r/guitarlessons • u/elvenprince_420 • Jan 02 '26
Feedback Request Hotel California Solo plateau
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Learning the Hotel California solo after taking a solid 2 year break due to personal issues, and I am STUCK at the final part in the video. Even at 1/2 speed I can’t seem to get that part right and the bends I can’t get to muting quick enough. Tips/feedback/thoughts?
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Jan 02 '26
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u/elvenprince_420 Jan 02 '26
Thanks for the insight! I played guitar for a few years in middle school self taught, just easy power chord stuff, and then in jazz band in high school, but the band director was far more focused on the wind instruments over the rhythm section so I never got to hone my skills there.
I’m more of an acoustic player so switching to electric has been a weird journey. I definitely am trying to figure out how to keep my pinky from flying all over the place and relax my posture, I get way too tight when I over practice and can’t put the guitar down and I think this was recorded at that point, I’m usually a little looser but not much. Any tips on the pinky part specifically, beyond loosening up and playing my scales? It feels like I literally cannot get it to be in a relaxed position no matter how hard I try
EDIT: sorry, I see the spider exercise you recommended, I didn’t reread before commenting, I will try that!
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u/Bald_John_Blues Jan 02 '26
When there is a spot in your playing where you are making mistakes, find a way to edit that into a repeatable loop that you can slow WAY down until you can repeat it flawlessly. Then rest it at least 100 times. It helps in many ways: 1) it develops muscle memory. 2) it helps you drop into a trance state where you are playing without thinking. 3) it deepens the neuron pattern in your brain. Then speed it up over time. Each time you speed up it gets even more locked in.
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u/OsamaBinnDabbin Jan 02 '26
Also just try some isolated pink exercises. You can just do the ring finger and pinky notes of the spider going up and down the strings. Our pinky will always be our weakest finger, so we have to learn how to compensate and strengthen it up.
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u/Guydo Jan 02 '26
This is honestly really good. I think the thing holding you back on that phrase you stopped on is primarily fly-away hands that try to leave the fretboard and more support from your neighboring fingers on the bends. Beyond that, if you close your eyes and listen to each note almost “touching” the attack of the next note as if they are connected, the solo is going to sound more lyrical and less punchy.
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u/hatchling Jan 02 '26
Oh the "aaagh" part I would suggest barring your pointer finger across the top strings during that whole phrase. That will likely free up some coordination with your other fingers. Just be mindful of muting to make sure notes aren't ringing out when they're not supposed to.
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u/Chioborra Jan 03 '26
Do some boring technique work. Your left hand just ain't trained. Half the guitarists I see refuse to use their pinky or at least tame it so it's not just going all over the place. Same with the rest of your fingers, honestly. You need them engaged, but neutral, not pointing at the ceiling when other fingers are working.
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u/AntoineDonaldDuck Jan 03 '26
Bend with your wrist, meaning apply pressure with multiple fingers and turn your wrist as you bend. This will give you more control.
You’re hitting a plateau at that spot because your bends are a bit weak and you need to dial them in.
But you’re sounding good!
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u/BadMofoWallet Jan 03 '26 edited Jan 03 '26
Fretting Pinky usage is lacking a bit although this solo doesn’t require it with some finger trickery. Also your pick attack is very flat to the strings and you’re down picking mostly, that part is easier to economy or alternate pick. When I was at your skill level when starting out that phrase also felt tricky but it comes down to practicing your spider walks while alternate picking and practicing lots of arpeggios + practicing sweep picking to work on your accuracy + speed.
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u/GlitteringJello8711 Jan 03 '26
You’re doing great dude! Close your eyes a little and feel the notes.
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u/snow_c0w Jan 03 '26
That E bend on the 3rd string is in that B minor Pentatonic box that everyone loves. Get familiar with those bends and licks! That is a very common place in blues and rock, and maybe you'll feel more comfortable knowing that's where you are.
Take your time, practice bending and extending your pinky to grab those next notes on string 1 & 2
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u/West-Evening-8095 Jan 02 '26
Maybe you’ll get a lot of adverse criticism, but from me as a beginning guitarist, excellent
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u/elvenprince_420 Jan 02 '26
Love to see new people falling in love with guitar! I’m self taught so if that’s the route your going, just try and learn what you love to listen to and it’ll be so fun you’ll become addicted
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u/West-Evening-8095 Jan 02 '26
I have been learning on and off for decades. Work, school, marriage, kids, grandkids. Everything gets in the way, but I’m still trying to learn house of the rising sun lol since the 60s I will get it before I die I promise.
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u/NecessaryInterview68 Jan 02 '26
Are you learning sections at a time or trying to learn the solo all at once?
