Same here. Been playing since early teens. Now 53. Been a fan of this song since I was a preteen as well as many other Kath era Chicago. Now my 20 year old wants me to learn the solo. That's why I'm here. A proud dad. Someday has come.
And Stairway To Heaven wins top guitar solo on almost every list. This gem? Rarely mentioned. Kath was a natural musician. Great job mastering his incredible guitar playing. Very impressive!!
One of the Greatest Guitar players Ever ! Sad that we lost him so young. Thank you for this lesson and bringing him to our attention. Chicago has Always been my Favorite Band during the Kath years.
Wow... I am so glad to have run across this... One of the most fabulous guitar solos in history, and if I grind away enough at it, I will own it... This has literally been a dream of mine for almost 50 years... Thank you... Karma will shine on you...
Ralph Marshall thanks! Amazing solo for sure. Believe me I’ve been meaning to learn it for years too. Glad I did and was able to share. I know I won’t ever sound like Terry, but if some of his influence seeps into my playing and others who learn this then mission accomplished.
Ha you must be my age! There I sat in geometry class in 1972 while the teacher was on about angles and all I could think of was the solos to White Room and 25 or 6 to 4.
watching you re-create one of my favorite lead breaks from one of my favorite songs, and making it look so easy is mind boggling. absolutely beautiful............
ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC SOLO'S EVER WRITTEN IMO IF NOT THE BEST EXCELLENT JOB EMERSON.......................THANK YOU... THIS IS GONNA TAKE A WHILE ......
Without a doubt one of the greatest guitar solos ever recorded. When Kath hits that final note while clicking off the Wah its as if you can hear the relief in the guitar that he gave it a rest. Amazing. And to think on Chicago at Tanglewood in 1970 he actually goes even further out with it! Great job here
Double WOW!!! I will work on this. It will take time, but this is one of those iconic leads that I just never could put together on my own. This song and especially this guitar solo put Chicago Transit Authority on the map. I know Terry never seemed to try to replicate the recorded version, when playing live. He was so talented that he would play the lead by improvising and embellishing the solo. So So talented. Thankfully there are some videos of his great guitar work. He left us much too soon. What a tradgedy. At 70, I could die a happy man, if I could get this down. Thanks!!!
Many thanks for your lesson Emerson...I've fudged around Am pent on that main solo forever, but this give me something new to sink my teeth into. Man, you can rip up the fretboard with the best of them.
At last I should be able to master this baby.... I have desired being able to play this for a while now and thanks to Emerson I may well be able to play it... thanks for putting this up..... x
Absolutely fantastic job brother!!! Terry Kath never gets the props he deserves. When Jimi Hendrix says you are the best you know you have a gift. Thanks for posting this. It has helped me tremendously
@@randolphwellington1704 At the point where I've never seen it mentioned in any top 10 greatest solos, unlike the outro to Comfortably Numb, Stairway To Heaven, Free Bird, Sultans of Swing etc
The band Chicago is under rated... there once was a Band named Chicago and they named a city after it...:) Ok...lets work on the extended version...this is the AM radio version...?
Thank you so much Emerson for taking the time to do this. Terry Kath has always been my favorite guitar player as he inspired me to pick up the guitar and play as a kid in high school back in 71. Hearing this solo broken down to the last detail is a labor of love few could pull off as well as you and a such testament to Terry's greatness. Thanks again this really warms my heart. Subscribed.
I've been trying to learn this song since the mid 70s but now I think I can finaly play this solo correct. I thank you for posting this and the tablature.. I wish you could. post another video with the fill in parts through out the song and a short solo also
Thanks for this step by step tutorial on one of the greatest guitar solos ever,. I'm embarrassed to say how long I've been playing and have never been able to grasp this one. Thanks to you I think I will eventually nail this. Step by step and slowing this down makes this a solo that even I can master one day. Practice, practice, practice. Thank You Emerson. You are the best!!!
Wow E.S., I miss those days in 1972 so much and like tdwisdom3711 hearing you play it accompanied in the beginning made me cry with emotion for those days (it tore me up!!!) I used to sit on the big speakers listening to my friend Joseph Leonard jamb on his electric all day long working to get it just right for the high school stage! 70+ years now and it still kills me to hear it, always will... Thank you E.S. for causing this old man to recall his youth, thank you, thank you, thank you young man... keep the faith!
Wow-incredible breakdown of an incredible solo. Nicely done & thank you. For scale-heads, my understanding is this is a combo of A minor pentatonic + A Dorian
Mr. Swinford, I hate to admit that I'd never heard of you (I'm sorry, I've been living in Micronesia for almost 23 years). But now that I have, I will definitely be following you. I'm 61 and have been playing since I was eight. This solo has flummoxed me since I first heard it. I appreciate this tutorial more than you could ever possibly know. I just found it this afternoon and am having trouble with the second phrase but I'll get there. (I don't know if you're still touring with Rod Stewart but just, WOW that you did!!) Be well my new friend.
The tabs are good and I truly appreciate them. Note durations (quarter, eighth, sixteenths, triplets...so forth, would be wonderful to have though that feels like looking a gift horse in the mouth! Even the notes themselves, hammer ons, slides, pull offs, and so forth are helpful. Seems like the Am minor pentatonic with shades of Dorian and harmonic minor...just an amazing composition often vertically composed!!)
Hey Emerson, couldn't help but learn you're a Chicago native. From one to another, thank you so much for this detailed lesson. You've helped me nail the Terry Kath tone and feel of each note in this monstrous solo. Rock on!
Well done. I was actually able to play this(not as well as you) when it came out back in 1970. Now I can't remember much of it but I want to give it a try again and see if I can rekindle the passion I had for the music back then.
Emerson, thank you for posting this. Giving myself a year to learn this at the proper speed. I'll be happy to play it all the way through at 1/4 speed. Would NOT have been able to even try this without your efforts. THANK YOU. PS: The Tabs are well worth it.
Now THAT'S how you do a tutorial. Slow it down and explain every part thoroughly. Great job. Thanks for posting. I'm a big Chicago and Terry Kath fan and this is my favorite solo. It's so fast, but I'll do the best I can. I'm not very good at the fast stuff!
Thank for the lesson and the tab. Chicago is my favorite group and this is a song I have always wanted to learn but couldn't find both a lesson and a matching tab. I am not sure I will be able to get up to speed but I want to give a go and see how good I can get.
Bless you for this stellar recreation of my favorite guitar solo of all time. I can't tell you have unbelievably happy I am to be able to learn this. This is one of my favorite pieces of music ever created.
Youza! You nailed it. Here goes 20 hours of my life! watching this in slow mo. and learning. Terry Kath, for me, who learned guitar in the 60s and 70s, was the equal of Clapton in Cream, Hendrix, Santana, Johnny Winter, and Duane Allman. Kath had liquid speed, so fast, so clean, so powerful ( and ... he wrote the brilliant horn charts!). I had the 4 album set at Carnegie hall, Southern California purples rocked my world. Chicago was maybe the best set of technical Musicians that ever fell under the Pop music heading. Alvin Lee had the same sort of liquid speed as Terry, just smoothly powerfully and seeming effortlessly flowing. I actually think speed is very overrated, most speed merchants bore me to tears. Terry is the exception, his speed is beautiful as he rolls from the high down the neck through the low pitches, like the Mississippi River, unstoppable and a force of nature. Rolling stones idiot top 100 list be damned, Terry was as good as anyone.
Hey Emerson, Thanks for this and for your teaching style brother - I've also appreciated the info that you have shared on playing Hendrix and the respect you have shown towards him and his music. Always a pleasure my friend.
Wow Emerson! That is spot on!! I think Terry Kath and Shawn Lane are two of the greatest guitar players of all time! I grew up listening to Chicago and learned to play drums listening to Danny. Thank you for posting this. It is very good and I applaud you!
Ron Bynum thank you. I’m not sure about the lack of subscribers. I’m not big on social media and super aggressive about it I suppose. Anyway glad you enjoyed it.
Awesome job man. Absolutely nail this great song/rift. One of the best guitarists that ever played. He just gets overlooked by the misconception of the “horn band” talk. Fantastic stuff. Thanks for posting this. 👍
Great tutorial - I generally don't copy solos note for note, but this is an awesome starting point and a terrific way to learn how Terry built his lines. Thanks!
Thank you Emerson for posting this. I tried many times to learn this by ear but could never get it right. Its so fast and long...anyway it's a brilliant solo by a great artist. Thank you very much !
