Solo from “Stairway To Heaven”

Easiest way to learn: part by part, then group some of the parts together into larger “chunks”, then once those chunks sound smooth, and you feel like you remember each chunk well, group those together to create the whole solo. IMPORTANT: when grouping “chunks” together, practice separately the transition from the last note of the previous “chunk” into the first note of the next “chunk”.

(skip this section if you already know what the symbols below mean)

This means, use a guitar pick, and pick the string down, towards the floor.

This means pick up, towards the ceiling

These are fretting hand finger numbers: index finger is #1, middle finger is #2, ring finger is #3, pinky is #4.

This is a string bend (pick a note, then as it is still ringing out, push the string up gradually and listen to it raise in pitch. Stop bending it when you hear the desired pitch).

This is a pull-off (for example, press the string with your first finger to the fifth fret, then pick a note fretted with your third finger on the 7th fret, then as the note rings out, pull your third finger off of the 7th fret in a light “snapping” motion, to “expose” the sound of the note already fretted with your first finger on the 5th fret. This can also mean “a hammer on”, which means you first pick one note, then “hammer on” another note (without picking) with a different finger while the first one is still ringing out.

This is a slide into this note from a lower in pitch note. Part 1 (a string bend)

Part 2 (single notes, descending Am Pentatonic Scale)

Part 3 (single notes, pull-off from the 7th fret on the 3rd string, descending Am Pentatonic Scale, ending on an F note)

Chunk 1 (Parts 1, 2, and 3 together):

Part 4: Slide from 5th fret on the second string up to the 10th fret

Part 5: With the 3rd finger, pick the C note at the 13th fret of the second string, then bend it up to the D note, keep it ringing, release the bend back down to the C note, and pick the A note on the same string at the 10th fret.

5A variation: With your 2nd finger, bend the G note at the 8th fret on the second string up to the A note, then on the first string with your 3rd finger bend the C note at the 8th fret up to the D note, release, and pick the A note on the first string at the 5th fret with your 1st finger

Part 6: Slide into the note A at the 10th fret of the second string, then pick the note C (8th fret on the first string).

Part 7: Descend from the note D to the note G down the pentanotic scale 2nd position by using two pull-offs:

Part 8: Ascend the pentantonic scale (second position) from the note E (9th fret on the 3rd string) up to the note A (10th fret, second string)

Chunk 2 (parts 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8):

Part 9: Pick the note D (7th fret on the 3rd string) and bend it up to the note E; play the notes G (8th fret on the 2nd string), A (5th fret on the 1st string), G (8th fret on the 2nd string

Part 10: Descend from the note E (5th fret on the 2nd string) to the note A (7th fret on the 4th string) down the minor pentatonic scale (1st position)

Part 11: Descend from the note D (7th fret 2nd string) by using a pull-off down to the note G using the minor pentatonic scale 1st position

Part 12: Ascend from the note E (7th fret 5th string) to the note A (7th fret 4th string) using the minor pentatonic scale 1st position

Part 13: Play the notes C (5th fret 3rd string), A (7th fret 4th string), C (5th fret 3rd string), open G (3rd string)

Chunk 3 (parts 9, 10, 11, 12, 13):

Part 14: Slide from the note G (fret 3 string 1) into the note A (fret 5 string 1)

Part 15: Descend through the A minor pentatonic scale, 1st position, staring from the note G (8th fret 2nd string)

Part 16: Pick the C note (5th fret 3rd string); hammer on with your 3rd finger the D note (7th fret 3rd string), and pull off your 3rd finger to sound the note C again (5th fret 3rd string)

Part 17: Play the notes A (7th fret 4th string) and G (5th fret 4th string)

Part 18: Again hammer on and pull off, now on the 4th string (the notes G and A and G again)

Chunk 4 (parts 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18):

Part 19: Slide to the A note on the 5th string, fret 12 with your 3rd finger

Part 20: Play the notes C (fret 10 string 4) and F (fret 10 string 3) (use the pad of your finger to do that, roll it from the 4th string to the 3rd string)

Part 21: Pull off from the D note (fret 12 string 4) into the C note (fret 10 string 4) and the A note (fret 12 string 5)

Part 22: Play the C note (fret 10 string 4) with finger #1, then the note D (fret 12 string 4) with finger #3, and slide this finger into fret 14 on the same string

Part 23: Play the note G (fret 12 string 3), then the note E (fret 14, string 4)

Part 24: Play the note G (fret 12 string 3), then hammer on the note A (fret 14 string 3), play the note C (fret 13 string 2), then back to the note A(fret 14 string 3)

Chunk 5 (Parts 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24):

Part 25: Bend the D note (fret 15 string 2) to the E note, then release the E note back down to the D note, and play the notes C (fret 13, string 2), D, C

