A great guitar solo might not be enough of a hook for most people. At least according to Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett. In a recent interview with Total Guitar, Hammett noted that most casual listeners aren’t going to remember a great solo over a great melody. Why those two things can’t be interconnected is beyond me, but hey – Hammett‘s made a living off his playing and I haven’t. So y’know.
“People are not going to remember a great guitar solo. I hate to say it to all your readers out there. They will remember a great melody. They will remember a great song. And I am not talking about musicians. Yeah, musicians will remember a great guitar solo, but non-musicians, who are the majority of the fucking listening world, they are not going to remember guitar solos.”
He added: “Yeah, they are gonna remember a great melody and they’re really gonna remember a great song, especially a song that’s gonna bring them to a different place from where they were five minutes previously.”
In all seriousness though, why can’t a great solo contain great melodies that act as hooks? It just feels weird to separate them into hooks and solos, when really they could absolutely be interchangeable.
Great solo, great melodies, or great riffs, at least you can get Hammett’s signature Epiphones and ESP guitars right here. And yes, that includes his recent Epiphone Greeny reissue and those kickass Flying Vs.
