Guitarfluence
10 Legendary Intermediate Guitar Solos
Looking to take your guitar skills to the next level? Check out this article on intermediate guitar solos, where we break down techniques and show you legendary solos that will wow any audience.
If you’re looking for intermediate guitar solos that are:
- Famous
- Full of amazing licks
- Use a wide variety of guitar techniques
- Easy to listen to
- Going to wow an audience
Then you’re in the right place.
Let’s check them out!
1. The Eagles | “Hotel California”
Guitarist(s): Don Felder and Joe Walsh
Topping off the list of intermediate guitar solos is “Hotel California”.
This is a very melodic guitar solo, and is a great way to learn guitar arpeggios by applying them to a song.
The solo also has harmony, so try playing it with a friend!
Since I know you’ve heard the original “Hotel California” solo a million times, here’s an awesome acoustic rendition of the song!
2. Guns N’ Roses | “Sweet Child o’ Mine”
Guitarist: Slash
“Sweet Child o’ Mine” features a great intermediate guitar solo due to its iconic, melodic phrasing, using techniques such as bending, sliding, and hammer-ons at every corner.
The solo’s memorable opening riff and expressive bends make it a fantastic choice for intermediate players looking to enhance their lead guitar skills while playing a solo recognized by rock enthusiasts.
Here’s an awesome “Sweet Child o’ Mine” solo cover.
3. Led Zeppelin | “Stairway to Heaven”
Guitarist: Jimmy Page
“Stairway to Heaven” – A timeless classic featuring a gradual build-up to an emotional climax.
Thanks to Jimmy Page’s expressive bends, his blazing amazing rock licks, and his ability to build tension throughout the entire song, leading to an epic solo, this might be the most famous intermediate guitar solo on this list.
4. Ozzy Osbourne | “Crazy Train”
Guitarist: Randy Rhoads
This is one of the most “accessible” intermediate metal guitar solos. It’s just heavy enough to not be rock, and it’s a real showstopper.
I originally learned the Crazy Train guitar solo from Chris Zoupa, and here’s his updated tutorial on how to play the legendary metal solo.
5. Pink Floyd | “Comfortably Numb”
Guitarist: David Gilmour
“Comfortably Numb” is an absolutely beautiful guitar solo, thanks to David Gilmour’s iconic strat tone and phrasing.
Martin Miller’s Session Band blows Comfortably Numb away with his excellent chops, and also blows away another solo that’s coming up soon in the list!
6. Queen | “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Guitarist: Brian May
“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen features a simple, yet epic intermediate guitar solo that showcases both melody and rock energy.
Brian May’s solo is a blend of memorable guitar licks, making it a valuable challenge for intermediate guitarists looking to improve their soloing skills while playing a solo recognized for its timeless appeal.
And as always, Carl Brown knocks it out of the park with his guitar solo tutorial. I featured him in my list of best YouTube channels to learn guitar.
7. Dire Straits | “Sultans of Swing”
Guitarist: Mark Knopfler
“Sultans of Swing” by Dire Straits offers an excellent intermediate guitar solo with its distinctive fingerpicking style, combining bluesy licks and jazzy elements.
Mark Knopfler’s use of dynamics, clean picking, and expressive phrasing make this solo a valuable learning experience for intermediate guitarists aiming to develop their fingerstyle technique, use of PIMA, and musicality.
Here’s the Official Music Video from the legends themselves.
8. Jimi Hendrix | “Little Wing”
Guitarist: Jimi Hendrix
“Purple Haze” – A short but fiery solo showcasing Jimi Hendrix’s innovative guitar work.
Little Wing is one of the most covered intermediate guitar solos of all time.
The song showcases Jimi Hendrix’s innovative work, showcasing lots of muting, barre chords, Hendrix-style triads, and an incredible use of the minor pentatonic scale.
And you may have watched Martin Miller’s Session band play “Little Wing” just a second ago, but here’s a short, good rendition with some tabs.
9. Metallica | “Nothing Else Matters”
Guitarist: James Hetfield
That’s right, this is one of the few songs where Kirk Hammett didn’t play the guitar solo.
It’s arguably the easiest metal guitar solo, but it’s awesome, and that’s why it has over 1 billion plays on Spotify.
Here’s an awesome Nothing Else Matters Solo cover by a very underrated YouTuber.
10. Lynyrd Skynyrd | “Free Bird”
Guitarist: Allen Collins
“Free Bird” is more than a solo that you yell at the live guitarist to play. It’s an epic guitar solo.
It’s high-energy, and fast, and repeating guitar licks are simply put:
awesome.
Intermediate guitar solos summary
In summary, the top 10 legendary intermediate guitar solos are:
1. The Eagles: “Hotel California”
2. Guns N’ Roses: “Sweet Child o’ Mine”
3. Led Zeppelin: “Stairway to Heaven”””
4. Ozzy Osbourne: “Crazy Train””
5. Pink Floyd: “Comfortably Numb”
6. Queen: “Bohemian Rhapsody”
7. Dire Straits: “Sultans of Swing”
8. Jimi Hendrix: “Little Wing”
9. Metallica: “Nothing Else Matters”
10. Lynyrd Skynyrd: “Free Bird”
Learning a few of these guitar solos will put you well on your way to becoming an incredible lead guitar player, so keep it up, and keep rocking!
The post 10 Legendary Intermediate Guitar Solos first appeared on Guitarfluence and is written by Miles Halter
