Practice Studio

Slash - Anastasia - First Solo - Guitar Lesson

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

Not in tune?

Select a Loop

Start of your loop
End of your loop

Speed Control

Speed
100%

Tools

BPM
PLAY WITH BACKING TRACK
·
–50¢ 0 +50¢
· Tap to start

Your browser will ask for microphone permission.

Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
AI tone preset

AI-selected preset based on genre and era — adjust the knobs to taste.

Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.

Apocalyptic Love (Deluxe) [feat. Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators] album cover
Apocalyptic Love (Deluxe) [feat. Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators]
2012 6:07

About Anastasia - First Solo


Few guitarists make a long solo feel as conversational as Slash does in "Anastasia," and the first solo is a perfect example of that quality. It sits in E Standard tuning, which keeps everything familiar, but the challenge here is not about exotic setup. It is about phrasing: knowing when to push into a bend, when to let a note breathe, and how to build intensity gradually rather than blowing everything in the opening bars. The solo draws on blues-phrasing vocabulary inside a Hard Rock context, so your vibrato and the weight you put behind each bend matter far more than raw speed. Sloppy vibrato will expose itself immediately in a part like this. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the first few bars slowed down until each bent note lands in tune and your vibrato feels controlled and even. Once those details are solid, stitching the whole solo together at full tempo becomes a much more straightforward task.

  • The solo uses E Standard tuning, so no retuning is needed, but clean intonation on string bends is essential throughout.
  • Blues-phrasing techniques like wide vibratos and expressive whole-step bends are the core vocabulary you need to nail this part.
  • Practise each melodic phrase in isolation before linking them, as the solo's conversational pacing makes rushed transitions obvious.

How to Play Anastasia - First Solo

Tuning: E Standard

Use the section loop to isolate a passage and drop the speed to build each section up to tempo.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Slash's signature weapon, the Les Paul Standard delivers the thick, singing sustain and midrange punch essential to his tone. Its mahogany body and maple top, combined with a chunky neck, create the weight and resonance that powers his iconic lead voice.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Custom's thicker body and binding offer slightly enhanced sustain and midrange focus compared to the Standard. While less iconic than his '59 replica, it maintains the tonal character Slash needs for consistent crunch and singing solos.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

Though Slash favors the JCM25/50 Jubilee, the JCM800 shares similar tonal DNA with a brighter, tighter clipping circuit. It produces the compressed overdrive character fundamental to his thick roar, though slightly less warm than his primary setup.

Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro
Pickup

Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro

These signature humbuckers preserve Slash's touch sensitivity by avoiding hot output, letting his aggressive picking snarl and soft passages clean up naturally. The alnico II magnets deliver warmth and smooth attack that complements the Marshall's saturation without adding harshness.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Slash's signature wah pedal adds expressive funk and soaring lead accents to his pedalboard without coloring his core tone. It's an essential tool for his rhythmic funky passages and dramatic solo bends, deployed as seasoning over his cranked Marshall foundation.

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
Pedal

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay

This subtle slapback delay enhances Slash's solos with spatial depth and dimension without drowning his tone. Its conservative settings maintain his core Marshall character while adding the slight doubling effect that thickens his signature lead passages.

Play with Backing Track

Play with Backing Track

Solo (Backing Track)

Solo (Backing Track)