Part 26: Bend the note G (fret 15 string 1) up to the note A, then release it back down to the note G, and play the notes E (fret 12 string 1) and D (fret 15 string 2)

Part 27: Bend the D note (fret 15 string 2) to the E note, then release it back down to the D note, then with a pull-off play the C note (fret 13 string 2), then play the A note (fret 14 string 3), then play the C note again (fret 13 string 2)

Chunk 6 (Parts 25, 26, 27):

Part 28: Play the note D (fret 15 string 2), then bend the G note (fret 15 string 1) up to the A note

Chunk 7 (repeat part 27 ten times, then finish it with part 28)

Part 29: Play the notes E (fret 12 string 1), G (fret 15 string 1), and E again

Part 30: Play the notes D (fret 15 string 2), E (fret 12 string 1) and D again

Part 31: Play the notes C (fret 13 string 2) D ((fret 15 string 2), and C again

Part 32: Play the notes A (fret 14 string 3), C (fret 13 string 2), D (fret 15 string 2), and C again

Part 33: Bend the note D (fret 15 string 2) up to the note E; mute it and release it, and “reset” to play it again, play the note D again, then play the note C (fret 13 string 2)

Part 34: Play the note C (fret 13 string 2), then hammer-on the note D (fret 15 string 2), then pull-off to the note C (fret 13 string 2), and finish with the note A (fret 14 string 3)

Chunk 8 (parts 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34)

Part 35: Bend the D note (fret 19 string 3) to the E note

Part 36: Play the G note (fret 15 string 1), then the A note (fret 17 string 1), then again the G note

Part 37: Play the D note (fret 15 string 2), then hammer-on the E note (fret 17 string 2), then pull-off to the D note again.

Part 38: Play the C note (fret 17 string 3), then the D note (fret 15 string 2), then the C note again (fret 17 string 3)

Part 39: Play the A note (fret 14 string 3), then the C note (fret 17 string 3), then the D note (fret 15 string 2), and it starts ringing out, bend the already picked D note up to the E note

Chunk 9 (parts 35, 36, 37, 38, and 39):

Part 40: Bend the G note (fret 8 string 2) up to the A note

Part 41: Bend the A note (fret 10 string 2) one and a half steps up to the C note (find out the pitch of the C note at fret 13 string 2), then pick the C note, and release it back all the way down to the A note

Part 42: Play the notes G (fret 8 string 2) and A (fret 10 string 2)

Part 43: Bend the note G (fret 8 string 2) slowly up to the A note

Chunk 10 (Parts 40, 41, 42, and 43)

Part 44: (more challenging version) Play the F note (fret 10 string 3) and bend it all the way up to the A note (fret 14 string 3). “On the way” to the pitch of the A note, as you are bending it, pick these pitches: the G note (fret 12 string 3), the G# note (fret 13 string 3), and finish with the A note (fret 14 string 3), like pointed out above (for demonstration please watch the accompanying video). Then, pick the the A note again, and as it is ringing out, release the bend back down to the F note.

Part 44, the “easier version”: don’t bend the F note, instead play the F note (fret 10 string 3), then play the G note (fret 12 string 3), then the G# note (fret 13 string 3), and bend the G# note up to the A note (fret 14 string 3), then quickly jump your 3rd finger back to the F note (fret 10 string 3)

Part 45: Play the E note (fret 9 string 3) with the 2nd finger, then the D note (fret 7 string 3) with your 1st finger, then the E note again with your 3rd finger, then the D note with your 1st finger, then the E note again, then the D note, and finally the E note for the last time (4 times E note, 3 times D note)

Part 46: Shift your fretting hand and with your 3rd finger play two D notes (fret 7 string 3) and the C note (fret 5 string 3) with your first finger

Part 47: Play the note C (fret 5 string 3), then hammer-on the D note (fret 7 string 3), then pull-off the C note again and finish by playing the A note (fret 7 string 4)

Chunk 11 - more challenging version (parts 44, 45, 46, and 47)

Chunk 11 – simplified version (parts 44, 45, 46, and 47)

Part 48: Play the E note (fret 17 string 2) with an up-stroke.

Part 49: Play the note A (fret 17 string 1), then hammer-on the note C (fret 20 string 1), then pull-off to the note A (fret 17 string 1)

Part 50: Repeat the pattern above 5 times

Part 51: Finish the solo by playing the note E (like in the pattern above, fret 17 string 2), and by playing the note C (fret 20 string 1) and bending it up to the note D (fret 22 string 1)

Chunk 12 (parts 48, 49, 50, and 51) This needs to be played quickly, so ensure that you can confidently and cleanly play it SLOWLY first! If you rush this step and try to play it quickly, it will be very hard to do it consistently. But it’s very easy to observe yourself do it consistently when you are going slow at first. So do yourself a favor and take it slow to go super-fast and accurate later! J

Thanks for reading/learning/playing! Enjoy!