November Rain (Solo) Online Acoustic Guitar Lesson

Introduction

Every now and again a guitar solo comes out that just stands out from the rest and this is one of those solos. This song is amazing for several reasons and one of the best is that Slash gets to play 3 solos! Without a doubt though it is this particular solo that kicks in at around the 4 minute mark that is the real 'signature solo' that everybody has come to know and love.

I had actually learned this solo (very roughly) about 6 years ago as a band I was a member of called KAHA: THE POWER had it in it's repertoire. However, as I mentioned I just kind of ran through it and didn't really concentrate on all the details but I knew this was going up on YouTube so I needed to go over it again and really nail it - I hope I have.

Tips

This ain't easy on an acoustic. Why? The bends! This solo has so many bends, 1/4 tone, 1/2 tone, and full tone bends are all here and Slash uses them often.

• use your 3rd finger wherever possible to bend
• support the 3rd finger with your other fingers
• leverage the bend using your thumb
• look ahead to the 12 fret when jumping from the 7th fret in bar 7 so you hit the right note every time
• use your 3rd finger for the multi-slides running down from the 18th fret to the 11th in bars 12 & 13
• hold the positions even if the note is no longer audible
• pay attention to staccato indication
• remember Slash is full of nuances in his playing style so listen to the original recording

Let your fingers fly!