Eric Johnson - Manhattan Pt.4 - Main Solo - Guitar Lesson

About Manhattan Pt.4 - Main Solo

Few guitarists demand the kind of clean articulation that Eric Johnson makes compulsory, and the main solo from "Manhattan Pt.4" is a clear example of that standard. At 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, the tempo sits at a mid-pace that sounds comfortable until you realise every note has to sing with near-perfect pick attack and left-hand clarity. Johnson's phrasing tends to combine fluid legato runs with precisely picked single-note lines, so you cannot lean entirely on either technique: you have to shift between them cleanly mid-phrase. The solo sits within Progressive Rock, which means melodic development matters as much as speed. Work through each phrase in small sections and use the Practice Toolbar to loop any run slowed down, confirming your fingering before bringing it back to full tempo. Pay close attention to your pick angle and follow-through, because at performance speed any sloppiness in attack will stand out immediately.

• The solo is played in E Standard tuning, so no retuning is needed, but Johnson's tone requires careful pick attack and clean fretting throughout.
• At 120 BPM the phrasing demands a fluid shift between legato passages and picked single-note lines, making consistent right-hand control the main technical challenge.
• Looping individual phrases slowed down in the Practice Toolbar is especially useful here, as Johnson's note choices are dense and easy to misread at full speed.