Just learn the first phrase then play your own solo. That's what I do on cover tunes. I'd be very surprised if Terry could have duplicated it. That's what makes a solo like this great is it's spontaneous. I appreciate the talent it takes to learn it but they never sound right.
Look at his little incidental fills everywhere- Like the one Right before the chorus in: Baby what a big Surprise “ it’s such a tasty little arpeggio run. with perfect flow
Great job on this! You're an outstanding guitarist, and teacher. Appreciate you understand the student, and how difficult these licks are to pick out, and to do at times. Thank you so much..
I saw your Bio. Seriously? You play in Rod Stewart's band and are still humble enough to say you chose this guitar to play 25 or 6 to 4 because it is easier with the dots! The only two tablatures you offer are both Terry Kath solos. I am also inspired by him, but without the talent. Dots or no dots. I read you were originally from the Chicago area. I've never left the western suburbs. I look forward to someday hearing your instrumental of Take Me Back To Chicago. I am now placing my order for some incredible tablatures. Thanks for keeping Kath alive... Alive, again.
Phil M. Thank you Phil! Ha ha I meant for the people watching to follow as they were learning and watching video, but yeah prob me too! Western suburbs, right on! I miss Chicago but not in winter ❄️. Stay safe and enjoy the tabs.
Emerson Swinford It made sense later that you meant the dots were easier for the viewer. Too late to edit! The tab download for 25 or 6 to 4 was super easy. Very clear and breaking down each phrase makes it slightly less overwhelming. I will go back and get the Make Me Smile tab. Thanks for sharing your talent.
Emerson! I’ve been playing/teaching this solo for years, but yours is the best breakdown and lesson on this that I’ve seen on UA-cam. Congrats! Keep me coming. Really helps my students. Now how about doing the same with “Freeform Guitar”. Lol.
Greetings and a happy new year from Glasgow, Scotland! I found your channel after watching your gig with Rod Stewart in Hyde park on TV, saw your brilliant playing so I had to check you out mate. I subscribed as this is definitely one of my bucket list solo's! Not too sure I will manage it with these old fingers now though ;0)
Getaways and Guitars thank you!! Glasgow is a great town. Enjoy the lesson. It’s definitely a challenge but has so many great phrases that it’s worth attempting. Best-Emerson
cant thank you enough for this....one of my favorites solo and this is the best lesson i have seen. Also learning it phrase by phrase i can incorporate some of these licks in my own playing and phrasing. Kath is one of the most underrrated. btw....love your playing with Rod
definately one of the best instructional video lessons going around great job i wonder if you do small world by huey lewis and the news love to hear some of your other songs brillianty done
I always crank up the radio when this solo starts up. Absolutely awesome instruction. My problem is try fingers get tied up. I think something that would also help these lessons would be to explain the optimal hand/fingering positions.
thanks. I didn't do the fingering cuz I actually favor my first three fingers as my fourth doesn't work as well ever since a surgery for a nerve impingement. Some can use their forth better than I...and I'd recommend that. Also to be honest I still tweak the fingerings slightly as I continue play this.
Thanks for this intensely analytical video. I always wondered what he did there around the last part of phrase 2, that always got me! I cant even hear that fast! The rest is relatively eas(ier) but Ive been chopping that piece up inadequately for far too long. Thanks! You play great, man. I'm 68, been playing since mid '60s and am nowhere near that good. Too many years drinking beer and dreaming instead of practicing. LOL Hard to do with these old fingers, now that I have the motivation. Keep up the great work! Impressive.
Timestamps for the phrases (credit to Bear with Boots) along with timestamps for Maestro Swinford breaking it down for us mere mortals (P# = phrase, P#w/E = phrase with Emerson): P1 3:07 P1w/E 3:32 P2 5:10 P2w/E 5:27 P3 7:49 P3w/E 8:04 P4 9:14 P4w/E 9:28 P5 11:18 P5w/E 11:30 P6 12:59 P6w/E 13:12 P7 14:05 P7w/E 14:25 P8 15:13 P8w/E 15:46 P9 16:38 P9w/E 16:55 P10 17:40 P10w/E 17:53 P11 18:42 P11w/E 19:01 Outro Lick: 20:19 Also, I originally bought the tabs to show some love to this man for deconstructing this, but they also ended up being incredibly helpful and they're impeccably organized. I recommend you buy them (and don't ask me for them, they're $5 for work that is worth WAY MORE than that, pay the man). Thanks Emerson :) my late father played Chicago in the car growing up as a kid and this song means so much to me, appreciate you saving me hours of ear work. If you ever end up doing Poem 58 or literally anything else off CTA, I would happily support it.
