This week I am learning the solo on Two Princes by Spin Doctors. When I thought about what solo I wanted to learn this week, this one stuck out to me. I knew it would be a challenge, but I always enjoyed it as a kid. I remember wishing back then that I had the chops to play it.
Now I do. After a lot of practice 🙂
This is an iconic pop rock song from the 90s. A fun, simple rhythm guitar part that repeats for most of the song. No real chorus to speak of. Lots of words. And a great solo that fits the song perfectly.
The solo is played over 14 bars. The progression is D-Bm-A-G for a few bars, then G-D-G-A.
It opens with notes on the open D string. This is the first solo in this series that utilizes open strings like that. The second bar walks up melodically while including open strings. That is a fun technique that I have used in the past, but kind of forgot about.
A good reminder to practice including open strings in my solos.
Next, the solo plays a variation on the song’s melody. That really makes the solo feel intentional and connected to the entire song.
Adding some melody lines as anchor points during a solo can help give the listener something to grab on to during a long string of notes.
The solo mainly uses the D Mixolydian scale, but for the second part of the solo (G-D-G-A), he abandons it and goes to the pentatonic scale for the current chord. That is a good way to change up the sound of a solo without getting too far outside.
On the G chord, play the G major pentatonic scale. On the A chord, play the A major pentatonic scale. Even though the notes are all in the D major scale, the tonal center for a brief moment becomes the root of that particular pentatonic scale.
The solo finishes with a grouping of country style pentatonic bends. Playing the bends with the correct pitch takes a lot of practice.
Take it slow, and make sure to mute any extra string noise with either your left or right hand.
A big part of guitar technique is muting the sounds you don’t want to be heard.
The solo finishes on a quick D riff with an interesting rhythm pattern. 3 – and a 4. Apparently I don’t play that pattern much, and I had to practice it slowly to get my muscles to do it.
That’s why I’m doing this challenge. To see where my ruts are and break out of them.
What I Learned
- Use open strings. Practice using open strings in your solos. It could be a great way to walk up the neck melodically, while keeping a “droning” effect underneath the melody.
- Use the pentatonic of the current chord. Instead of a using one scale for an entire solo, try changing to the major pentatonic built from the current chord. It will change the flavor of your note choices, and give your solo an different sound.
- Mute superfluous sounds. When coming of a bend, often the string rings out with an undesirable note. Learn how to mute any unwanted sounds with your left and right hands as you play. It will make the solo sound much cleaner.
That is 7 solos down. Only 45 more to go.
What solo should I play next week?
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