Axl Rose
Piano Solo on
Estranged

About

Axl Rose's piano solo is the first of three instrumental features on "Estranged," the centerpiece of Use Your Illusion II and one of the most ambitious recordings in the Guns N' Roses catalog. Spanning an extraordinary ninety-five seconds at a relaxed 87 BPM in B, this extended piano passage is one of the longest solo sections on the entire album. Rose, primarily known as a vocalist, demonstrates considerable keyboard ability in this expressive solo, which takes advantage of the song's nine-minute-plus running time to develop gradually. The solo precedes two subsequent electric guitar solos from Slash, establishing a contemplative emotional foundation before the more aggressive guitar work that follows.

Axl Rose was 28 to 29 years old at the time.