I’ve been playing guitar since I was a teenager (now 40) and this has always been on my “maybe someday” list.
Same here. Been playing since early teens. Now 53. Been a fan of this song since I was a preteen as well as many other Kath era Chicago. Now my 20 year old wants me to learn the solo. That's why I'm here. A proud dad. Someday has come.
Well I've been playing for about 2 and half years I'm gonna try muscle through it and learn it
And Stairway To Heaven wins top guitar solo on almost every list. This gem? Rarely mentioned. Kath was a natural musician. Great job mastering his incredible guitar playing. Very impressive!!
Phil M. Thank you!
I've never seen a single list with LZ's stairway as number 1. Never even heard anyone say that solo from stairway was considered Page's best.
One of the Greatest Guitar players Ever ! Sad that we lost him so young. Thank you for this lesson and bringing him to our attention. Chicago has Always been my Favorite Band during the Kath years.
Wow... I am so glad to have run across this... One of the most fabulous guitar solos in history, and if I grind away enough at it, I will own it... This has literally been a dream of mine for almost 50 years... Thank you... Karma will shine on you...
Ralph Marshall thanks! Amazing solo for sure. Believe me I’ve been meaning to learn it for years too. Glad I did and was able to share. I know I won’t ever sound like Terry, but if some of his influence seeps into my playing and others who learn this then mission accomplished.
Same for me here..Thanks !!
Ha you must be my age! There I sat in geometry class in 1972 while the teacher was on about angles and all I could think of was the solos to White Room and 25 or 6 to 4.
Great teaching exercises!
It's Jesus,Ralph, that shines His love for us!
Phrase 1 3:07
Phrase 2 5:10
Phrase 3 7:49
Phrase 4 9:14
Phrase 5 11:18
Phrase 6 12:59
Phrase 7 14:05
Phrase 8 15:13
Phrase 9 16:38
Phrase 10 17:40
Phase 11 18:42
Bear with Boots thank you!
You're a Hero
Hands down - best lesson on youtube for one of the toughest solos.
Thanks!
The sheer power of Emersons Kath solo made my eyes water. Excellent!
watching you re-create one of my favorite lead breaks from one of my favorite songs, and making it look so easy is mind boggling. absolutely beautiful............
Phenom Enol thank you!
ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC SOLO'S EVER WRITTEN IMO IF NOT THE BEST
EXCELLENT JOB EMERSON.......................THANK YOU...
THIS IS GONNA TAKE A WHILE ......
Without a doubt one of the greatest guitar solos ever recorded. When Kath hits that final note while clicking off the Wah its as if you can hear the relief in the guitar that he gave it a rest. Amazing. And to think on Chicago at Tanglewood in 1970 he actually goes even further out with it! Great job here
Thanks! Yeah Terry really had that edge to his playing! So great.
Thank you! thank you! thank 😅you! You hit it so clean. Awesome playing. Great slow breakdown for us mere mortals!
Double WOW!!! I will work on this. It will take time, but this is one of those iconic leads that I just never could put together on my own. This song and especially this guitar solo put Chicago Transit Authority on the map. I know Terry never seemed to try to replicate the recorded version, when playing live. He was so talented that he would play the lead by improvising and embellishing the solo. So So talented. Thankfully there are some videos of his great guitar work. He left us much too soon. What a tradgedy. At 70, I could die a happy man, if I could get this down. Thanks!!!
Thanks for your comments! And I wish you the best of luck with this, have fun too.
Many thanks for your lesson Emerson...I've fudged around Am pent on that main solo forever, but this give me something new to sink my teeth into. Man, you can rip up the fretboard with the best of them.
J Brooks glad you enjoyed it.
Nailed it.
Terry would be proud.
kingsxkids thank you
At last I should be able to master this baby.... I have desired being able to play this for a while now and thanks to Emerson I may well be able to play it... thanks for putting this up..... x
Enjoy!
Brilliant playing and lesson for Kath's guitar masterpiece. I always have to listen to this song in it's entirety when on the radio. Thank you!
