a fan letter to Mr. Harrison, I must concur. George's solo in "Something" is totally inspired. It follows most of the same rules as his "Let It Be" solo, but because the chords are more complex than simple triads, the opportunities for a more sophisticated solo abound. And the non-diatonic Eb chord lends itself to even further exploration - in this case, those glorious opening bends.
"Something" is probably one of the best solos ever. I used to know a guitar player who was convinced it was Clapton. A solo you can whistle or hum will always beat "diarrhea of the fingers" any time.
That was a solo, that came out of his mind, I read an interview in the guitarplayer magazine where he played that song for Duane Eddy, and Duane said, you play very well George! But then George said, oh no that is not me that's Eric. But I think they mixed stuff apart, While my Guitar Gently Weeps was played by Eric Clapton, but I think he only played the solo, the intro parts and fills were done by George himself, on the concert for George Clapton played only the solo, another guitarplayer played the intro (very well) and all the other fills. That intro fill after first chords is fantastic!
Yes "Something" is George's best Beatles solo - but the most amazing thing is Paul is also playing his best Beatles bass part! That the composition and the vocals and RIngo's drumming and the production are 1st rate (and 'Ole Blue Eyes - Frank SInatra called it one of the greatest love songs (and he knew a little bit about music) - My rating 1000 out of 10.
@@Borella309 I believe Frank called it his favourite Lennon/ McCartney song lol
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.
Thanks and thanks for sharing that great story!
@@MarkZabel Let It Be was also the first album I bought with my own money when I was 12. It still came in the box with the softcover picture book that disintegrated after a few looks. PJ's Get Back was amazing, imo. I had serious health issues at the time that came out in 2021, I wasn't sure I'd be here to watch it. The Beatles will always be my #1.
@@MarkZabel And thank You for a great vid. For Me "excessive hand-gestures " are distracting. Many people do this; it just bothers Me. G. Harrison sang a song about ...
The solo for Til there was you is a good one too.
Good one Mark. Have a great holiday .
Thanks - you have a great one too!
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.”
Yup.
I think mine is still around here somewhere, got it back about ‘65
I still play a lot of the song transcriptions from those early Mel Bay books. "In the Hall of the Mountain King", "Hungarian Dance #5", "Mighty Lak' a Rose". They're challenging and beautiful.
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.
Amen to melody over shred!
Great lesson, Mark. Excellent choice to help us understand matching chord tones for solos. Great song choice, extremely effective. And George certainly was great at soloing.
Thanks ... and yes, he was!
George is the reason im learning guitar. He is my inspiration
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
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
That's a great one for sure. Check this out! ua-cam.com/video/y5_PQrMGYLE/v-deo.html
Thanks for sending the link. I was five years old and I saw a hard Day's night at the theater. My mother took me. Like anybody my age The Beatles are part of the fabric of my life.
ua-cam.com/video/DI10XcJAwA4/v-deo.html I've been a musician most of my life. Please check out my cover of a Queen song
Yes, egotistical guitar shredders could never do something as perfect and elegant as the Nowhere Man instrumental.
George is completely under-rated.
That’s a nice one. For me though, the solo in ‘Something’ is melodic perfection. That’s my favorite George solo.
"Something" is a beautiful song and solo.
they're both variations on the song melody, an additional step away from irrelevant noodling
That is a great solo. Another good one is on I Dig A Pony.
George's "Something" solo from the Concert for Bangladesh is nearly as perfect.
ua-cam.com/video/yiqtK4IhM4c/v-deo.html
@@MarkZabelyo dude every now and then a human being needs boost thank now here's yours you are soo cool this video is my proof
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 ! ...
Simple, powerful ideas in his play.
George Harrison guitar solo on Let It Be is absolutely great. One of the best of all time.🧑🦯🎸
I LOVE THIS VIDEO ❤️ LOVE IT...THANK YOU FOR UPLOADING THIS VIDEO..
Thanks!
Oh, man that blue Mel Bay book brings back memories of just sitting there stiff with the guitar. Had to break free!
Thank you, Mark, for reminding us of this great solo, song and lesson.
Glad you enjoyed 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.
Glad you enjoyed the trip!
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.
So glad you can relate!
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.
It's a great choice to learn.
Great story and even better lesson that piques my interest to dive in deeper. You always have great content. Thanks!!!
Awesome, thank you so much!
Thanks as usual, Mark. Beautiful Goldtop!
Thanks!
That Let it Be solo was the first one I learned when I started learning on UA-cam. I knew I had to play it.
What a great lesson! This is the type of knowledge that is so important for writing and playing melodic solos that truly fit the song. Such a great example to use, and so well explained. You're a great teacher. Thank you!
Thank you so much!
This break-down is wonderful, thank you, Mark!!
My pleasure! Thanks Joyce!
I've always loved George's And I love her and Till there were you solos.
Me too!
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.
Excellent. It basically echoes the melody of the song verbatim, as does "Galveston."
That makes sense. The whole song is a masterpiece.
