“A George Benson, or John Mayer, or B.B. King, or Albert King solo, you can almost sing it”: Isaiah Sharkey on what he learned about guitar soloing – after playing with the likes of John Mayer, D'Angelo and Paul Simon

Isaiah Sharkey performs during the 2025 Newport Jazz Festival at Fort Adams State Park on August 03, 2025 in Newport, Rhode Island.

If there's one thing that Isaiah Sharkey knows how to do on guitar, it's play tastefully.

And throughout his years as connoisseur of the instrument, whether as a solo artist, as part of D'Angelo's lauded Vanguard on Black Messiah, or as a sideman and session player to the likes of John Mayer, Chris Martin, Corinne Bailey Rae, Keith Urban, and Paul Simon, he has come to realize the magic ingredient for concocting a good guitar solo… and it's simpler than you may think.