In this video
This stream was all about easy solos that work great for building technique. I started with "Heartbreak Hotel" - a perfect beginner solo using E minor pentatonic up at the 12th fret. The key technique is that whole step bend where you're bending the D note up to match the E. I demonstrated three different finger approaches: little finger supported by the third, just the third finger, or even the middle finger like Slash does it. The crucial thing is pivoting from the wrist, not pushing vertically with your fingers.
"Come as You Are" by Nirvana got covered next - loads of different elements coming together including clean sound, chunky distortion, and a lead line. The solo is basically playing the vocal melody, which is a great reminder that solos don't need to be flashy. With enough gain you get loads of sustain, but it's also exposing when you miss notes.
I tackled "Californication" which I admitted I wasn't initially into when it first came out. But I've come to appreciate the genius simplicity of it - it sounds totally authentic even through budget gear with basic ability. The solo uses compression heavily, which keeps everything even and smooth. The technique is all about those pull-offs and staying in the A minor pentatonic position around the 9th-11th frets.
For Led Zeppelin requests, I ran through "Misty Mountain Hop," "Communication Breakdown," and "Rock and Roll" - the trick with Rock and Roll is keeping your right hand on strings five and four throughout. "Immigrant Song" needs a specific pick angle to jump from string six to string four while skipping string five.
Finished with "Wish You Were Here" using my looper pedal, showing off E minor pentatonic to G major pentatonic, plus a preview of the woman tone by rolling down the tone pot on the neck pickup.