About this recording
Blizzard Of Ozz · 1980 · Studio recording · official 2020 digital album upload
Playing level: expert · Theory level: beginner
Start with the D minor shapes below. Then listen to how the notes fit around the chords. The first solo and the closing solo each have their own explanation and practice ideas.
The scales at a glance
Compare the notes
Learn these shapes, then see how they help explain each solo below. Some are extra ideas for your own practice.
| Scale | Notes | Intervals | Use in this study |
|---|---|---|---|
| D Minor Pentatonic | D · F · G · A · C | 1 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭7 | Listening guide |
| D Natural Minor | D · E · F · G · A · B♭ · C | 1 · 2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭6 · ♭7 | Listening guide |
| D Harmonic Minor | D · E · F · G · A · B♭ · C♯ | 1 · 2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭6 · 7 | Practice idea |
| D Minor Blues | D · F · G · A♭ · A · C | 1 · ♭3 · 4 · ♭5 · 5 · ♭7 | Practice idea |
Solo breakdown
First solo
Guitar: Randy Rhoads
Where is this solo?
First distinct studio lead break, separate from the outro.
Learn the D minor pentatonic shape first. Then add E and B♭ to give your phrases a few more paths between the notes.
D Minor Pentatonic
Listening guide
Start with these five notes: D, F, G, A and C. Find a D note, make a short phrase, then finish on D.
D · F · G · A · C
◎ Outlined dots = D, the home note.
Standard tuning (teaching setup) · frets 10–13 · high string 1 at top · toward nut →
These dots show where the scale notes are. They do not show the order of the solo.
Read the note positions
- String 1, fret 10: D, interval 1, root
- String 1, fret 13: F, interval ♭3
- String 2, fret 10: A, interval 5
- String 2, fret 13: C, interval ♭7
- String 3, fret 10: F, interval ♭3
- String 3, fret 12: G, interval 4
- String 4, fret 10: C, interval ♭7
- String 4, fret 12: D, interval 1, root
- String 5, fret 10: G, interval 4
- String 5, fret 12: A, interval 5
- String 6, fret 10: D, interval 1, root
- String 6, fret 13: F, interval ♭3
More about these scales
D Minor Pentatonic Listening guide
Start with these five notes: D, F, G, A and C. Find a D note, make a short phrase, then finish on D.
D · F · G · A · C
D Natural Minor Listening guide
D Natural Minor adds E and B♭ to D Minor Pentatonic. Try these extra notes between two short parts of a phrase.
D · E · F · G · A · B♭ · C
D Harmonic Minor Practice idea
D Harmonic Minor has C♯ where D Natural Minor has C. C♯ is one fret below D, so it can make the return to D sound stronger.
D · E · F · G · A · B♭ · C♯
D Minor Blues Practice idea
D Minor Blues adds A♭ to D Minor Pentatonic, between G and A. Move through it briefly, then land on G or A.
D · F · G · A♭ · A · C
How the chords shape the solo
Chords and note choices
Land on a chord tone
Practice idea A chord tone is a note from the chord playing underneath. Try ending your own D minor phrase on D, F or A. Listen to which ending feels settled.
Give the phrase a destination
Practice idea Play a short phrase, leave a little silence, then answer it. Make the ending clear before trying to play faster.
Why C and C♯ feel different
Practice idea D natural minor has C. D harmonic minor has C♯ instead. C♯ sits one fret below D, so it pulls more strongly towards D. This is called a leading tone. An A major chord contains A, C♯ and E. If a passage uses that chord, C♯ can help the lead line fit it. One C♯ on its own does not mean the whole solo uses harmonic minor.
Technique tips
Technique and phrasing
- bending: For the original practice phrase, sound a target note, then approach that pitch with a controlled bend. Check the target by ear. Practice suggestion
- vibrato: Hold a stable note before adding an even vibrato; return to the same centre pitch. Practice suggestion
- legato: Use one hammer-on or pull-off in your original phrase. Match its volume to the picked note. Practice suggestion
Practice ideas
Try the ideas yourself
Original practice suggestions; these are not the recorded solo.
Find a place to land
Find two roots in the displayed scale map. Make a short phrase that ends on each one; leave silence after the ending.
Check: You can identify the roots by name and hear the phrase come to rest.
Connect the idea to listening
Listen to the selected official recording. Locate this solo and describe a phrase ending in your own words. Hum the last note of a short phrase, then look for it in the map.
Check: You can distinguish what you heard from the practice shape you chose.
Hear the seventh change
Choose D Natural Minor and play A–C–E, then finish on D. Next choose D Harmonic Minor and play A–C♯–E, finishing on D again. Sing the difference before playing it.
Check: You can identify C versus C♯ by ear and explain the stronger semitone pull.
Solo breakdown
Outro solo
Guitar: Randy Rhoads
Where is this solo?
Final extended studio lead passage through the ending; not the first solo or a live extension.
Listen for the lead line following the chords. Compare C and C♯, then try ending a phrase on a note from the chord.