Great lesson and story Mark. Don't forget the solo to Something. It might be the Perfect solo. Thx keep up the great work 🎸
Thanks Paul. "Something" is a beautiful song and solo. Definitely!
LOVE that song SO much!! Omg, it’s just so beautiful!!
The solo to Something was awesome. I remember the first time I nailed it jamming with a bassist that played McCartney part to a T. It was a magical moment for me.
@@cpguitars1 I agree, the first time I got it right front to back you'd thought I'd win the lottery 👍
Really well encapsulated way to teach this. It’s often too techy. This rocks.
Thanks!
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.
Cool!
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
Glad it helped!
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 UA-cam who explain these concepts so well. Playing a solo is a such a blast when you understand how to.
Thanks so much Tony!
We all suffered with the Mel Bay Method....
Mel-Bay books are fabulous!
Those are a great collection you have there, Mr. Zabel.
You’re a great guitarist!
Mel Bay’s Complete Modern Drum Set is also a fabulous book for anyone who loves the drums.
I’m glad I clicked on to this video.
Thank you for sharing it. 😊
My pleasure. Thanks for watching ... and relating to Mel Bay. I still play many of those arrangements.
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'll check it out, thanks.
Outstanding video Mark, love George’s playing and you highlighting chord tones used in this solo was magic. Thank you!
My pleasure. Thanks for watching!
Very cool! Very Clear and very useful.
Glad it was helpful!
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
Glad you enjoyed it!
Robert Fripp's solo on Eno's Baby's on fire was always my 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.
Always my favorite guitar solo too , glad you choose it
George has been a favorite for a long time and like alot of others "Something" is most favorite.
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!
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
So many, I agree.
Agree - although I think it was Paul on lead in Taxman
@@paulsanderson4118 Yes, Paul played the lead on Taxman.
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.
Another excellent solo, I agree.
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.
Thanks so much!
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.
I love that!
So cool to hear this because this solo is the archetype on which I base ALL of my solos. I often return to it to see if I’ve lost any of its nuances, which I often do. You offered new insight, thank you.
Glad I could help!
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.
One doesn't have to choose. More than 1 solo can be "perfect".
Btw, I put Harrison's slide in front the almons any day of the week!!! Some of the hardest guitar to replicate
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
Thanks brother!
Great video Mark! One of my favorite solos! Thanks!
Mine too ... as you've surmised! Thanks!
My favorite George Harridon guitar are the fills he plays on She Came in Through the Bathroom Window.
Cool!
Very well done !
Glad you liked it!
Great lesson 💪🎸 thanks very much 👍
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.
Yes. Excellent point! As is typical, we can't just be inspired by a particular work, we need to say what's "best" or "even better". All I can say is this is how I felt at the time - actually interested in playing guitar again. For this boy of that age (maybe 10 or 11), his solo on "Something" probably wouldn't have done it for me.
I think it's exactly as you say - George was and is under-appreciated. His ideas were powerful. Even more importantly, they were simple so that they fit songs that communicated to the masses. "Nowhere Man", "And Your Bird Can Sing", "Octopus's Garden", "I Feel Fine", etc. ... all great guitar work.
IMHO, if more people were inspired by George than by Eric or Eddie we'd have better music. (And this is coming from someone who LOVES Eric and Eddie!)
@@MarkZabel I too like Eric, Eddie, all the usual crowd but I have a bit of an appreciation too of Tony Hicks, even though I didn't like The Hollys, Dave Davies, the Kinks guy always played "exactly right" to the point of genius, Robbie Krieger........there are others.
I agree that less is more. George was a very thoughtful, considered sort of musician. Not always sure about simple to play though - "And your bird can sing"..is a proper tour de force.
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!
Totally agree on Revolution. I remember buying the White Album and then being totally disappointed by Revolution ... and then doubly disappointed by Revolution #9, thinking that *must* be the one with the rocking opening. LOL!
We didn't have Google back then! I came to like the White Album version quite a bit, but it's certainly different.
My favorite George solo is the one on Something, a piece of genius...
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.
Thanks!
I just remembered, Reelin' in the Years by Steely Dan. Great solo there too!
No doubt.
Excellent Mark
Glad you enjoyed it
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
Steve Stills solos on Carry On were my training ground.
@OfficialMarkZabel I won what?
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.
That's interesting. I feel exactly the opposite.
@@MarkZabel A lot of people do. Were you listening to the radio when the song was on the charts?
@@howie9751 No, I was 3 years old. Was forbidden to listen to FM radio. I bought the single early though ... probably 1972. The story is in the video.
Let It Be might be my favorite song of all time. Listened to it hundreds of times to learn to ply it on piano. This guitar solo was the one on the single. There was a different solo on the LP.
I believe it’s the other way around! The solo on the single I’m pretty sure was the one played through the rotary speaker. This more overdriven solo was the one on the LP version of the song.
@jakollee is right. This is the one on the album ... the first half of the solo anyway. The one on the single has the Leslie effect on it.
Either way, we both love the song!
Sorry. My bad. I still like the one on the single better. Just the one I got used to and listened to first. Love George's guitar playing. Turned into a pretty good songwriter, too. Hard to compete with John and Paul, though.
