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Miles Davis

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Solar - Guitar Tab

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Artist Overview

Miles Davis may be the most important name in jazz history, but if you play guitar, his music is a goldmine of harmonic vocabulary, comping technique, and improvisational thinking that will transform your fretboard knowledge. Active from the late 1940s through the early 1990s, Davis led ensembles that constantly redefined jazz, from cool jazz and hard bop through modal jazz, fusion, and electric funk. For guitarists, the real treasure is learning the chord changes, melodic lines, and modal frameworks that his compositions demand. Tunes like "Solar" are staples of the jazz guitar repertoire and teach you voice leading, ii-V-I navigation, and how to build fluid single-note lines over moving harmony. While Miles himself played trumpet, several legendary guitarists passed through his orbit. John McLaughlin joined for the groundbreaking "Bitches Brew" and "A Tribute to Jack Johnson" sessions, bringing fierce overdriven lines and blazing alternate picking into a jazz context. Later, guitarists like Mike Stern, John Scofield, Robben Ford, and Pete Cosey each brought wildly different approaches. Scofield contributed blues-drenched bebop phrasing; Stern added intense fusion chops; Cosey brought wah-drenched psychedelic textures; and Ford layered in smooth, articulate jazz-blues tone. Studying the Miles Davis catalog means studying some of the greatest electric guitar playing ever recorded. For guitarists tackling a tune like "Solar," the difficulty sits firmly in the intermediate-to-advanced range. The melody is approachable, but the chord changes move through several key centers, requiring you to think in terms of chord scales, target notes, and smooth voice leading. Comping over the form demands a solid grip on drop-2 and drop-3 voicings, shell chords, and rhythmic sensitivity. If you are coming from a rock or blues background, Miles Davis material is one of the best doorways into jazz guitar because the compositions are melodically singable yet harmonically rich enough to challenge you for years.

What Makes Miles Davis Essential for Guitar Players

Learning "Solar" builds your ability to navigate ii-V-I progressions in multiple keys. The changes shift through C minor, F major, Eb major, and Db major areas, forcing you to move chord shapes and scale patterns across the neck fluidly.
Comping over Miles Davis tunes teaches essential jazz voicing techniques: drop-2 and drop-3 chord shapes, rootless voicings, and the art of leaving space. You learn to support a soloist without cluttering the harmony, which is a skill that translates to any genre.
Single-note soloing over "Solar" rewards a legato approach with hammer-ons and pull-offs, keeping lines smooth and horn-like. Practicing this tune helps you internalize the Dorian, Mixolydian, Lydian, and melodic minor sounds that define jazz vocabulary on guitar.
Miles Davis fusion-era material (John McLaughlin and Pete Cosey periods) introduces guitarists to aggressive alternate picking over odd rhythmic groupings, heavy use of wah pedal as an expressive voice, and overdriven tones in a jazz context, bridging the gap between rock energy and jazz sophistication.
Rhythm and feel are paramount. Miles always prioritized groove and dynamics over sheer speed. Practicing his repertoire trains your sense of swing, your ability to phrase behind or on top of the beat, and your dynamic control from whisper-quiet clean tones to punchy accented stabs.

Did You Know?

John McLaughlin recorded the guitar parts for "A Tribute to Jack Johnson" (1971) plugged straight into a Fender Twin Reverb cranked to full volume, creating one of the earliest examples of heavy overdriven guitar in a jazz recording.

Pete Cosey, Miles's guitarist in the mid-1970s electric era, used multiple wah pedals, ring modulators, and a Gibson Les Paul with custom electronics to create some of the most extreme guitar textures heard in any genre at that time.

John Scofield has said that Miles Davis gave him almost no specific musical direction during rehearsals, instead pushing him to "play what you hear" and trust his instincts. This approach shaped Scofield's signature loose, bluesy phrasing.

Mike Stern used a Yamaha SG fitted with humbuckers and a Boss OD-1 overdrive pedal during his tenure with Miles, creating a bright, cutting tone that stood out against the dense electric funk arrangements.

"Solar" is one of the most commonly called tunes at jazz jam sessions worldwide. If you learn it on guitar, you can sit in with virtually any jazz group and hold your own.

Robben Ford's brief stint with Miles in the mid-1980s proved that a blues-rooted guitarist with a clean Fender-style tone could fit seamlessly into Davis's eclectic sound, showing that feel and taste matter more than genre credentials.

Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue" (1959), while featuring no guitar, is arguably the single most important album for any guitarist studying modal improvisation. The modal frameworks from that record form the foundation of countless jazz guitar solos and lessons.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

A Tribute to Jack Johnson 1971

John McLaughlin delivers some of the most ferocious electric guitar playing in jazz history on this album. "Right Off" opens with a legendary overdriven guitar riff that showcases aggressive alternate picking, rhythmic intensity, and blues-rock power in a jazz-fusion context. Essential listening for any guitarist wanting to bridge rock energy with jazz improvisation.

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Star People 1983

John Scofield's guitar work throughout this album is a masterclass in blues-inflected jazz phrasing, chord melody, and dynamic soloing. The title track features gritty, wah-tinged improvisation over simple vamps, making it accessible for intermediate players looking to learn jazz-blues comping and call-and-response soloing.