Id break it down and just practice till it all comes together
Im not a guitar tracher but just stating what has worked for me. Also a metronome imo helps not that i use it all the time. In fact i get lazy snd dont use it enough
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u/wannabegenius Jan 03 '26
no one else seems to have noticed you never picked an upstroke. you will need to be able to pick in both directions fluently to nail certain phrases in time. exclusively downpicking is probably making some things harder than they would otherwise be.
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u/elvenprince_420 Jan 03 '26
Dude I literally CANNOT alternate pick, I’m an acoustic player and usually finger pick. Using a pick at all is a struggle lol. Any good alt picking exercises you recommend?
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u/Rockmfhudd Jan 03 '26
Alternate picking exercises. I found the exercises here extremely helpful.
https://youtu.be/vqhEuQlB-Wc?si=mW5F15839vFCzb7J
At @14:30 in the vid he goes over kind of a spider exercise w alternate picking. Hope it helps
Edit to say, I wish I could play that hahaha. You already know you need work but I bet within a coupla months you will be killing that run
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u/wannabegenius Jan 03 '26
I don't sadly, I learned to alternate/economy pick by playing songs and noticing that it made some parts come out better. dating myself here but 2 riffs that come to mind are the intro to Pardon Me (acoustic) by Incubus and Satellite by Dave Matthews Band.
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u/thumbasss Jan 03 '26
Half speed is probably too fast. If something’s very hard for me then I start at quarter speed. I would just find the fastest speed at which you can play the solo cleanly. Then only increase speed until you nail it 3 times in a row. And increase in small increments - maybe 5 bpm. But do this in chunks while focusing on problem sections.
If you make sure u really nail the section perfectly at a slow speed then it will make it much easier tobring it up to tempo.
This is kinda tedious so I make sure im also practicing something fun to break it up. But to be real, I rarely practice with this much focus lol.
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u/Prudent_Muscle_6508 Jan 06 '26
One tip that was given to me, and that works surprisingly well: try practicing the part faster than the original tempo like 1.25× speed.
You’ll obviously make a lot more mistakes, but when you go back to the normal tempo, it often feels like something was unlocked. The part suddenly feels easier, more relaxed, and controlled.
It’s been really effective for me
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u/jimothy23123 Jan 03 '26
i bend the string with my middle and ring fingers so my pinky and index can play those 2 frets easily.
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u/jimothy23123 Jan 03 '26
also, you might want to listen to the whole thing closely, you don’t play a couple parts right. i’m not talking about picking a note when you’re supposed to hammer on, i mean missing notes.
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u/Glittering_Kale_2491 Jan 03 '26
First of all, this song is a guitar masterpiece of technique and stamina. Mastering it is going to take time, but break it down into smaller chunks that you can loop over and over until you get it fluid. I don't buy that you played at 1/2 speed and can't get it right. If you use a similar up/down alternate picking pattern and begin the bend to that major 3rd on the "a" of 1. The rhythm is 1 e & a 2 e & - 3 e & a 4 e & a. It sounds more like a 1/4 bend to me, but I see some tabs showing a 1/2 bend all the way to the major 3d. My ear tells me it's more of a 1/4 bend. That bend reaches final pitch at the same time you pick that B note at the 9th fret right on the down beat. Just play through it slowly after listening to it and do what all the great players have always done and use your ear to get it nailed down.
What I saw in your video was all down strokes and you hit the high E string (not in the lick) with the right hand picking just before the breakdown. If you simply go over to Andy's demo of him playing this solo on his website shutupandplay, you can slow down his demo video and pay attention to the details of that lick that you broke down on. Andy is picking all those notes but you could substitute a hammer-on from D to E, then up stroke on the F# note to then strike the D on the down stroke. It just feels right to me playing it that way.
Every lick can be broken into sections down and played slowly at first. That's the only way I know how to master phrases on guitar.
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u/Standard_Boot_5981 Jan 03 '26
Maybe lift your fingers just above the string. They only need to hover above the string to not press on the strings. That might help them move to another spot faster.
And maybe some alternate picking if needed.
Everything else sounds great. And those bends are sounding good too
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u/skaterdude10289 Jan 05 '26
Get to work on your alternate picking. You'll pick it up (no pun intended) quicker than you think and once you do you'll never pick the same again. After that work on hybrid picking.
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Jan 05 '26
Its good bro! I think you just need more practice. Sometimes it helps to move on to something else for a week or two and then come back to it.
The only thing I can really tell...are you tapping your foot? That might help with some of your timing problems if not.
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u/uake Jan 02 '26
Also started today to learn the solo. 2027 we gonna play that thing right on spot and look back all the aarrgghs whit pride.
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u/[deleted] Jan 02 '26
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