Top 10 Hardest Guitar Solos to Learn

These guitar solos rock! For this list, we’ll be looking at those challenging guitar interludes that even the greatest axe wielders on Earth might struggle to play. Our countdown includes “Sultans of Swing”, “Under a Glass Moon”, “Eruption”, and more! Is there a guitar part that you’re still painfully practicing? Let us know in the comments.

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[WatchMojo]

Is there a guitar part that you’re still painfully practicing? Let us know in the comments.

[susandolan]

What made Hendrix's guitar work so iconic is he was left handed but played a right handed stratocaster/whammie bar upsidedown so he could reach the whammie bar with his fingers while playing.

[stephenroberts]

Tornado of Souls from Megadeth!! How could that be forgotten?!

[curtislindsey]

Mike McCready from Pearl Jam is so underrated. His solos are so fluid. It doesn't matter how fast or slow, they are perfect

[aspiretoinspire]

Guitar solos are typically much more challenging to learn and play than the rest of the song. Because of this, it will normally take as much time to learn just the solo if not more. 🤕🤕🤕🥺🥺🥺If you underestimate the difficulty of a solo or the effort that will be required, than you may find yourself overwhelmed very quickly.

[mr.d.]

I'd say "Bark At The Moon" is really difficult. Or nailing the tones, sustain, and feel of Gilmour or Santana.

[BokuWaHikikomori]

The lack of Gilbert/Racer X, Satriani and Malmsteen in this list is seriously shocking!

[housespecial]

Mark Knofler seriously underrated by current gen.

[andrewpappas]

My List
1. Hot For Teacher - Van Halen (Guitarist: Eddie Van Halen)
2. The Star-Spangled Banner - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Guitarist: Jimi Hendrix)
3. Afterlife - Avenged Sevenfold (Guitarist: Synyster Gates)
4. Satch Boogie - Joe Satriani (Guitarist: Joe Satriani)
5. Master of Puppets - Metallica (Guitarist: Kirk Hammett)
6. Black Star - Yngwie Malmsteen (Guitarist: Yngwie Malmsteen)
7. Highway Star - Deep Purple (Guitarist: Ritchie Blackmore)
8. Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd (Guitarists: Allen Collins, Gary Rossington)
9. Brighton Rock - Queen (Guitarist: Brian May)
10. Working Man - Rush (Guitarist: Alex Lifeson)

Honourable Mentions
- For the Love of God - Steve Vai (Guitarist: Steve Vai)
- Through the Fire & Flames - Dragonforce (Guitarists: Herman Li, Sam Totman)
- Floods - Pantera (Guitarist: Dimebag Darrell)
- Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy - Mr. Big (Guitarist: Paul Gilbert)
- Play With Me - Extreme (Guitarist: Nuno Bettancourt)

[ChucksterOLove]

That was actually a good list, I'm a little surprised. You included some good ones that I wasn't expecting, kinda caught me off guard... 🤔

[wmrphotography]

I remember seeing “Cliffs of Dover” on Austin City Limits and it blew my mind. EVH was definitely one of the greatest ever, not only a great musician and composer, he was also a good human. I always thought that Extreme’s “Play With Me” has a great solo, when I first heard it in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, it also blew my mind.

[vman]

Eruption
Voodoo Child
Crazy Train
Sultans of swing
All great songs. But definitely not the hardest solo you could possibly learn, which is what I though this list was about. I would say
“Follow the Signs” by Born of Osiris

The Nervous Breakdown by Brad Paisley

Midnight Blue by Joe Bonamassa

All have harder solos than those other songs.

[andrewpappas]

Eddie was one of the first guitarists that I looked up to as a kid (and the first I got to see live back in 2012 back when I was 13) and he's still one of my biggest influences so I'm definitely happy to see him at Number 1, but I feel like a lot of his other solos like Hot For Teacher, I'm the One, Somebody Get Me A Doctor or Ice Cream Man could be on here

[jeremybernstein]

Satriani doesn’t even get an honorable mention? Who makes up these lists? Ridiculous

[SquirtleOctavius]

The hardest part is we learn Stairway To Heaven in a guitar store because the place doesn't allow to let us practice this solo.

[TundraCH]

Props for adding some more modern guitarists to the list, some more I would suggest:
Persefone - The Majestic of Gaia
Stephen Taranto - Pixel Heart: Celestial
Covet - Sea Dragon
Periphery - Blood Eagle
David Maxim Micic - Rise and Shine

[Muscle]

One of my best friends, David Clark, was playing Eruption at our high school dances back in the early 80’s. 😎✌️🎸

[dulcinesio]

Michael Romeo, Vinnie Moore, Paul Guilbert, Jason Becker, Kiko Loureiro, Gutrie Govan, Steve Morse, Marty Freedman, Joe Satriani, John Norum, Alexi Laiho, Ritchie Blackmore, Al Dimeola, Paco de Lucia, Zakk Wylde, Brian May, Gary Moore, Chuck Berry

[Vindicator]

I would have had the solo work from Cemetery Gates by Pantera and Tornado Of Souls by Megadeth on the list. Certainly harder than One by Metallica. Maybe even the solos from Dance Of Death by Iron Maiden too.

[mlfilion]

Lots of great solos. Comfortably Numb, Hanger 18 and the We're Stars solos are some of my favorites. Can't forget the Cross Roads solo with Steve Vai, or Mr. Crowley Randy rhoads