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Stairway to heaven solo

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(@clau20)
Reputable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 351
Topic starter  

Hi everybody!

I have learned Stairway to heaven... The first 6 minutes and I'm proud of it :wink:

But now.. The solo, starting at 6:00...

---------5------------------------------------------------------------
--------------8p5----------------------------------------------------
---7b----------------7p5-----------7p5-----------------------------
------------------------------7---------------7p5--------------------
--------------------------------------------------------8-------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I try to learned this part by myself before my guitar class during one week... The easiest way I found to play it was "to barre" the cords on the 5th fret and play the pull-off with my pinky or my 3rd finger

But today, I got my guitar class and my teacher told me not to play like that. He wanted me to play the notes on each cords one by one instead of doing a barre chords

I still have difficulties with that... I can't switch enough faster one cords to another to do all the pull-off one by one...

Any tips? techniques?

" First time I heard the music
I thought it was my own
I could feel it in my heartbeat
I could feel it in my bones
... Blame it on the love of Rock'n'Roll! "


   
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(@noteboat)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4921
 

Why all the pull offs?

I've played that solo forever... and I pick every note in that part of it.

Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL


   
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(@clau20)
Reputable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 351
Topic starter  

Why all the pull offs?

I've played that solo forever... and I pick every note in that part of it.

That's the right way to play it I think :roll:

I know I could play it note by note, but I'd like to get that pull-off sound

" First time I heard the music
I thought it was my own
I could feel it in my heartbeat
I could feel it in my bones
... Blame it on the love of Rock'n'Roll! "


   
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(@noteboat)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4921
 

That's funny - the "right" way :)

Quick story... a couple of years ago a student wants to learn a song by Dave Matthews, and brings me the CD. I transcribe the tune, and play it for him the next week along with the recording. He agrees it's note-for-note, and I teach it to him. A couple weeks later he sees a concert video of DMB playing the tune, and Tim Rice played the solo in a different position. All the same notes, but he played in 2nd position... I was in fifth, which was actually easier to finger.

So he quits lessons, because obviously I have no idea what I'm doing.

Anyway, I've just looked at a half dozen YouTube clips of Page playing the solo live, and not ONCE does he play that riff. So I guess he doesn't do it the "right" way either. I also looked at a few clips of other people playing the solo - about half pull off, about half pick.

So then I go back to the source - the old vinyl I learned it from back in high school. I put on good headphones, and listened close. There's a pick attack on every single note in that riff - the first pull-off comes in the next part, after the position shift.

If the right way is the way it was done on the recording, give it a good close listen - tell me if you still hear pull offs.

Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL


   
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(@dagwood)
Noble Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 1024
 

Hi everybody!

I have learned Stairway to heaven... The first 6 minutes and I'm proud of it :wink:

But now.. The solo, starting at 6:00...

---------5------------------------------------------------------------
--------------8p5----------------------------------------------------
---7b----------------7p5-----------7p5-----------------------------
------------------------------7---------------7p5--------------------
--------------------------------------------------------8-------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Any tips? techniques?
Yeah.. this 'section' of the solo is simple.. its the Am Pent scale.
And I agree, there are no PULLS not in this part of the solo.

Practice practice practice.. :)

Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing. - Wernher Von Braun (1912-1977)


   
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(@ignar-hillstrom)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 5349
 

I do pull-offs, mostly because my picking technique is hopeless. :lol: Anyway, most of Page's solos are in pentatonic, and plenty of em are in the first box. If you spend some time on that, playing it up and down in intervals, you'll see al of his solos are much easier. And this riff will be already burned in your brain.


   
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