How to Learn a Guitar Solo (Even the Fast Ones)
If you want to know how to learn a guitar solo that sounds impossible at full speed, the answer is to stop trying to learn it at full speed. Break it into licks, slow each one down without changing the pitch, loop it until your hands know it, then climb back up in small steps.
Split the solo into one or two bar licks. In Song Practice, set an A-B loop around the first lick, turn Speed down to 50–70% (the key stays the same), and pull the vocals and drums down in the Mix sheet so the guitar is clearer. Raise the speed 5% each time you play it cleanly, then chain the licks together.
1. Map the solo before you play a note
Listen to the whole solo three or four times with the guitar down. You are not trying to find notes yet. You are looking for its shape: where it starts, where it breathes, where the big moments are. Most solos fall into a handful of sections, and each section is made of short phrases, or licks, that last a bar or two.
Mark the start of the solo with a bookmark so you can jump straight back to it. On iOS 27 the song analysis view shows bar numbers, sections and phrases, and where each stem plays across the song, which makes it quicker to see where the solo sits and how long it runs.
While you are mapping, glance at the detected key under the song title. If it says E minor, the solo very likely leans on E minor pentatonic or the E natural minor scale. Knowing the scale narrows the search enormously when you start finding notes.
2. Match the tuning
Plenty of rock and metal records are tuned down a half step or more. If you play along in standard tuning, nothing will line up, and you will waste time on "wrong" notes that are actually right.
- Song in E♭ tuning, you in standard: shift the key up 1 semitone.
- Song in D standard, you in standard: shift up 2 semitones.
- Song in drop C, you in drop D: shift up 2 semitones.
The key shift goes from −12 to +12 semitones and doesn't change the tempo, so your slowed-down loop stays slowed down. Our guide to changing the key of a song covers more tunings and capo positions.
3. Loop one lick at a time
Set an A marker just before the first lick and a B marker just after it. Snap the markers to bars so the loop repeats in time, then nudge A or B by a beat if the lick starts on a pickup. A one or two bar loop is the sweet spot: long enough to hear the phrase, short enough to get dozens of repetitions in a few minutes.
For more on marker placement, see how to loop part of a song.
4. Slow down the guitar solo to 50–70%
With the loop running, turn the Speed dial down. Speed ranges from 25% to 200% of the original tempo and the pitch doesn't move, so every note still matches your guitar. For a fast solo, 50–70% is usually where individual notes become clear enough to find on the neck. Drop to 35–45% for a single blistering run or a bend you can't decode.
Find the notes one at a time. Hum the note, find it on the neck, then check the next one. Pay attention to how each note is played as well as which note it is: a bend up to a pitch sounds different from fretting that pitch, and a slide or hammer-on changes the feel of a phrase.
5. Hear the guitar more clearly with stems
Song Practice separates songs on device into four stems: vocals, drums, bass and other. There is no dedicated guitar stem. Guitars live in the "other" stem, along with keys, synths and anything else that isn't voice, drums or bass.
That is still a big help. Open the Mix sheet and lower the vocal and drum faders so the solo stands out. Pulling the bass down too can make low-register licks easier to hear. The No drums quick mix is a fast shortcut, and Reset brings everything back. When you can play the lick, bring the full mix back so you learn to hold your place against the band.
If the solo sits on top of a busy rhythm guitar or keyboard part, expect some overlap in the "other" stem. Slowing down helps you pick the lead line out.
6. Climb the 5% ladder
Speed steps are 5% of the song's own BPM. Use them as rungs:
| Stage | Speed | Move up when |
|---|---|---|
| Find the notes | 35–60% | You can play every note of the lick in order, however slowly. |
| Build control | 60–80% | Three clean passes in a row with the loop, bends in tune. |
| Build speed | 80–95% | Three clean passes, relaxed picking hand, no rushing. |
| Performance | 100%+ | It feels easy. Try 105% so full speed feels comfortable. |
If you stall at a speed for more than a session, drop back 10% and play it cleaner. Tension, not speed, is usually the thing holding you back. Turn on the metronome, which locks to the song's tempo, if you tend to rush.
7. Chain the licks into a solo
Once lick one and lick two are solid, move B to the end of lick two and loop them together. The joins between licks are where most people trip, so give them their own attention. Keep extending the loop until the whole section runs, then the whole solo. Finally, play the solo in context with the verse or chorus before it, so you practice the entry as well as the notes. When you are ready, export just the loop to play along with away from your phone.
Common questions
How long does it take to learn a guitar solo?
It depends on the solo and your level. Short, melodic solos can come together in a few sessions; long, fast ones can take weeks. Short daily sessions with loops beat one long weekend attempt.
Does slowing down the solo change the notes?
No. Song Practice changes speed and pitch independently, so a solo in A stays in A at 50%. More in how to slow down a song without changing pitch.
Can I isolate just the lead guitar?
Not on its own. The stems are vocals, drums, bass and other, and guitars sit in "other". Muting the rest still makes the lead much easier to follow.
Learn your next solo
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