Absolutely fantastic job brother!!! Terry Kath never gets the props he deserves. When Jimi Hendrix says you are the best you know you have a gift. Thanks for posting this. It has helped me tremendously
Massively underrated solo, awesome job on the lesson
Suscribed
Mario Gutierrez thank you. Totally agree with you. Wish I’d learned this years ago.
At which point in time has this solo ever been massively underrated? Great lesson by the way!
@@randolphwellington1704 At the point where I've never seen it mentioned in any top 10 greatest solos, unlike the outro to Comfortably Numb, Stairway To Heaven, Free Bird, Sultans of Swing etc
Only to some. Most who heard this song when it was originally released have always thought it was one of the best ever.
The band Chicago is under rated... there once was a Band named Chicago and they named a city after it...:) Ok...lets work on the extended version...this is the AM radio version...?
Praise be to Alah. Finally found someone who just might be able to teach me 25 Or 6 To 4. Awesome job, Emerson!
Excelente interpretación Emerson. Voy a estudiar el solo inolvidable de Terry. Saludos y Gracias 🇲🇽👍🏿
Probably my favorite guitar solo ever. Thank you.
Excellent video thanks very much! You’re an excellent guitarist and teacher. -Frank
Thank you so much Emerson for taking the time to do this. Terry Kath has always been my favorite guitar player as he inspired me to pick up the guitar and play as a kid in high school back in 71. Hearing this solo broken down to the last detail is a labor of love few could pull off as well as you and a such testament to Terry's greatness. Thanks again this really warms my heart. Subscribed.
Thank you for the comment! Enjoy!
Mine too
I've been trying to learn this song since the mid 70s but now I think I can finaly play this solo correct. I thank you for posting this and the tablature.. I wish you could. post another video with the fill in parts through out the song and a short solo also
Thanks for this step by step tutorial on one of the greatest guitar solos ever,. I'm embarrassed to say how long I've been playing and have never been able to grasp this one. Thanks to you I think I will eventually nail this. Step by step and slowing this down makes this a solo that even I can master one day. Practice, practice, practice. Thank You Emerson. You are the best!!!
thanks Frank. It's a tough one for sure. Good luck to you.
Wow E.S., I miss those days in 1972 so much and like tdwisdom3711 hearing you play it accompanied in the beginning made me cry with emotion for those days (it tore me up!!!) I used to sit on the big speakers listening to my friend Joseph Leonard jamb on his electric all day long working to get it just right for the high school stage! 70+ years now and it still kills me to hear it, always will... Thank you E.S. for causing this old man to recall his youth, thank you, thank you, thank you young man... keep the faith!
Man you nail it. Some of the best musicians that have ever played in the rock arena. You sound like the incarnation of Terry Kath.
Thank you!
Wow, great job. Don’t praise many instructional videos but yours is definitely worthy! Thanks
ccmkoho thank you!
Wow-incredible breakdown of an incredible solo. Nicely done & thank you. For scale-heads, my understanding is this is a combo of A minor pentatonic + A Dorian
Mr. Swinford, I hate to admit that I'd never heard of you (I'm sorry, I've been living in Micronesia for almost 23 years). But now that I have, I will definitely be following you. I'm 61 and have been playing since I was eight. This solo has flummoxed me since I first heard it. I appreciate this tutorial more than you could ever possibly know. I just found it this afternoon and am having trouble with the second phrase but I'll get there. (I don't know if you're still touring with Rod Stewart but just, WOW that you did!!) Be well my new friend.
The tabs are good and I truly appreciate them. Note durations (quarter, eighth, sixteenths, triplets...so forth, would be wonderful to have though that feels like looking a gift horse in the mouth! Even the notes themselves, hammer ons, slides, pull offs, and so forth are helpful. Seems like the Am minor pentatonic with shades of Dorian and harmonic minor...just an amazing composition often vertically composed!!)
Thanks for the kind words! Enjoy learning the solo 👍
I never knew how great Terry Kath was -although I’ve played most of the solo wrong
for the last forty years 🙂
Thank you for the tabs I’m 70years young be blessed you. Made my day Stan in south africas
Stan Clayton cheers! Enjoy!
Right on!! Classic song, classic riffs and great cover!
LJ Mendez thank you
Hey Emerson, couldn't help but learn you're a Chicago native. From one to another, thank you so much for this detailed lesson. You've helped me nail the Terry Kath tone and feel of each note in this monstrous solo. Rock on!
