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Whitesnake - Still Of The Night - Guitar Solo Section - Guitar Lesson

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Key C minor
Whitesnake - Still Of The Night - Guitar Solo Section guitar lesson video
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Classic Rock

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Whitesnake Hard Rock C minor
Capo Advisor 0 C minor · Original key

About Still Of The Night - Guitar Solo Section

The guitar solo section of "Still Of The Night" is one of the more demanding passages in the Hard Rock canon, and it earns that reputation. In C minor at a steady 120 BPM, the solo demands control over wide vibrato, rapid position shifts up the neck, and sustained bends that need to ring with real confidence. E Standard tuning keeps everything familiar, but do not let that fool you into thinking the fingering is straightforward: the phrasing sits in awkward spots that will expose any tension in your picking hand. The key challenge is making each phrase breathe rather than rushing through the runs, so use the Practice Toolbar to isolate individual phrases and loop them slowed down until your left hand stops squeezing. Whitesnake built the track around a heavy, stop-start riff that also rewards attention, so once the solo feels solid, go back and lock in that main groove as well.

  • The solo sits in C minor, so knowing the minor pentatonic and natural minor scale positions across the full neck is essential preparation.
  • At 120 BPM the phrasing feels moderate, but wide vibrato and held bends require strong left-hand stamina to execute cleanly.
  • E Standard tuning is used throughout, meaning no retuning is needed, but tone and pick attack matter a lot for the heavier riff sections.

How to Play Still Of The Night - Guitar Solo Section

Tuning: E Standard · Key: C minor · Tempo: 120 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 120 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

While John Sykes favored the Les Paul Custom, the Standard delivers the same thick humbucker warmth essential to Whitesnake's classic rock tone. Its slightly lighter weight and traditional specs make it an accessible alternative for achieving that powerful, sustained lead sound through cranked tube amps.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

John Sykes' black 1978 Les Paul Custom with gold hardware is the definitive Whitesnake guitar, its stock Gibson humbuckers producing the warm midrange growl and controlled compression needed for 'Still of the Night' solos. This guitar's thick, harmonically rich character became inseparable from the band's signature hard rock voice.

Ibanez JEM
Guitar

Ibanez JEM

Steve Vai brought the Ibanez JEM 777 and its Floyd Rose tremolo to Whitesnake, enabling expressive solo techniques and pitch-bending flexibility that complemented the band's shredding era. The JEM's bright, articulate character contrasted with traditional Les Paul tones while maintaining cutting power through Marshall stacks.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The Marshall JCM800 is the sonic foundation of Whitesnake, delivering the thick, tube-driven natural saturation and harmonically rich distortion that defines songs like 'Still of the Night.' Sykes pushed these heads hard in the preamp, maintaining high presence and treble to retain clarity and pick attack in solos.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

John Sykes used the Dunlop Cry Baby Wah sparingly but effectively for solo accents and expressive passages, adding dynamic color without cluttering Whitesnake's amp-driven aesthetic. This pedal's responsive sweep complemented his Les Paul's warm tone while enhancing the emotional impact of key lead moments.

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