Yellow Ledbetter Guitar Solo Lesson - Pearl Jam

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In this video guitar lesson we will take a look at the beautiful Jimi Hendrix inspired guitar parts of "Yellow Ledbetter" by Pearl Jam.

This style of using basic triad chord shapes with melodic embellishments was made famous by Hendrix and has been used to various degrees of effectiveness by countless guitarists since.

The intro to "Yellow Ledbetter" is certainly one of the better examples of how to use this stye of playing to create beautifully melodic guitar parts.

In this Yellow Ledbetter guitar lesson video I will show you how to play the entire intro note-for-note. Keep in mind also that these chords are the same for the verse as well. The only thing he will do is make little melodic alterations here or there.

Technically probably the only thing guitarists may have an issue with is the fact that you need to use your fret-hand thumb to hold the bass notes of the chords on the 6th string. That is how Hendrix did it and for good reason. Using your thumb on those notes frees up the other fingers to perform those melodic embellishments I mentioned earlier. It is pretty much essential for you to play them this way if you want the riff to sound correct.

If you have never used your thumb like this before I suggest starting to learn. Take a quick look at how your hand is positioned while holding the neck. A quick way of enabling your thumb to play the notes on the 6th string more easily is to simply look at your hand in playing position. You should see the underside of your wrist facing you. Now simply bend your wrist upward towards your face.

This position will allow the thumb easier access to the 6th string as well as help with the first finger bar.

The entire first video will show you note-for-note how to play this intro which is almost identical to the outro as well.

In the second video lesson I will show you some ways of doing your own embellishments of the chords just like it is done throughout the song. I will also demonstrate how to play the short interlude section before the outro.

However, the main focus of the second lesson video is to teach you how to play the guitar solo for "Yellow Ledbetter" note-for-note. It has a lot of tasty and melodic licks so I definitely suggest spending a little bit of time to learn it.

Well that is about it for me today! Have fun and don't hurt those thumbs! :)

Carl...

[StoneyRidgeFarmer]

SIMPLY THE BEST YELLOW LEDBETTER TUTORIAL ON YOUTUBE!

[Yoshiling]

Thank you SO much for posting this. My band has our first gig ever next week and this is a lifesaver :)

[SteveTaylor]

Your lessons are the best on YouTube. Thanks for your time. 30 year novice here, still learning.

[ThumperJenkins]

For real thank you man this is awesome and it's helping me out tremendously

[matschi]

You are without any doubt the best teacher on whole youtube!!! Thanks for that!!

[renorocker]

It sounded a little bit like Stay with me by the Faces and Rod the Mod Stewart at around 3:40 ???

[mowieboy]

Awesome. Time to do some learning. Thx!

[James-dndh]

Awesome video, love PJ, been doing alot of practice with my scales lately, i find it useful after gaining a decent grasp on concepts to apply them through songs that are familiar to me and this was perfect!

[michaeloberhofer]

Make me bloody cry is right! Tryin to do this on a classical, (all I have handy coz of quarantine) & getting enough sustain for the hammer-ons down at the crowded frets hurts my poor pinkie no end! But what a gorgeous bit of guitar from the incredible Mike Mac, 2 guitar virtuosi in one band is just not fair! Now to try to play this weirdest of beautiful songs. (Don’t know why though, it’s not like I can hit wonder-boy’s stunning vocals. Still no idea what it’s about though!!

[gingercat]

hey carl, could you please do a lesson on cemetery gates by pantera please

[pepperfamilychiropractic]

Amazing as always! Thank you for sharing your gift, I have picked up a ton from your videos. Question is how do you not make those funny faces when you do your bends-HA!

[joeyoleary]

What scale is this based off of. I don't even know if I've asked that correctly 😂

[fisherprice]

Great vid, any advice on how everyone seems to bar with pointer finger and can curl their other 3 fingers over to pick notes a full step up over barred pinky? If I bar flat across with pointer my other fingers naturally want to be flat coming up which ends up muting strings. I been working on this for months. Grow fingers grow! Haha

I’m referring to 4.25 into the vid.

Great lesson Carl 👍

[Assassinatr]

Hey Carl, I would like to make a request for Going to California by Led Zeppelin. I think it is a great guitar piece and would love to be able to play it

[BrwrFan]

Is there any way you can make just a cover video of you playing the whole song? your version is so close and authentic to the real thing and I'd like to hear it full length with no lesson

[Monox]

Hey Carl. What do you use to get your tone?

[yvesthomas]

It’s weird… but am I the only one to find this solo not so inspired? kind of a missed rendez-vous…
Anyway, I love the song and thanks to your lesson I ll be able to perform it entirely
🙏

[captain_doom_sergeant_gloo]

what pedal did you use or what are the effects btw you are s god in lessons thank you so much.

[ilkerdemirtas]

Great lesson as always!! You are the best!
While at it, may I request a song too? Any Fule Kno That - Deep Purple.

[sol]

what guitar is it in the back ?? dont recognize the headstock 
thank for the lesson by the way helped me a lot