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Bitches Brew 1970

This groundbreaking double album features John McLaughlin playing clean-to-slightly-overdriven electric guitar in dense, rhythmically complex arrangements. It teaches guitarists how to comp in open, textural ways, how to use space and repetition as tools, and how to interact with multiple musicians in a free-form setting.

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Decoy 1984

John Scofield shines here with a cleaner, more articulate tone that highlights his chromatic approach and rhythmic sophistication. Tracks like "Robot 415" and "That's Right" are great for studying how to play funky, syncopated comping patterns and build tension in solos using motivic development.

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Agharta 1975

Pete Cosey's wild, effects-heavy guitar work on this live album is a lesson in sonic experimentation. Heavy wah, distortion, and feedback are used as musical tools rather than noise. If you want to expand your concept of what electric guitar can do in an improvisational context, this is the record.

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Tone & Gear

Guitar

The Miles Davis catalog spans multiple iconic guitar setups. John McLaughlin used a Gibson ES-345 and a custom Rex Bogue double-neck during the early fusion era. John Scofield played an Ibanez AS-200 semi-hollow during his time with Miles, prized for its warm, thick tone with clear note definition. Pete Cosey wielded a modified Gibson Les Paul Custom with additional onboard electronics. Mike Stern used a Yamaha SG-2000 with stock humbuckers. For learning tunes like "Solar," any quality semi-hollow or hollow-body guitar with humbuckers will get you in the right tonal ballpark.

Amp

McLaughlin famously ran through a Fender Twin Reverb cranked to high volume for the "Jack Johnson" sessions, getting natural tube breakup. Scofield typically used a Mesa/Boogie Mark series amp for warm, compressed overdrive with vocal midrange. For jazz comping on tunes like "Solar," a clean Fender-style amp (Twin Reverb, Deluxe Reverb) set for headroom and clarity is ideal. Keep the volume moderate, roll the treble back slightly, and let the guitar's natural warmth come through.

Pickups

Humbuckers are the standard choice across nearly all the guitarists in Miles's bands. Scofield's Ibanez AS-200 used Super 58 humbuckers with moderate output (around 7-8k), giving a warm, round tone that cleaned up well and responded to pick dynamics. McLaughlin's ES-345 had PAF-style humbuckers that delivered clarity even under heavy overdrive. For playing "Solar" and similar jazz material, a neck-position humbucker with moderate output gives you the warm, full tone that sits perfectly in a jazz ensemble.

Effects & Chain

For straight-ahead material like "Solar," most jazz guitarists go direct into a clean amp with no effects. However, the fusion-era Miles guitarists used extensive pedalboards. Pete Cosey employed multiple wah pedals (Cry Baby), a Maestro Ring Modulator, and various fuzz units. Scofield used a subtle chorus and an Ibanez Tube Screamer for light overdrive. Mike Stern relied on a Boss OD-1 for his signature bright crunch. If you are learning the jazz standards from the Miles catalog, start with a clean signal and add a touch of reverb at most. For fusion material, a wah, an overdrive pedal, and a delay will cover most ground.

Recommended Gear

Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

The Les Paul Standard's thick humbuckers and sustain made it a natural choice for Miles Davis fusion guitarists seeking warm, articulate tones. Its balanced output handles both clean jazz comping and overdriven fusion passages with clarity.

Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Pete Cosey used a modified Les Paul Custom with extra onboard electronics to achieve his textured, experimental tone in Miles's fusion bands. The guitar's heavy body and enhanced electronics gave him the versatility for wah, ring modulation, and fuzz effects.

Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

John McLaughlin cranked the Twin Reverb to high volume during the 'Jack Johnson' sessions, using its natural tube breakup to fuel explosive fusion lines. The amp's headroom and reverb created the spacious, crystalline backdrop for Miles's modal exploration.

Amp

Fender Deluxe Reverb

The Deluxe Reverb's warm, responsive character makes it ideal for jazz standards like 'Solar,' offering headroom and clarity for fingerstyle comping. Its built-in reverb adds subtle depth without overwhelming the guitar's natural tone.

Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Pete Cosey wielded multiple Cry Baby wahs to shape his experimental fusion voice, using the pedal for expressive, vocal-like note bending. The wah became essential to Miles's fusion sound, adding dynamic expression beyond traditional jazz vocabulary.

Pedal

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9

John Scofield used the Tube Screamer for light, musical overdrive that preserved his warm Ibanez tone while adding subtle grit. The pedal's midrange boost complemented his Mesa/Boogie amp, creating a smooth, compressed overdrive perfect for fusion lines.

How to Practice Miles Davis on GuitarZone

Every Miles Davis song page on GuitarZone includes a built-in Practice Toolbar. No app to download, no account needed. Open any song, then use the toolbar to slow the video to 0.5× speed, set an A/B loop around the exact riff you're working on, and jump between song sections instantly.

The toolbar appears automatically on every guitar tab, lesson, and cover page. Pick a song below, hit play, and start practicing at your own pace.

Practice Solar - Guitar Tab