George Lynch recently revealed that his solo on Dokken’s “Into the Fire” was wrong. He admitted he was too lazy to fix it during recording, in a candid discussion shared on The Music Zoo.
The guitarist opened up about his approach to recording solos and the technical mistakes he knowingly left in the final version.
“It’s not that hard, and it’s also wrong. Because I don’t know what I was doing, and so I tried to play this fast thing, and it’s… not right as a scale,” Lynch said. “It’s not right, because I’m playing it, [I think about] a shape, right? That’s the way I sort of think of playing.”
Lynch explained how his playing approach led to the error and his decision to leave it unchanged.
“But that shape doesn’t work in all the positions. And I was just lazy, and never managed to really sort of augment that scale so that it would be the right notes,” he continued. “I knew it was wrong, but what do I do? I just try to burn through it, so nobody notices.”
The guitarist also reflected on his studio recording philosophy and how it affected his confidence.
“I was talking about that, and I always felt bad about the fact that I don’t come up with solos before I go into the studio, because I don’t want to waste people’s time, and studios cost money,” Lynch said. “Probably not fun for somebody to just sit there while I’m trying to figure shit out, right?”
However, Lynch found some redemption through a different perspective on his creative process.
“But he said, ‘No, George, you think of this as being wrong? You aren’t. You do things a little differently, but what you’re doing is composing,'” he concluded. “And once he said that, I felt some redemption there.”
Lynch’s confession sheds light on the creative process behind one of Dokken’s most recognizable guitar solos. It reveals the human side of professional musicianship.
The “Into the Fire” solo was featured on Dokken’s 1987 album *Back for the Attack*. It has become a staple for guitar enthusiasts studying Lynch’s technique. Guitar tutorial analyses showed that the solo showcases Lynch’s signature approach using alternate picking, hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, bends, and vibrato, often performed in the key of A minor or tuned slightly flat.
Lynch’s distinctive playing style in this solo demonstrates his preference for economy of motion and legato phrasing. Guitar lesson breakdowns revealed that Lynch slides his entire hand as a unit rather than moving individual fingers. This enables fluid transitions like 9-10-7 pull-offs or 15-16-15 slides on the high E and B strings. This technique creates the smooth, flowing sound that characterizes his playing.
The solo’s technical complexity includes specific picking patterns and phrasing techniques that have made it a challenging piece for guitarists to master. Guitar Master Class noted that Lynch uses the side of his pick rather than the point. This contributes to his unique tone and requires precise string control for the bluesy, neoclassical feel that defines the piece.
Despite Lynch’s admission about the “wrong” scale usage, the solo features sophisticated elements including whole-step bends, pinch harmonics, and exaggerated vibrato that have made it an enduring example of 1980s metal guitar work. The recording captures Lynch’s Kamikaze guitar’s sustain and his precise right-hand muting technique. This provides clarity in the layered solo sections that have inspired countless guitarists over the decades.
