The Guitar Solo in 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Was Played on a Coin Rather Than a Pick
What was used as a guitar pick to play the solo in "Bohemian Rhapsody"?
Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' guitar solo is one of the most celebrated in rock history, and it has a secret weapon. Guitarist Brian May played the solo using a sixpence coin as a pick rather than a conventional guitar pick. This gives the notes a particular metallic brightness and attack that defines May's distinctive sound.
May has used this technique throughout his career, citing the precision and tonal quality that coins provide. He plays a guitar he built himself (the 'Red Special') with his father in the early 1960s. 'Bohemian Rhapsody' took three weeks to record and mixed operatic elements with hard rock in a way that had never been attempted in a pop song before.
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