D Natural Minor
Listening guide
D Natural Minor adds E and B♭ to D Minor Pentatonic. Try these extra notes between two short parts of a phrase.
D · E · F · G · A · B♭ · C
◎ Outlined dots = D, the home note.
Standard tuning (teaching setup) · frets 10–13 · high string 1 at top · toward nut →
These dots show where the scale notes are. They do not show the order of the solo.
Read the note positions
- String 1, fret 10: D, interval 1, root
- String 1, fret 12: E, interval 2
- String 1, fret 13: F, interval ♭3
- String 2, fret 10: A, interval 5
- String 2, fret 11: B♭, interval ♭6
- String 2, fret 13: C, interval ♭7
- String 3, fret 10: F, interval ♭3
- String 3, fret 12: G, interval 4
- String 4, fret 10: C, interval ♭7
- String 4, fret 12: D, interval 1, root
- String 5, fret 10: G, interval 4
- String 5, fret 12: A, interval 5
- String 5, fret 13: B♭, interval ♭6
- String 6, fret 10: D, interval 1, root
- String 6, fret 12: E, interval 2
- String 6, fret 13: F, interval ♭3
More about these scales
D Natural Minor Listening guide
D Natural Minor adds E and B♭ to D Minor Pentatonic. Try these extra notes between two short parts of a phrase.
D · E · F · G · A · B♭ · C
D Harmonic Minor Listening guide
D Harmonic Minor has C♯ where D Natural Minor has C. C♯ is one fret below D, so it can make the return to D sound stronger.
D · E · F · G · A · B♭ · C♯
D Minor Pentatonic Practice idea
Start with these five notes: D, F, G, A and C. Find a D note, make a short phrase, then finish on D.
D · F · G · A · C
D Minor Blues Practice idea
D Minor Blues adds A♭ to D Minor Pentatonic, between G and A. Move through it briefly, then land on G or A.
D · F · G · A♭ · A · C
How the chords shape the solo
Chords and note choices
Land on a chord tone
Practice idea A chord tone is a note from the chord playing underneath. Try ending your own D minor phrase on D, F or A. Listen to which ending feels settled.
Give the phrase a destination
Practice idea Play a short phrase, leave a little silence, then answer it. Make the ending clear before trying to play faster.
Why C and C♯ feel different
Practice idea D natural minor has C. D harmonic minor has C♯ instead. C♯ sits one fret below D, so it pulls more strongly towards D. This is called a leading tone. An A major chord contains A, C♯ and E. If a passage uses that chord, C♯ can help the lead line fit it. One C♯ on its own does not mean the whole solo uses harmonic minor.
D Minor arpeggio
D · F · A · 1 · ♭3 · 5
These chord tones are a proposed way to understand a local figure. They are not an ordered song passage.
Listening idea Candidate chord-tone reference: D minor. Confirm its passage in the selected outro.
B♭ Major arpeggio
B♭ · D · F · 1 · 3 · 5
These chord tones are a proposed way to understand a local figure. They are not an ordered song passage.
Listening idea Candidate chord-tone reference: Bb major. Confirm its passage in the selected outro.
C Major arpeggio
C · E · G · 1 · 3 · 5
These chord tones are a proposed way to understand a local figure. They are not an ordered song passage.
Listening idea Candidate chord-tone reference: C major. Confirm its passage in the selected outro.
F Major arpeggio
F · A · C · 1 · 3 · 5
These chord tones are a proposed way to understand a local figure. They are not an ordered song passage.
Listening idea Candidate chord-tone reference: F major. Confirm its passage in the selected outro.
Technique tips
Technique and phrasing
- bending: For the original practice phrase, sound a target note, then approach that pitch with a controlled bend. Check the target by ear. Practice suggestion
- vibrato: Hold a stable note before adding an even vibrato; return to the same centre pitch. Practice suggestion
- legato: Use one hammer-on or pull-off in your original phrase. Match its volume to the picked note. Practice suggestion
Practice ideas
Try the ideas yourself
Original practice suggestions; these are not the recorded solo.
Find a place to land
Find two roots in the displayed scale map. Make a short phrase that ends on each one; leave silence after the ending.
Check: You can identify the roots by name and hear the phrase come to rest.
Connect the idea to listening
Listen to the selected official recording. Locate this solo and describe a phrase ending in your own words. Hum the last note of a short phrase, then look for it in the map.
Check: You can distinguish what you heard from the practice shape you chose.
Hear the seventh change
Choose D Natural Minor and play A–C–E, then finish on D. Next choose D Harmonic Minor and play A–C♯–E, finishing on D again. Sing the difference before playing it.
Check: You can identify C versus C♯ by ear and explain the stronger semitone pull.
A simple practice plan
Put the study into practice
- Listen to the chosen solo and identify its beginning and ending.
- Find the root notes: the notes the scale is named after. Say their names, then play them.
- Add one new note, or aim for a note from the chord. Make a short phrase of your own.
- Listen to the solo again. Can you hear where the phrase comes to rest?
Updated 2026-11-10
This analysis may contain errors or inaccuracies.