Thank you! And best of luck to you.
@@emersonswinford8949 thank you! I've got it down pretty well now.
Brilliant, thanks for putting this up for mortals like me Emerson, tremendous playing, I'd be happy if I achieved 10% of it, thank you ... 🙏🙏🙏
Thanks for this incredibly accurate transcription.Terry was a hero of mine.
This is terrific, thanks! I always look forward to your videos.
thanks!
Well done. I was actually able to play this(not as well as you) when it came out back in 1970. Now I can't remember much of it but I want to give it a try again and see if I can rekindle the passion I had for the music back then.
Thank you , Terry was so fast I had trouble keeping up. Your video has helped me greatly.
Emerson, thank you for posting this. Giving myself a year to learn this at the proper speed.
I'll be happy to play it all the way through at 1/4 speed. Would NOT have been able to even try this
without your efforts. THANK YOU. PS: The Tabs are well worth it.
thanks David, definitely not an easy solo but worth working up. good luck!
Thank you for doing such a great job on breaking down this solo! One of my all time favorite solos.
Excelente Emerson ,.fantástico ..eres un gran máster...gracias ....excelente!!!
Y sigue por favor deleitándonos de tu gran experiencia...gracias ....
Now THAT'S how you do a tutorial. Slow it down and explain every part thoroughly. Great job. Thanks for posting. I'm a big Chicago and Terry Kath fan and this is my favorite solo. It's so fast, but I'll do the best I can. I'm not very good at the fast stuff!
glad you dig it. fast stuff is difficult for me on certain days, it's matter of enough caffeine. good luck!
Thank for the lesson and the tab. Chicago is my favorite group and this is a song I have always wanted to learn but couldn't find both a lesson and a matching tab. I am not sure I will be able to get up to speed but I want to give a go and see how good I can get.
Wow that is hands-down the best cover of this solo I have ever heard in my life
Thank you
@@emersonswinford8949 Well deserved!
Bless you for this stellar recreation of my favorite guitar solo of all time. I can't tell you have unbelievably happy I am to be able to learn this. This is one of my favorite pieces of music ever created.
Thank you! Enjoy!
Youza! You nailed it. Here goes 20 hours of my life! watching this in slow mo. and learning. Terry Kath, for me, who learned guitar in the 60s and 70s, was the equal of Clapton in Cream, Hendrix, Santana, Johnny Winter, and Duane Allman. Kath had liquid speed, so fast, so clean, so powerful ( and ... he wrote the brilliant horn charts!). I had the 4 album set at Carnegie hall, Southern California purples rocked my world. Chicago was maybe the best set of technical Musicians that ever fell under the Pop music heading. Alvin Lee had the same sort of liquid speed as Terry, just smoothly powerfully and seeming effortlessly flowing. I actually think speed is very overrated, most speed merchants bore me to tears. Terry is the exception, his speed is beautiful as he rolls from the high down the neck through the low pitches, like the Mississippi River, unstoppable and a force of nature. Rolling stones idiot top 100 list be damned, Terry was as good as anyone.
Perfect! To me, this lead is one of the best in all rock music. You nailed it.
Thanks David.
Pure gold. Best lesson on the net for this song.
Hey Emerson, Thanks for this and for your teaching style brother - I've also appreciated the info that you have shared on playing Hendrix and the respect you have shown towards him and his music. Always a pleasure my friend.
J.W. Embry glad someone is digging it! JIMI’s music was about light and love to me, the world can use more, always. Thnx!
Wow Emerson! That is spot on!! I think Terry Kath and Shawn Lane are two of the greatest guitar players of all time! I grew up listening to Chicago and learned to play drums listening to Danny. Thank you for posting this. It is very good and I applaud you!
Tal Rodriguez thanks for the comment Tal! Glad you enjoyed it.
Amazing guitar player, thanks for capturing the feel and nailing it! ❤
Thanks!
A really comprehensive lesson, and easy to follow; no easy feat for teaching a killer solo. It is curious you don't have thousands more subscribers.
Ron Bynum thank you. I’m not sure about the lack of subscribers. I’m not big on social media and super aggressive about it I suppose. Anyway glad you enjoyed it.