I too learned the solo by ear to play on piano, and actually found it more difficult to learn than many more complex solos (whether originally on keys or guitar), so I'm not surprised you listened hundreds of times. It truly is a gem. I personally prefer this solo (the LP one) to the one on the single, but they're both great.
This was a great, simple lesson. Pausing on a chord tone keeps you from noodling. You can also learn phrasing. GH pauses on each chord during the 1st pass thru the progression. 2nd time through, he is adding more interest by being pentatonic up until the progression resolves.
I saw a take from the Nagra reels where GH is still figuring it out. He's basically noodling but you can tell he's picking out which notes he's going to include. He's finding landmarks before building the pathways in between.
Very nice!
Wonderful lesson Mark. Cool. My favorite Guitat solo is Hotel California! It's awesome.
Thanks Angel! Yes, many people mentioned that too. I didn't have the stomach for doing it yet again! Stairway was enough! LOL! Just kidding, it's definitely a great solo.
Turkey In The Straw is Great Riff based tune
Oh yes, all those fiddle tunes are great to learn. You'll find "Turkey In the Straw", "Arkansas Traveler", "The Irish Washerwoman" and many other fiddle tunes in ... you guessed it! Mel Bay!
My solo was Willie Nelson’s Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain. So simple yet so full of expression.
Agree. Another that fits perfectly. Those loose harmonies after the solo get me every time too!
That’s the solo that inspired me, too. And also the first solo that I learned note-for-note.
Awesome!
Thanks for sharing. Best solo for me, Bark at the Moon.
Sure thing! That sort of song isn't to my taste - but ... Jake E. Lee kills it for sure. And it totally fits the song! Great solo!
Maybe I'll do that one, just because I'll get to watch the video again. I remember thinking it was cool when it came out. Probably looks "hokey" today, but Ozzie gets credit for letting it all hang out!
So glad you made this video 😊
Glad you liked it!!
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.
Very interesting, the woman/man interplay you point out.
Thank you Mark, great and helpful . Blessings.
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
Thanks! And yes, I agree TTTP is a perfect solo. So simple and yet so effective.
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).
Great lesson BTW.....
Thanks!
Good tip Mark..! Thanks man.!👍🏼
No problem 👍
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!
Bridge of Sighs was one of my best picks.
Cool!
Fool and me was also nice.
Good fuzz tone. Clean bends. Just subbed.
Thanks!
I'm happy to say I know and use this little trick as well, although it's more by ear than targetting the specific notes on the fretboard or the notes in each chord (although I do know them). Like you said, if you've been playing long enough, you'll notice those notes just "fit" better!
Great!
Great presentation!
Thank you!
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.
Yes. The solo that made the album was played on "Lucy" - the wine red LP. Also, Glyn Johns was in the producer story too I think. Crazy for sure.
I didn't know any of that at the time, but I had the single - which has George's solo with the Leslie effect full-tilt and dialed back in the mix. That's part of why I was so taken aback by the solo on the album. It rocked as well as being melodic! My cousin told me at the time it was Clapton, but he was wrong - it's George. Great memories.
Love this video. You’re doing great with the 2024 kick off on UA-cam ❤’ you’re running strong. I had Mel Bay books too.
Thanks!
Es un gran solo. Cuando lo escuché por primera vez se me calleron unas lágrimas. Me resultó emocionante, y claro está que lo toqué incontables veces con mis guitarras de todo tipo.
Thanks for mentioning the titles of the solos, you are playing. Wouldn't have recognized them otherwise :D
I still like Mel Bay but I've stalled at Grade 3 for the last so many years lol. I love the display.
LOL! Yeah, book 4 starts getting rough! I limped through book 7, but made it. I found the best arrangements were in books 5 and 6.
Hey, thanks. I've been working on mapping chords to scales (I'm not a lead player) just to help me with melody and playing by ear. Doing this on bass - lol. Looks like it'll help me improvise, too. Nice!
You bet. And yes, don't buy into the "lead is all about scales." You'll do well and sound more musical if you also think about chords - on either bass or regular old guitar.
@@MarkZabel Well, I started with Bach, the Beatles, and piano, so to me melody is the queen. I love rhythm, which is an important part of melody. I don't care about pyrotechnics, whether literal or musical.
The guitar solo in I WANNA BE SEDATED did it for me.😊
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"!
LOL! Rock on!
@@MarkZabel You knowz it!
Thanks Mark. Awesome content
Glad you enjoyed it
Thanks. Everything Michael Schenker did from 1974-1979 for me.
Personally, I love "Rock Bottom" best from him. Plus, you can hear how it evolved over time in his live solos - always partly improvised.
I was classically trained on trumpet and French horn but taught myself everything else which started with guitar and Mel Bay books lol. Same feeling. Learned stuff, but not how to rock.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I did it, or rather that my Mom made me do it. But yes, it just didn't inspire back then!
I learned to play guitar by learning the chords in the Mel Bay book. Taught myself.
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!!!!!!