Though the guitar solo now seems ubiquitous in modern rock music, for many years the six-string solo was a non-entity. Saxophones and various horns were the main solo instruments, and guitars were most often relegated to the rhythm section.

But the guitar solo is now a main component of most types of contemporary music from pop to metal. Here, the author explains and diagrams exactly what is required to play the perfect solo every time. Nearly 900 songs covering the past 60 years of recorded music were studied and researched in order to explain the role of the solo; notes which can work over multiple chord sequences; scales; harmonies; techniques; and soloing over altered and out-of-key chords.

There are 42 sample solos written out in full tab notation. Additionally, an accompanying CD contains 84 tracks with solo parts and separate backing tracks. If you want to understand why Mark Knopfler's solo in "Sultans of Swing" is so perfect or what makes Jimmy Page's solos so classic after all these years, you'll need to read this book.