Awesome job man. Absolutely nail this great song/rift. One of the best guitarists that ever played. He just gets overlooked by the misconception of the “horn band” talk. Fantastic stuff. Thanks for posting this. 👍
Dtm Jax thank you. Yeah there was just so much talent In that band too, in any other band Terry would’ve been the clear star.
Great tutorial - I generally don't copy solos note for note, but this is an awesome starting point and a terrific way to learn how Terry built his lines. Thanks!
Thanks. Yeah I like trying to get into other players heads, but it never seems to spill over into my playing verbatim
Thank you Emerson for posting this. I tried many times to learn this by ear but could never get it right. Its so fast and long...anyway it's a brilliant solo by a great artist. Thank you very much !
Brilliant! I was in high school when this tune came out. Thanks, Emerson!
the toughest part was unlearning what I already thought I knew... lol
Now I have to play it a couple hundred times to remember it ...lol
yrulooknatme ha yes, and 7 cappuccinos to get it up to speed.
Same for me! Im just seeing it for the first time, and i’m just thinking... “maan, i need to forget the version I knew”
Just learn the first phrase then play your own solo. That's what I do on cover tunes. I'd be very surprised if Terry could have duplicated it. That's what makes a solo like this great is it's spontaneous. I appreciate the talent it takes to learn it but they never sound right.
Thank you! Awesome tabs, best breakdown I've seen by far!
Thank you Chris! 👍
I just bought your download. Thank you for an excellent tablature. Isolated tracks are great . rock on Emerson .
Thank you!!
So detailed and accurate. So much info in the video and TABS. Thank you so much.
Very welcome. Glad you enjoyed it.
Very cool 😎
I still have the 45 in my record collection the
Look at his little incidental fills everywhere- Like the one
Right before the chorus in:
Baby what a big Surprise “
it’s such a tasty little arpeggio run.
with perfect flow
kingsxkids yes! There’s Only one Terry!
Great job on this! You're an outstanding guitarist, and teacher. Appreciate you understand the student, and how difficult these licks are to pick out, and to do at times. Thank you so much..
Thank you for the comment Frank!
Very nice and clean solo sir!👍🎸 i hope i can play it...
I saw your Bio. Seriously? You play in Rod Stewart's band and are still humble enough to say you chose this guitar to play 25 or 6 to 4 because it is easier with the dots!
The only two tablatures you offer are both Terry Kath solos. I am also inspired by him, but without the talent. Dots or no dots. I read you were originally from the Chicago area. I've never left the western suburbs. I look forward to someday hearing your instrumental of Take Me Back To Chicago. I am now placing my order for some incredible tablatures. Thanks for keeping Kath alive... Alive, again.
Phil M. Thank you Phil! Ha ha I meant for the people watching to follow as they were learning and watching video, but yeah prob me too! Western suburbs, right on! I miss Chicago but not in winter ❄️. Stay safe and enjoy the tabs.
Emerson Swinford It made sense later that you meant the dots were easier for the viewer. Too late to edit! The tab download for 25 or 6 to 4 was super easy. Very clear and breaking down each phrase makes it slightly less overwhelming. I will go back and get the Make Me Smile tab. Thanks for sharing your talent.
I am greatly appreciating this.
Although I don't have a guitar yet, trying this solo is on my bucket list to try and learn when I get one
Absolutely accurately played.
It is a hard solo to play but very rewarding and worth learning
WoW! That was awesome. Way beyond my capabilities.
Great Tone.....Nice job....... I saw them at Carnegie Hall many years ago.....1971........Great band........I'm that old
Thank you!
Must have been amazing! I was walking around in diapers then but their music was always around growing up in Chicago!
Absolutely fantastic ! Thank you for sharing !
Wow. That was awesome! Just startin out myself so see how it goes. Thanks for the lesson.
B Lee thanks!
"The Amazing Slow Downer"....yes, that is what I need....really slow. Nice job, buy the way!
Emerson! I’ve been playing/teaching this solo for years, but yours is the best breakdown and lesson on this that I’ve seen on UA-cam. Congrats! Keep me coming. Really helps my students.
Now how about doing the same with “Freeform Guitar”. Lol.
ChadPlaysGuitar1 thank you!
Greetings and a happy new year from Glasgow, Scotland! I found your channel after watching your gig with Rod Stewart in Hyde park on TV, saw your brilliant playing so I had to check you out mate. I subscribed as this is definitely one of my bucket list solo's! Not too sure I will manage it with these old fingers now though ;0)
Getaways and Guitars thank you!! Glasgow is a great town. Enjoy the lesson. It’s definitely a challenge but has so many great phrases that it’s worth attempting. Best-Emerson
you got this cold Great job
Thanks!
it would be great if you upload a tutorial of all the solos and riffs of this great song greetings great video
This is fantastic! Thank you Emerson!
Jason Leonard great thnx!
cant thank you enough for this....one of my favorites solo and this is the best lesson i have seen. Also learning it phrase by phrase i can incorporate some of these licks in my own playing and phrasing. Kath is one of the most underrrated. btw....love your playing with Rod
Thank you!
definately one of the best instructional video lessons going around great job i wonder if you do small world by huey lewis and the news love to hear some of your other songs brillianty done
Hi thanks!
Check my channel. Have some Hendrix stuff up. Busy at the moment touring, but will get more stuff up…someday 👍
You made it accessible! Bravo❤
It is said this piece is not easy to duplicate. It sounded perfect. Nice job!
Thank you!
Only thing missing is Terry's feel. Great job.
Excellent, well played
Awesome !! Thank you , I will finally learn this properly !!!!
My dad broke Chicago for me ...but that solo is awesome. Thanks a lot
Thanks. Yeah sometimes a band (or a songs) popularity can burn people out, I get it. Great stuff in this solo, and Terry was amazing !
That was fantastic, great job Emerson!
Thank you.
This is wonderful. I've loved this since early 70's. Is there any chance you would consider doing a tutorial on reelin' in the years?
Thank you. Hopefully someday will have time. Keeping busy touring w Rod Stewart again.
One word to say: Masterful!!
Thank you!
Now listening to him play it, that is the best solo I've ever heard
Yeah he was ferocious !
Love the thorn guitar
that is why I play , LISTEN to that!!!
thanks for the upload. The world got robbed when terry left!
Thnx! I agree.
I always crank up the radio when this solo starts up. Absolutely awesome instruction. My problem is try fingers get tied up. I think something that would also help these lessons would be to explain the optimal hand/fingering positions.
thanks. I didn't do the fingering cuz I actually favor my first three fingers as my fourth doesn't work as well ever since a surgery for a nerve impingement. Some can use their forth better than I...and I'd recommend that. Also to be honest I still tweak the fingerings slightly as I continue play this.
The best on UA-cam.
Thanks!
Thanks for this intensely analytical video. I always wondered what he did there around the last part of phrase 2, that always got me! I cant even hear that fast! The rest is relatively eas(ier) but Ive been chopping that piece up inadequately for far too long. Thanks! You play great, man. I'm 68, been playing since mid '60s and am nowhere near that good. Too many years drinking beer and dreaming instead of practicing. LOL Hard to do with these old fingers, now that I have the motivation. Keep up the great work! Impressive.
toolbros thanks. Definitely not easy for me to play up to speed. Usually gotta drink 3 cappuccinos at least!
ES lo mejor que he escuchado del cover ,, en verdad es fantastico,,, gracias desde Mexico.
carlos moreno gracias!
Timestamps for the phrases (credit to Bear with Boots) along with timestamps for Maestro Swinford breaking it down for us mere mortals (P# = phrase, P#w/E = phrase with Emerson):
P1 3:07 P1w/E 3:32
P2 5:10 P2w/E 5:27
P3 7:49 P3w/E 8:04
P4 9:14 P4w/E 9:28
P5 11:18 P5w/E 11:30
P6 12:59 P6w/E 13:12
P7 14:05 P7w/E 14:25
P8 15:13 P8w/E 15:46
P9 16:38 P9w/E 16:55
P10 17:40 P10w/E 17:53
P11 18:42 P11w/E 19:01
Outro Lick: 20:19
Also, I originally bought the tabs to show some love to this man for deconstructing this, but they also ended up being incredibly helpful and they're impeccably organized. I recommend you buy them (and don't ask me for them, they're $5 for work that is worth WAY MORE than that, pay the man). Thanks Emerson :) my late father played Chicago in the car growing up as a kid and this song means so much to me, appreciate you saving me hours of ear work. If you ever end up doing Poem 58 or literally anything else off CTA, I would happily support it.
thank you so much!!
Brilliant! Thanks a lot. Subscribed.