Intro
It seems like Joe Walsh has always come up with some great guitar parts. In both his solo career and while serving as a member of The Eagles, Joe Walsh has proved that he is a true guitar giant. Here is one of his most famous riffs of all.
Intro Part 2
The part below is from the section immediately following that intro. It contains two guitar parts one of which is played with using a slide. Before we get on to the slide guitar part let’s take a look at the other guitar part which is a straight-ahead rhythm part:
Now on to the slide part. It basically complements the rhythm part established above. If you don’t have a slide you can substitute a real one for a small, hard object that is even on one side. For example, you could use a cigarette lighter or a small piece of pipe. It won’t sound as good as a real slide, but it will serve for our purpose here until you can make a trip to the music store to get one.
Take your slide (or slide substitute) and let it rest against the strings of the guitar. Don’t press down so that the strings sink closer to the fretboard. Just apply enough pressure so that you don’t hear any buzzing.
To play the desired note hold the slide directly above the fret. To get a vibrato move the slide back and forth horizontally above the fret.
If you’ve never played with a slide before it may be hard to get it to sound good. Just remember to keep the slide lined up evenly with the frets and don’t press too hard. Also avoid “sitting still” for too long, which means always keeping the slide in motion. If you’re not sliding somewhere and are holding a note or notes be sure to use at least a slight vibrato. If you stop moving the slide the notes will sound dead.
Interlude
Guitar 1
Guitar 2
Solo Part 1 (backing instruments)
Here we’ll learn 3 backing instrument parts. It includes two guitar parts and a bass guitar part. The two guitar parts are actually synth parts tabbed for guitar. All three parts are quite different than the other. Here’s what they all sound like together:
Guitar 1
Guitar 2
Bass
Solo Part 2
Below is a breakdown of the solo. It’s divided up into 4 measure parts. Here’s what the solo sounds like over the backing music:
Breakdown
Use the audio below to practice the solo over the backing track: